On 4th November 2024, experts from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Public Health, the University of British Columbia, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization, co-authored a paper titled “Perspectives Regarding the Betel Nut Industry: Sustainability and Public Health.” The paper, published in the academic journal “Innovations in Digital Health, Diagnostics, and Biomarkers”, calls for greater attention to the aspects relating to the public health messaging, the betel but health impacts and the current industry scale.
The article highlights that betel nut consumption has become a focal point for public health institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) over the past few decades. Several studies have addressed public health issues associated with betel nut consumption; however, a more comprehensive view is still needed. The main active ingredient in betel nut, arecoline, was comprehensively evaluated in 2021 and classified as an IARC group 2B substance, indicating that it is possibly carcinogenic to humans. Recent research has focused on the processing details of betel nut products and their relationship to active ingredient content. Researchers also studied other effects of the product, as its components are believed to alter users' immune and inflammatory responses. Thus, further evidence-based research is anticipated to inform future public health recommendations.
According to official data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in 2021 betel nut cultivation reached 1.1 million hectares, with a production volume of 2.4 million tons, valued at $5.5 billion. Thus, betel nut is an economically significant crop for many developing countries. The article emphasizes the need to consider these economic aspects as part of the public health messaging.
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