Betel leaves are cultivated in the tropical countries and especially in South India and Ceylon.

People take the leaves after food to clean the mouth, but nowadays they are taken with tobacco and other things as an addiction.

The juice is often used for medicinal purposes. Having a typical aroma, it is a mild stimulant and has a refreshing effect.

It removes anorexia, increases appetite, brightens up the complexion, alleviates vayu. It is a digestive, increases saliva and reduces pain. It is a vermicide.

Modern medical practitioners have also extracted a volatile oil from it which has been found to be an antiseptic, and good for the respiratory system and hence it is used in bronchitis. Many an ayurvedic preparation is given mixed with the juice of betel leaves; especially aphrodisiacs and tonics are freely mixed in the juice of pan.

Too much of pan chewing, however, spoils te teeth. It increases pitta of heat in the body. Children and pregnant women should not take pan.

Its juice is poured into the ears to relieve earache. The leaves are boiled and placed over abscesses. The ripe leaves contain medicinal properties to a higher extent and should be used for greater effect.

The betel leaf when chewed produces a sense of well-being. In ancient times members of princely families used to take it along with camphor, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and other valuable aromatics. Taken particularly after dinner it produces a pleasant effect, refreshing the mind, giving vital power and removing bad odour from the mouth.