Talk:Betel

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Does Betel need a disambiguation? I always type it in looking for info on the Areca nut (betel nut). It seems betel refers to the chew or the nut as often as the leaf of P. betel.

Has betel plant really originated from Malaysia and then taken to India and Indonesia?

This needs to be verified.

TV 19:49, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

There is mention made of betel being used in Papua New Guinea by Don Watson in "Recollections of a Bleeding Heart" (ISBN 0091835178, page 631).

Bertko 07:41, 25 December 2005 (UTC)

Do you have a peer-reviewed reference for the information regarding the action of lime on the absorption of betel nut sublingually? Thanks

You take about 2-3g betel -not more! - in powder or small pieces of the nut together with 0,5g lime. --Fackel 00:23, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

"The best Betel leaf" is subjective. Best in what regard? --Dgerton 01:17, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

Betel is commonly used in Bhutan. It is mentioned often in "Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan" (ISBN 1-57322-118-X, pp 114, 115) and its use is demonstrated in Travellers and Magicians (2003) the only film shot in Bhutan. --Dgerton 01:17, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

About the accuracy of statement 'originated from Malaysia', I searched in the internet and I found two website that informed:

1. In http://www.pnm.my/sirihpinang/sp-asal.htm (a Malaysian web):

'Ianya dikatakan berasal dari India, berdasarkan cerita-cerita sastera.'
'According to literature, this came from India.'

In the same website, in http://www.pnm.my/sirihpinang/sp-dongeng.htm, there is a folktale in Vietnam about the origin of betel plant.

2. In Indonesian health ministry's web: http://www.depkes.go.id/index.php?option=articles&task=viewarticle&artid=27&Itemid=3 :
'tanaman yang berasal dari India, Sri Lanka, dan Malaysia ini'
'this plant originated from India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia'

So, I suggest either:
1. we add India, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam besides Malaysia as the place of origin;
2. change the origin of the plant to: 'South and South east Asia'; or
3. do not state the origin of the plant because we don't have a very accurate reference about the plant's origin.

Guswandhi (talk) 17:46, 29 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] dangers

are there any dangers related to chewing betel leaves?

I have introduced Burma as one of the countries where Betel is widely consumed. When I was there, I was told that this reddish plant was Peper Betel. Am I right? Is it also Betel? Thanks in advance. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.54.195.20 (talk) 17:08, 5 June 2008 (UTC)