They All Had Red Teeth

[Mumbo Jumbo]

I’ve just been to visit some of the wife’s relatives, one of them was an old grandma aged 104, the group were mainly women, and most of them were what I can only describe as ‘’chewing ‘’ some sort of red concoction which has stained their teeth dark red . I asked the Old grandma what I had to do if I wanted to live to 104 years old; she said eat fish, and chew (what ever the Thai Name was) as she has been chewing it from a young girl.

I could not find out just what this Red concoction was..? I watched grandma as she pounded a small cup filled with what looked like tobacco, and a white powder (which I learnt was I think from some sort of shell) and it was all folded in a green plant leaf and put into the mouth.

Where the Red stain comes from I don’t know..? . The other thing I learnt was what ever it is they are chewing it gives them some sort of …BUZZ!!

Does any one know just what all this is about any why do they chew it on a constant basis…?. I did not see any of the men with red teeth …?

It its a GOOD BUZZ may be I will try it !!!!...........

[redrus]

Betal Nut..........?

redrus

*looks like they're gums are bleeding....!

Edited June 25, 2006 by redrus

[tourleadersi]

Its called beetle nut and is chewed mainly by the older members of society particularly from some of the minority tribes.

It gives you a mild high (dizziness) and was used as a form of early lipstick, although prolonged chewing turns the entire mouth red. It can still be seen being done, but less and less often.

It seems to be the bark from a tree that is chewed to soften and then wrapped up in leaves.

[lannarebirth]

Probably betel nut:

http://importfood.com/lime_paste.html

[toptuan]

Still quite prevalent in Isaan. In the not-too-distant past, the darkly-red-stained mouth and teeth from betel nut chewing were considered a mark of female beauty in Thailand. Admittedly, looks more to me like the aftermath of a female Muay Thai fight.

Continues to be a "mark of beauty" among the hill tribe women.

Edited June 25, 2006 by toptuan

[thankuverybig]

yes,i tried it twice when ive been drinking with burmese freinds.to be honest it tastes like foul medicine.gives you a numbness around the jaw,or more of an effect if you take it after a couple of beers.i think it took off big in india,but now i hear that its most popular in burma.

if you try it,maybe have somewhere close where you can spit it out again.yuk.

[penzman]

Tried it as well. Not impressed. The first time I saw this, it was with an old woman sitting on the sidewalk. I thought she was bleeding internally

[thankuverybig]

maybe thats why burmese men & women generally kiss on the forehead & cheek.they dont want to exchange betel juice!

[redrus]

betel juice!betel juice!betel juice!.....

redrus

[Nongwahyay]

It also rots your teeth.......................................

[Johpa]

It also rots your teeth.......................................

Yes, I was going to add that senior-aged women who have chewed betel a long time are lucky to have teeth at all. It still remains a popular stimulant amongst the older generation of women, and a few men also, up in the hills of Chiang Mai.

Never underestimate the attraction of a mild stimulant that can be associated with a bitter taste: betel, coffee, tobacco, gat leaves, etc. I even got a liking for miang. the formented tea leaves that use to be another favorite mild stimulant in the rural areas. I would put a wad of miang in my cheek each morning before my drive down the mountain road on my way to my teaching job in order to perk me up and get me down the 8km dirt trail safely in the early AM.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

If you cross over to Burma you can see red marks everywhere on the ground -this is from spitting the stuff out.

I remember seeing lots of Indians high on the stuff when I was over there!

[AmeriThai]

It'll make you the life of the party and very popular among new friends with such a dazzling smile.

[Spider]

It also rots your teeth.......................................

and can cause cancer.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releas...c/en/index.html

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/pres...4/october/47417

[Mossfinn]

It also rots your teeth.......................................

I have just been told it keeps the teeth clean and healthy...????

Just don't shoot the messenger

Moss

[redrus]

It also rots your teeth.......................................

I have just been told it keeps the teeth clean and healthy...????

Just don't shoot the messenger

Moss

Bang.......................!

redrus

[qualtrough]

I also recall reading that betel is good for the gums and protects the teeth even though it discolors them.

