2016 Nov 7
“Look! That man’s bleeding from his mouth. We have to do something!” This was the first time my Russian friend saw a man chewing betel leaves, or Bulath as we call it here. This was while we were on the train to Galle, so we had ample time left to do a bit of research about this ‘mysterious leaf’, as she preferred to call it.
Legend
Everything Sri Lankan has some intriguing story behind it; perks of having a two-thousand-year-old history I guess. Legend dictates that Bulath is endemic to the Naga world: the realm of the celestial cobras. It was first brought to Earth when they descended to pay respect to Adams Peak. It is habitual to nip off the stem and the tip of the leaf before eating, because the nagas held these leaves by their teeth when bringing it down, thus mixing their venom to the ends.
Sex
“What?” Both of us burst into laughter after discovering that ‘Bulath’ is a strong aphrodisiac. Apparently, that’s the reason a newly-wed couple is given a sheaf of paan in Hindu culture (paan is what they call Bulath).
Appetizer
What’s the next most important thing? Food. Let’s delve into a bit of science. There’s something called the hunger hormone in your body (ghrelin to be exact) that… yes you guessed it: it makes you hungry. Research has found that Bulath contains anti-toxins that restore pH levels in our stomachs which trigger ghrelin: aka it increases appetite and makes us healthier.
Analgesic
That means it’s like Panadol: a pain killer. However, this works only for pain caused by cuts, bruises, bumps or rashes. Villagers still often use a paste made out of crushed betel leaves to apply on the skin to relieve pain from these causes. Also, it’s said to have numerous healing properties. Crushing a few leaves, extracting the juice and applying on a wound following by placing a clean betel leaf on it before bandaging is a common healing practice in many parts of not just Sri Lanka, but the world.
Shampoo
This one took us by surprise. A considerable number of herbal cosmetics include betel leaves. It’s not just cosmetics. It’s even included in certain types of toothpaste, mouthwash and soap as well. Talk about being multi-purpose: Bulath has definitely aced there.
Energy Boost
Finally, we landed on the biggest reason people chew betel. It’s said to provide a strong burst of energy. Betel is normally eaten with areca nut (Puwak), and the considerable amount of natural alkaloids in the combined mixture result in feelings of euphoria and well-being. This is a major reason many people can’t let go of their habitual consumption of betel.
What’s so bad?
Betel leaves on their own have absolutely no harmful effects. It’s been clinically proven: that’s why they’re used in toothpaste and cosmetics. However, the biggest consumers of betel are the betel chewers: they eat it along with Puwak. Puwak, betel quid or areca nut is bad for you. That’s what causes cancer. Although nothing has been verified, tests have shown that it probably is the biggest cause of oral cancer among chewers. So if you’re planning to try out a betel leaf, keep away from the deadly Puwak.
The train journey ended just in time. The first thing we did at the hotel: searched through every piece of herbal cosmetic we had. Well, seems like it was true. Two of them did have betel as an ingredient.
