Not chewing betel nut
UpdatedGrade ABig benefitLifespanFreeLittle timeSome willpower
People who chew betel nut have roughly a 20% higher chance of dying during the same period compared to non-chewers. Their risk of developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome is nearly 50% higher. Additional risks for oral and esophageal cancer also apply.
- Cost
- 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.
- Benefit
- Data from 17 Asian studies involving 388,000 participants show that chewing betel nut raises overall mortality risk by about 21% relative to non-chewers (relative risk 1.21, P=0.02). This effect applies to 179,600 of those participants. The risk of diabetes rises by roughly 47% (1.47), while metabolic syndrome risk increases by about 51% (1.51). Betel nut itself is also a known risk factor for oral and esophageal cancer.
- Notes
- The longer and more frequently one chews betel nut, the greater the risk of oral cancer becomes. After quitting, this risk gradually declines over time. Betel nut mixed with tobacco poses an even greater danger.
Sources · 1
- 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. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070679