When the British ruled Burma the Brits didn't want to take off their shoes in temples because of the spitting issue. This became a big issue in the independence movement.

[AmeriThai]

I also recall reading that betel is good for the gums and protects the teeth even though it discolors them.

Granny Grunt seems to agree.

[naka]

Areca Palms, the nuts are called Betel Nuts.

Naka.

[Soundguy]

Areca Palms, the nuts are called Betel Nuts.

Naka.

Piper betel are the pre-prepared packets. Everyone in Burma chews that stuff 24/7 and the side streets in Yangoon are red with spit. There are street vendors selling it everywhere for about 2 baht, I tried it, not bad, a very quick (15mins until onset) and light stimulant buzz, a bit like a quadruple expresso or a whole cigarette for a non smoker (like me). The active ingredient from the nuts and leaves is released by the chemical action of the lime they use in a paste, which come out of hugely distorted lime pots from years of the brush action on the residue... I hitched a ride with some Burmese long haul lorry drivers who had been driving from the Chinese border into Mandalay, about 30 hours, straight. They were chewing the little leafy packets at the rate of 1 an hour... A lot safer than y a b a I would hope...

The betel leaves, which contain phenols, probably produce synergistic effects in combination with betel nuts.

1, 4 Lime (Ca(OH)2 ) quickens the absorption and elimination of the main psycho-active ingredient, arecoline. Natural sources of lime are coral, limestone and sea-shells.

A dose consists of 1-4 grams (resp. 1/4-1/2 nut). Four grams is the maximum dose. 8-10 grams of pulverized nut may be lethal. Unripe nuts are more potent than the ripe ones

[Tony Montana]

They use it a lot in Taiwan,they even have betal nut girls who are normally dressed in a sexy outfits in a cubicle at the side of the road,sounds nuts (excuse the pun) but is true.

I was under the impression that it courses mouth cancer,seen some pretty nasty pictures on the goverments advertising campaign for people to quit.

[Noel]

Still quite prevalent in Isaan. In the not-too-distant past, the darkly-red-stained mouth and teeth from betel nut chewing were considered a mark of female beauty in Thailand. Admittedly, looks more to me like the aftermath of a female Muay Thai fight.

My dogs would like to thank you for posting the above pic, toptuan.

They are now eating my brunch...

[scotsman]

My mother in-law just died not long ago with cancer it started in her mouth from eating that stuff Went to get it cut out with lazer treatment in bangkok hospital, but later it went into the liver, lung, brain only 62 so its pot luck if you eat that stuff just like smoking

[AlexLah]

beetle nut sure!!!

Very popular in India. some guys in my office there chew it and there no frikkin ocean to sail with them once they high.

The Indians are already a bit talkative but once they get on this stuff you better close your ears apart from that you cannot even understand them anymore when they talk.

Moe jo jef saai aai jo igh saai ow iewie ho huh?

It sound something like that, now try to figure that out.

Alex

[Mumbo Jumbo]

I am soon going to a Thai Hospital to have an Endoscope examnation ( camera down your throat )

I will ask the Doctor if he's ever done an Endoscopic exam on some one who's been chewing the Red stuff, and just what he saw down in the esophagus ( after chewing the red Stuff for years you would think your esophaugs and stomach would show up a un- normal Red color .. ? )

MUMBO .....

[Mossfinn]

Bang.......................!

redrus

5555555

[redrus]

Bang.......................!

redrus

5555555

redrus

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Bang.......................!

redrus

5555555

redrus

<deleted>

[elkangorito]

In 1982, whilst living in Papua New Guinea, I also chewed the Betel Nut although, it's a bit different from how it's chewed in SE Asia.

Back then, 2 nuts plus lime (ground coral) plus Deca (a herb) was able to be purchased for about 1 Kina (1 New Guinea dollar). Deca was added to flavour the otherwise foul tasting Betel Nut. It actually gave the whole chewed mess a gingery taste.

Betel Nut is a narcotic & can be very harmful to the Renal system if swallowed regularly...but it does give a great "high" without bad after effects & it totally numbs the mouth. It also made me produce Litres of Saliva whilst chewing it. I didn't mind it at all except for the horrible taste.