Betel

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Woman seated at a table prepares betel quids by wrapping nuts in green leaves, with prepared leaves and ingredients spread out in front of her in Shan State, Myanmar.

Betel nuts for betel chewing

Cluster of bright red betel nuts, the seeds of the areca palm (Areca catechu), hanging from the tree with green palm fronds in the background.

Cluster of glossy, heart-shaped green leaves of the betel pepper plant, Piper betle, with visible raindrops on the surface.

Betel: References & Edit History

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Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Article title updated for style.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Oct 31, 2026
	Media updated.	Mindy Johnston	Aug 19, 2026
	Invalidated site: Nature - Betel Nut Chewing.	Grace Young	Jul 11, 2026
	Add new Web site: Scientific Reports - Consumption of betel quid contributes to sensorineural hearing impairment through arecoline-induced oxidative stress.	Grace Young	Mar 20, 2026
	Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Betel leaf: Revisiting the benefits of an ancient Indian herb.	Gloria Lotha	Dec 06, 2025
	Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Betel leaf: Revisiting the benefits of an ancient Indian herb.	Gloria Lotha	Dec 06, 2025
	Add new Web site: Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry - Betel leaf: An integrative review of its phytoconstituents, traditional uses and modern therapeutic potential (PDF).	Aakanksha Gaur	Jan 18, 2025
	Article revised and updated.	Melissa Petruzzello	Jun 25, 2024
	Add new Web site: Nature - Betel Nut Chewing.	Aakanksha Gaur	Nov 17, 2023
	Add new Web site: Nature - Betel Nut Chewing.	Aakanksha Gaur	Nov 17, 2023
	Add new Web site: Academia - Betel leaf: The neglected green gold of India (PDF).	Gloria Lotha	Aug 22, 2023
	Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Betel leaf: Revisiting the benefits of an ancient Indian herb.	Aakanksha Gaur	May 04, 2023
	Added information on betel leaf and oral cancer.	Melissa Petruzzello	Aug 15, 2013
	Article added to new online database.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	May 27, 1999