Should you eat paan? The answer is not as straight-forward as you may think

Ever wondered why so many Indians stop at the local  panwari  for a  paan  to help digest their food after a heavy meal? Or what even goes into making a paan? Here’s a look at different types of paan, and what it is that you’re putting into your body when you consume it:

Saada paan

The common denominator in all paans is the betel leaf. Some studies have endorsed its therapeutic properties - it is thought to have anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties, and also help with digestive issues like bloating. [caption id=“attachment_7657161” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image source: Getty Images.[/caption] Though there hasn’t been much research on its health benefits, the trials that have been done also expound the benefits of paan as a cure for halitosis (bad breath), and even claim that it has ameliorative effects on diabetes.

Meetha paan

To make this fragrant, sweet treat, most  panwaris  will sprinkle a betel leaf with water. Next, they’ll spread  chuna  or slaked lime over it, followed by a generous sprinkling of  mukhwas  (mouth freshener), catechu which is another breath freshening agent, rose powder, a mysterious  khushboo  powder, various  chutneys,  saunf  (fennel seeds), dry dates and  gulkand  which is a sweet preserve of rose petals. Of course, depending on which part of the country you buy your  paan  from, it can have different ingredients in different ratios. But most varieties of  meetha  paan have some quantity of  gulkand, which is thought to relieve constipation, reduce sweating and improve body odour.

Supari paan

The ingredients may vary by stall, as does the quality and composition. A fairly common ingredient, though, is  supari  or crushed areca nut. The World Health Organization considers the areca nut carcinogenic and many studies have linked it to cancers of the mouth, oesophagus, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. It does not matter if  paan  has tobacco or not, the  supari  is enough to make it an unhealthy, and dangerous, food choice. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the harmful effects of a  supari paan  outweigh the benefits.

Paan masala

The last decade has seen a drop in the production of betel leaves - the water-intensive crop can be expensive to grow. Tinned versions of powdered paan, sometimes laced with tobacco, called  paan masala  seem to have taken over. They are cheaper, more convenient to consume and store, and compositionally even more ambiguous than  paan. Following court orders on a ban on chewable tobacco,  paan masala  companies have rebranded their products as nicotine-free. The premium ones even carry health warnings and some information on ingredients. However, there are several cheaper, local alternatives that carry no warnings nor details of what they’re made of. Interestingly,  paan masala  companies seem to have distanced themselves from  gutka, which is also a mixture of betel quid and has been flagged for its negative effects on health. (In a spot survey,  panwaris  insisted that  gutka  is different from  paan masala  but couldn’t satisfactorily explain how.) It appears that  gutka  is betel quid with tobacco mixed in, making it an even more harmful substance. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. For more information, please read our articles on the   betel leaf  and   gulkand_._