Not chewing betel nut
The probability of death during the same period for people who chew betel nut is about 20% higher than for those who do not. The risks of diabetes and metabolic syndrome are about 50% higher. The risks of oral cancer and esophageal cancer must be calculated separately.
It costs nothing, takes no time, and saves money that woul…
Based on a combined analysis of 17 Asian studies involving 388,000 people. The death risk for betel nut chewer…
It costs nothing, takes no time, and saves money that would otherwise be spent on betel nut. The hard part is breaking the habit of chewing it.
Based on a combined analysis of 17 Asian studies involving 388,000 people. The death risk for betel nut chewers is approximately 21% higher than for non-chewers (relative risk 1.21, P=0.02). The mortality analysis included 179600 of those participants. The risk of developing diabetes is approximately 47% higher (1.47). The risk of developing metabolic syndrome is approximately 51% higher (1.51). Betel nut itself is also a known risk factor for oral cancer and esophageal cancer. Oral cancer: Based on a combined analysis of 50 studies, in the Indian subcontinent, chewing betel nut without tobacco results in a risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancer approximately 2.56 times that of non-chewers (95% CI 2.00–3.28). With the addition of tobacco, the risk is approximately 7.74 times (5.38–11.13). In Taiwan, chewing betel nut without tobacco results in a risk of approximately 10.98 times (4.86–24.84). In India and Taiwan, the higher the daily consumption and the longer the duration of chewing, the higher the risk. Esophageal cancer: Based on a combined analysis of 12 Asian studies, the odds ratio for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in betel nut chewers is about 3.05 (2.41–3.87). For those who both chew betel nut and smoke, the odds ratio is about 6.79 (4.71–9.79). Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is rare, so odds ratios are close to relative risks. After quitting: Based on a combined analysis of 13 studies, for those who quit betel nut with tobacco, the risk of head and neck cancer is approximately 34% lower than for those who continue to chew (RR 0.66, 0.54–0.81). For those who quit betel nut without tobacco, the risk is approximately 27% lower (RR 0.73, 0.56–0.95). For those who have quit for over 20 years, the risk is approximately 63% lower (RR 0.37, 0.22–0.61).
Yamada T, Hara K, Kadowaki T (2013). Chewing betel quid and the risk of metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis. PLoS One, 8(8), e70679. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070679；Guha N, Warnakulasuriya S, Vlaanderen J, Straif K (2014). Betel quid chewing and the risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancers: a meta-analysis with implications for cancer control. International Journal of Cancer, 135(6), 1433-1443. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.28643；Akhtar S (2013). Areca nut chewing and esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma risk in Asians: a meta-analysis of case-control studies. Cancer Causes & Control, 24(2), 257-265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0113-9；Shah K, Boffetta P, Seyyedsalehi MS (2025). Reversal of head and neck cancer risk after the cessation of use of smokeless tobacco and betel quid use: meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 34(5), 619-626. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-24-1502
Open source linkThe longer the duration of chewing and the more one chews daily, the higher the risk of oral cancer. After quitting, the risk will decrease over time. In studies in India, betel nut with tobacco is more dangerous than without. In Taiwan, most betel nut products are chewed without tobacco, and their risk is also very high.