Areca nut – A gift by nature but a sweet poison for oral environment: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Abstract Background: Nature provides us with a diversity of plants and fruits. These organic plants and the products they produce might have some therapeutic potential that can be applied to the treatment of specific bacterial and pathological disorders of the body. Yet, some of these ingredients may have harmful effects on tissue and health if they are abused. In Hindu culture, areca nuts (ANs) are widely used for food, Ayurvedic medicine, and social and religious purposes. Nonetheless, frequent use may cause some changes to the oral environment. Aim: The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of how AN addiction affects the oral environment and dental health. Materials and methods: Electronic research of the published English literature was performed in PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases, from 2001 to 2023 using mesh keywords such as (areca nut or betel nut) and (oral tissues or oral cavity or oral environment). A manual search of all the related journals was also performed. We also checked the reference lists of the relevant articles. Conclusions: Although the AN plays a positive function in dental and digestive health, excessive ingestion can have negative effects on the environment and oral tissues. The globe is now aware of using this sweetener with caution because of the increased prevalence and incidence of numerous oral illnesses induced by this habit for the last few years, especially in school-age youngsters. It has been discovered that this behavior is linked to even the precancerous diseases and lesions that lead to mouth cancer. Hence, it is essential to persuade them to stop chewing ANs to avoid further difficulties.