The Betel is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family. Pepper is another well known member of this family.
Betel is a mild stimulant with medicinal properties.

The betel plant is an evergreen perennial creeper. It has glossy heart-shaped leaves. The betel plant originated from South and South East Asia.

The other Indian names of this leaf are :-

1. Paan in Assamese, Hindi, Urdu, Odia and Bengali.

2. Taambula in Sanskrit.

3.Vetrilai in Tamil,

4. Vettila in Malayalam,

5. Tamalapaku in Telugu.

6. Veeleyada yele in Kannada.

Medicinal properties of betel leaf:-

1. Removed bad breath.

2. Cures worms.

3. Has aphrodisiac properties.

4. Can be used to treat head aches,

5. Reduces arthritic pain,

6.Reduces joint pain.

7. Has anti biotic properties.

8. Promotes digestion.

9. Aids breast feeding mothers,

10.Relieves constipation.

Eat more paan for better health, but do not forget to brush your teeth after eating them for better looks!