Does eat areca really cause cancer?

Chewing betel nut for a long time has the risk of oral cancer.

When China Food and Drug Administration published the list of carcinogens on 20 17, betel nut was classified as a first-class carcinogen. People in some southern provinces of China have the habit of chewing betel nut, which leads to an increase in the incidence of oral cancer.

Early arecoline gradually leads to oral mucosal fibrosis. Patients will have symptoms such as limited mouth opening, limited tongue movement, loss of mucosal elasticity and ulceration, as well as pain and difficulty in eating. This is a precancerous lesion before oral cancer occurs. Moreover, betel nut is highly addictive and will turn into oral cancer after a long time.

In areas where betel nut chewing is prevalent in China, such as Hainan Province and Hunan Province, most oral cancers are caused by betel nut chewing. Betel nut chewing tablets are generally composed of betel nut, old vine and quicklime, and some flue-cured tobacco and spices are added in some areas.

Additives such as lime, clove, tobacco leaves and betel nut seeds all contain some carcinogens, and the occurrence of oral cancer is directly proportional to the time of chewing betel nut and the time of betel nut staying in the mouth.

Extended data:

Betel nut causes cancer, and chewing betel nut has the following disadvantages:

1, which is not good for the teeth themselves: chewing betel nut for a long time will cause serious tooth wear.

2, bad for periodontal: betel nut juice mixed with lime is easy to form dental calculus, which not only affects aesthetics, but also affects periodontal health. Areca nut fiber is thick and hard, which may also stab the gums or block the teeth, resulting in compression and inflammation of the gums.

3, bad for oral mucosa: it may cause mucosal lesions, but it may evolve into oral cancer.

4, bad for temporomandibular joint: long-term chewing will increase the load of temporomandibular joint, causing joint snapping, pain and other symptoms. In severe cases, it will also lead to perforation of the articular disc.

5. Effect on digestive system: Some components of betel nut will damage taste nerve and saliva secretion, and affect digestive function. In addition, areca nut residue will also stimulate the stomach wall, which will seriously lead to inflammation and even perforation of gastric mucosa.

People's Network-Why areca nut is a first-class carcinogen?

People's Health Network-Long-term chewing betel nut has cancer risk.