Botanical Name: Piper betel Linn.Family: Peperaceae, The Betel Leaf Family
Indian Name: Paan
The betel leaf enjoys the pride of place among all the accessories of a traditional Hindu pooja thali. The betel leaf denotes freshness and prosperity. Betel leaves or the tambool, which comprises betel leaf, betel nut and lime, marks the beginnings of all auspicious events.
Betel leaf is an evergreen perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkin inflorescence, and grows to a height of about 1 metre. The Betel plant originated in Malaysia and now grows in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The best Betel leaf is the "Magahi" variety (from the Magadha region) grown near Patna in Bihar, India.
Since antiquity, Betel leaf is much more popular in India than in any other country of the world. This would be evident from the numerous citations laid down in the ancient Indian scriptures. In these citations, significance of the leaves has been explained in relation to every sphere of human life including social, cultural, religious and even day-to-day life, which is very much relevant even today. For example, a well-prepared betel quid is still regarded as an excellent mouth freshener and mild vitalizer, routinely served on the social, cultural and religious occasions like marriage, religious festivals, etc.
Medicinal benefits
Betel leaves are stimulant, digestive, carminative, anti flatulent, anti inflammatory, invigorating, anti phlegmatic, pain reliever. In Ayurvedic medicine, they are used as an aphrodisiac. In Malaysia, they are used to treat headaches, arthritis and joint pain. In Thailand and China, they are used to relieve toothache. In Indonesia, they are drunk as an infusion and used as an antibiotic. They are also used in an infusion to cure indigestion, as a topical cure for constipation, as a decongestant and as an aid to lactation. In India, they use betel to cast out (cure) worms.