Betel Quid: Toxic Material and Carcinogen in Popular Asian Food
Betel (Piper betle) is the leaf
of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family which includes Pepper and Kawa.
The Betel leaf is popularly used as a mild stimulant, for medicinal purposes
and as a food supplement in Asia. In October 2009, 30 scientists from 10
countries met under the auspices of the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to access the carcinogenicity of betel quid and their
conclusion was that betel quid without tobacco can definitely lead to cancer of the oral cavity and esophagus,
while betel quid with tobacco is a carcinogen
of the oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus.
Betel quid as a food is an Asian
edible condiment that has its main ingredient as betel leaf. Betel quid is made
up of betel leaf, areca nut (another carcinogen),
slaked lime, and may (or may not) contain tobacco. Betel quid is food to an astonishing over 600 million people worldwide, mostly from Asia, hence the
concern about its role as a toxic
material and carcinogen. Betel
quid as a food supplement or additive is important as an aphrodisiac,
antiseptic and breath freshener. According to another report, this toxic material and carcinogen is the fourth most popular psychoactive substance in the world after tobacco, alcohol and caffeine.
The WHO research group on cancer observed a higher percentage of
diagnosis of oral cancer in Asian
hospitals when compared to that of the western countries where betel quid is
virtually unknown. This discovery, coupled with other research findings led to
the conclusion that chewing this toxic material called betel quid goes beyond oral cancer. They noticed a significant increase also in cancer of the esophagus, liver,
pancreas, larynx, lung and other cancer.
A study in Papua New Guinea showed that oral squamous cell cancer is the most common malignant tumor in Papua New Guinea. This
oral cancer concentrates at the
corner of the mouth and the cheeks and has been attributed to betel quid
consumption. The study also showed that eating betel quid and smoking is
responsible for half of all cancer
deaths and reduces life span by 6 years.
One research study explains how this toxic material/carcinogen can cause cancer. The presence of areca nut in
betel quid is carcinogenic. Components
of betel quid can alkylate the genetic material of the DNA to increase the risk
of cancer. These carcinogens in betel quid are present
at levels sufficient enough to cause DNA damage and could potentially have
adverse implications to human health, especially as it concerns oral cancer development.
Hi, Is it possible to use the labelled Betel ingredients image in health education resources?
ReplyDeleteActually the betel leaf itself is beneficial, has vitamin C and anti-oxidants. In the WHO report the betel leaf was shown to have beneficial anti-cancer properties and is being experimented with in other studies for this reason.
ReplyDeleteIt is only the areca nut (containing nitrosamines) that is proven to cause cancer in mice when given as an oral extract or concentration. The reason the betel quid also caused cancer in some of the experiments, they concluded, was because it had areca nut in it. As you mention the addition of tobacco is another carcinogen in the package.