The chewing of the betel nut (Areca catechu) has been popular in a multitude of places, from East Africa to much of Asia. Lewis Lewin in his book ‘Phantastica' (1931) estimated the number of betel chewers as about 200 million, and stated that the habit could be traced back for more than two millennia.
The betel chewers include people of all ages and social conditions. Typically, the areca nut, with fresh betel leaves (Piper betle) and burnt lime, is chewed in conjunction with tobacco, gambier (pale catechu, from Uncaria gambier or U acida) or black catechu (from Acacia catechu or A suma). The process induces abundant salivation, an aromatic breath and a long lasting flavour. At the same time the chewer experiences a feeling of well-being, followed by a mild degree of intoxication. The active principle responsible is the alkaloid arecoline.
According to a report in New Scientist for August 5, the chewing of betel may relieve many of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Investigators from the University of Auckland have studied its use in the Western Pacific, where the incidence of schizophrenia in some regions is high - in the Republic of Palau two in every hundred inhabitants of the island are affected. About 70 per cent of Palauans, and 80 per cent of the local schizophrenics, consume the preparation, and those who chew more than 10 nuts daily claim to have experienced milder symptoms of hallucination, delusion and depression than non-chewers. This effect is attributed to the action of arecoline, which produces an acetylcholine-like influence. The betel nut may indirectly reduce dopamine production within the brain, and so relieve the symptoms of schizophrenia.