Areca Nut 49feine; another user talked of a mild background stimulation accompanied by
pleasant enhancements of perception; still another user described a brighten-
ing of colors, with motions around him becoming jerky, as in old-time silent
movies or modern Internet videos, and said he felt relaxed. (Those descrip-
tions are anecdotal, not from scientific journals.) Areca nut users generally
explain the experience as reducing hunger, tiredness, anxiety, and peevishness
while increasing contentment and alertness—effects reminiscent of coca chew-
ing. Some people simply use the quids as a cheaper substitute for chewing
gum. Areca nut usage is seen more often in older persons than in younger
and may therefore be declining. Younger persons do indulge, however. One
survey found up to 16% of high school students in Taiwan regularly using
the substance. Areca nut andnicotineboth influence some of the same parts
of the central nervous system in similar ways.
Chewers widely believe areca nut aids digestion. Chewing the substance
can slow or accelerate pulse rate, raise or lower blood pressure, promote sal-
ivation and tremors, and increase body temperature and sweating. Outdoor
workers use areca nut to combat cold weather. Areca nut is used to rid hu-
mans of worms. The substance is also a treatment for worms and constipation
in animals. Traditional healing applications include treatment of edema, hep-
atitis, gum disease, inadequate urine output, and gastrointestinal complaints
including both constipation and diarrhea. Investigators find that areca nut
reduces schizophrenia symptoms in schizophrenic chewers. Nonetheless, the
natural product has little place in modern medicine.
Some authorities describe areca nut’s actions as similar to amphetamine.
Although areca nut is a stimulant, its ability to improve workplace perfor-
mance is unproven. One laboratory study demonstrated that the substance is
unlikely to worsen job performance; another laboratory study showed im-
provement in some reaction time; still another showed longer reaction time.
Tests of workers who operated heavy earth-moving equipment while using
areca nut found evidence that the men were more alert, but otherwise they
exhibited no effect that would influence job performance; measurements in-
cluded short-term memory, reaction time, and eye-hand coordination.
A chemical refined from areca nut (Areca II-5-C) shows excellent potential
as a medicine to reduce blood pressure, even though the natural product tends
to raise blood pressure. Experiments with areca nut’s pyridine alkaloid are-
coline indicate that the chemical can improve memory in mice, and arecoline
produces the same benefit in persons suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (al-
though improvement may be marginal). Still other chemicals isolated from
areca nut seem to have potential for inhibiting formation of plaque on teeth,
although in practice areca nut chewers have more plaque than nonchewers.
Chewers, however, also seem to have less tooth decay than nonchewers, and
areca nut toothpaste has been marketed. Areca nut chewing is linked to a
lower prevalence of a bowel disease called ulcerative colitis, but the possible
protective effect has not been differentiated yet from tobacco smoking of
chewers (nicotine is known to improve ulcerative colitis). One alcohol extract
of areca nut has been successfully tested as a treatment for skin wrinkles,
making people look younger. Another alcohol extract shows promise in treat-
ing inflammations, allergies, and cancer. Burning areca leaves at a campsite