Paan is a traditionally auspicious symbol of beginnings. It is also the world’s fourth most commonly consumed psychoactive substance. Have you wondered why a paan is built the way it is?
Basic Components of a Paan
There are thousands of varieties of paan across not just India but all across Southeast Asia. However, all paan usually have four basic components:
- The leaf of the Piper betley plant. This species is a close cousin of the pepper plant with a similar flavor profile. The leaf serves as the packaging for the paan.
- Spices like fennel and cardamom as well as flavoring elements like rose petals that serve as a mouth freshener in the paan.
- The Betel nut from the Areca plant that has a psychoactive alkaloid called Arecoline. Arecoline is a nicotinic acid-based mild parasympathomimetic stimulant alkaloid that affects your central nervous system causing enhanced alertness, euphoria, and relaxation. It is the fourth-most widely used psychoactive substance in the world after caffeine in coffee & tea, nicotine in tobacco, and alcohol.
- Calcium hydroxide or slaked lime
Why does Paan contain slaked lime?
For the arecoline in the betel nut to have its effect on our central nervous system, it has to get into our bloodstream so it can reach the brain. However, our liver functions as a security guard gatekeeping the entry of substances into the blood. So, when arecoline is in our digestive system, the liver blocks its entry into our bloodstream to protect us from its effects. Our ancestors who created paan figured out a side-gate to bypass the liver’s strict gatekeeping, and that side-gate is Calcium hydroxide or slaked lime.
Arecoline dissolves better in alkaline conditions and goes straight into our bloodstream directly from under the tongue through sublingual absorption. Also, we tend to chew alkaline foods for longer, which gives the arecoline sufficient time to get absorbed into our bloodstream when we eat paan.
The Harmful Effects of Paan
Chewing paan is bad for you because the betel nut is a Group I carcinogen. However, you can use the betel leaf which has lots of antioxidants and flavonoids, as a peppery garnish or as a base for healthier ingredients. The betel nut is one of the most common causes of oral cancer in India and Southeast Asia.
