Betel leaves are used as a stimulant, an antiseptic and a breath-freshener.
It is famous for its pan (betel) leaves.
Rice, betel leaves, groundnut, oil, metal articles and clothes were the major exports.
Conventionally, the meal may be followed by "vettila murukkan", chewing of betel leaf with lime and arecanut.
Chewing and smoking, as combined by most betel chewers, interacted synergistically and was responsible for half of all cancer deaths in this group.
It was also defaced by spit of paan (betel leaf) and graffiti on the walls by vandals.
In another study, scientists report the extent of cancer risks of betel quid chewing (without tobacco added) beyond oral cancer.
The reason for this link between obesity and betel leaf chewing, the scientists admit is unclear.
