Betel nut, the seed of the betel palm (Areca catechu), is one of the most widely used substances in areas of the western Pacific and parts of Africa and Asia. It is prepared with other substances as a mixture for chewing and is used as a mild stimulant by more than 200 million people.

References to betel nut appear in ancient Greek, Sanskrit, and Chinese texts from more than a century B.C. Ancient historic documents of Ceylon refer to its use, and its prevalence in Persia by 600 A.D. is documented by Persian historians. Its use in different parts of the Arab world by the eighth and ninth centuries is also well documented, and it had become an important aspect of the economy and social life in India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and New Guinea. Betel was probably brought to Europe by Marco Polo, around 1300; it soon...