Most people have never heard of it, but betel nut is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances on Earth. We’ve ...

This is the first in a two-part series on the past and present of the areca, better known as the betel nut. When you think of the frequently addictive substances so many of us use to make it through ...

An ongoing trial to help people quit chewing betel nut has seen success, with about 40 percent of those in an intervention program quitting within six months, researchers said during a presentation ...

Ancient rituals and customs often leave behind obvious archaeological evidence. From the impeccably preserved mummies of Egypt to psychoactive substance residue that remained at the bottom of a clay ...

Traces of a psychoactive compound has been detected in the dental plaque of a Bronze Age woman buried in Thailand some 4,000 years ago, making it the earliest direct chemical evidence of humans ...

For the first time, archaeologists have used advanced scientific techniques on 4,000-year-old dental plaque to confirm traces of betel nut chewing in ancient Thai communities. Betel nuts are usually ...