Betel nut is often marketed as a homeopathic cure for indigestion and is also used in some Asian toothpastes and anti-parasite medications.
Some describe the flavor of a betel nut as peppery, while others say it is impossibly bitter. Mixing the betel nut with spices or tobacco seems to improve its taste.
Some people use the nut when it is unripe and green; others wait until it is ripe and is a brown or orange-yellow colour.
The seed is separated from the outer layer of the fruit and may be used fresh, dried, boiled, baked, roasted or cured.
Some claim that chewing betel nuts can be used to help treat parasitic infections, strengthen teeth and gums, help with symptoms of mental illness such as schizophrenia, suppress hunger, stimulate appetite, reduce nausea, treat diarrhoea, and act as an aphrodisiac.
