Betel Nut Slice (Areca Catechu)

Betel Nut Slice (Areca catechu) is the dried, sliced seed of the Areca palm, a long-used traditional herb in Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Southeast Asian medicine known for its qi-moving, digestive-stimulating, and parasite-expelling properties. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), betel nut is called Bing Lang and is valued for its ability to promote the downward movement of qi, break up food stagnation, support intestinal motility, and expel parasitic accumulations. Its energetic nature is strong, warm, and dispersing, making it a powerful herb for abdominal fullness, digestive blockage, edema from dampness, and retention of undigested food.

In TCM, Betel Nut enters the Stomach and Large Intestine channels, helping to stimulate digestion, clear damp obstruction, promote urination, and resolve stagnation caused by sluggish qi or accumulation. It has been historically used for bloating, constipation due to stagnation, abdominal distension, and parasitic discomfort, as well as in formulas addressing malaria-type disorders with dampness.

In Ayurvedic and Southeast Asian folk medicine, Areca nut has been traditionally used in small medicinal doses to awaken digestion, clear excess mucus, and invigorate circulation, though its cultural use as a stimulant is separate from its controlled herbal application. Medicinally, the sliced nut is decocted to stimulate intestinal movement and address internal stagnation rather than for habitual chewing.

Modern phytochemical studies show that Areca catechu contains alkaloids (such as arecoline), tannins, and flavonoids that contribute to its anti-parasitic, digestive-enhancing, and smooth-muscle–stimulating actions. These compounds confirm its long-standing use for intestinal motility, digestive clearance, and dampness reduction, though they also require the herb to be used carefully and purposefully.

Each batch of Betel Nut Slice (Areca catechu) is meticulously sliced and dried to preserve its dense texture, warm aroma, and active constituents. When decocted, it produces a strong, slightly bitter, warming infusion traditionally used to move qi downward, relieve accumulation, and support digestive clearance.