What’s better than a scrumptious meal followed by the perfectly crafted Banarasi paan? My father is an obsessive ‘paan’ aficionado. He just cannot do without it! In fact, he has this little silver betel nut box that travels with him all the time.
Though betel nut or paan is a great mouth freshener that leaves a good taste and flavour in the mouth, it is notoriously unhealthy. From staining the teeth to causing constipation, the little nut can crack your system completely.
The WHO classifies betel nut as a carcinogen. In fact, the high risk of cancer in Assam is largely associated with the heavy use of betel nut. It also has an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.
It can further cause anaemia, kidney stone and high blood pressure. Who could imagine so much havoc can be caused by a little nut. Even I was not aware of this long list of risks. I stumbled upon these facts while researching for an article on cancer in north-east India. And the facts left me trembling.
I rushed to my father’s room and threw the betel nuts out of the window. But the next day he got new stocks. Of course, he was pissed at me. After a few failed attempts, I tried to replace his habit of chewing paan with something more healthy and less dangerous.
My grandmother has this bottle of Brihatri jeera goli which she takes daily after lunch, a great digestive and a good mouth freshener. So, I took out the betel nuts and replaced it with a few Jeera Goli.
The jeera goli tasted awesome and I told him about the health benefits of jeera goli and the hazards of betel nut. He understood my point and now that silver case is filled with yummyBrihatri jeera golis that he proudly shares with his friends and visitors.
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