Betel nuts or Areca catechu are plants of the Arecaceae family that can grow up to 15 – 20 meters in height. This plant is easily found in Indonesia. By the local community betel nuts are known as plants that have a myriad of benefits, especially in the fruit.
This is because betel nuts have various ingredients that can be utilized as medicine. These contents include alkaloids, such as arecoline, arecolidine,
arekain, guvakolin, guvasin and isoguvacine. In addition, betel nuts seeds also contain proanthocyanidin, which is a condensed tannin that belongs to the flavonoid class.
Then, with so much content, what are the benefits of betel nuts? To find out the answer, let’s see the article until the end!
Content of Betel Nut
Many benefits are obtained from consuming betel nuts. These benefits cannot be separated from the content contained in this fruit. In addition to those mentioned earlier, here are a number of nutrients that you get when consuming 100 grams of betel nuts:
Calories: 339
Protein: 5.2 grams
Fat: 10.2 grams
Sodium: 56.7 grams
Potassium: 76 mg
Calcium: 450 mg
Phosphorus : 89 mg
Iron: 4.9 mg
Vitamin B1: 19 mg
Vitamin B2: 10-12 ppm
Niacin: 31.1 mg
Benefits of Betel Nuts
The benefits of betel nuts have long been used in the tradition of infusing by the ancient people, and until now this fruit is used as an herbal medicine of the archipelago. Betel nuts are easily processed into extracts, juices, or boiled water to get their properties. Here are the benefits of betel nuts that you need to know:
1. Prevent Cavities
The first benefit of betel nuts is to strengthen and clean teeth and gums, so as to prevent cavities. These benefits are obtained due to antimicrobial activity that can suppress bacteria in the mouth.
Betel nuts also contain tannins which are useful for strengthening the gums and stopping bleeding. Therefore, consuming betel nuts is believed to protect teeth from cavities. How to consume areca nuts to get these benefits is to thinly slice the betel nuts and chew for a few minutes then remove the pulp.
2. Maintain Healthy Skin
Not only does betel nuts keep your teeth strong, they also have benefits for maintaining healthy skin. This fruit plays a role in preventing and eliminating signs of skin aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots.
Consuming betel nuts regularly and sufficiently can inhibit S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and P. acnes, which are the main causes of acne. It can also reduce excess oil and prevent blackheads.
3. Improves Digestive Health
Consuming betel nuts can help kill worms in the digestive tract, such as tapeworms and roundworms. In addition, betel nuts can also overcome other digestive problems, namely bloating and constipation.
These benefits can be obtained due to the presence of arecoline in betel nuts. Arecoline helps increase saliva secretion and increases contractions of the digestive system. Therefore, consuming areca nuts can help improve the body’s digestive health.
4. Increase Energy or Stamina
The benefits of betel nuts are no less important for the body, which can increase energy or stamina. The alkaloid content in betel nuts can help release adrenaline in the body. So that it can cause feelings of euphoria, happiness, and calmness.
Thanks to the emergence of these feelings, it can certainly make a person feel happy and certainly can be more energized in carrying out daily activities.
5. Increase Sexual Desire
The benefits of betel nuts are quite well known for married couples, namely to increase sexual desire. This is due to the alkaloid content in the form of arecoline compounds in betel nuts. The content of the compound is able to stimulate hormones, so that sex drive will increase.
So, those are the various benefits that you get if you consume betel nut regularly and with the appropriate dose. If you want good and quality betel nuts, you can contact us on this website.
