Areca Catechu

Areca Catechu is an indigenous medicine made from a scientifically drawn extract of Areca catechu, and it is described as safe and effective. A study looked at its effects in one hundred patients with cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) who had various disabilities. Fifty patients (the intervention group) were given Areca Catechu, and the other fifty (the control group) were treated with conventional vasodilators. The male-female ratio was 4:1. Both groups also had the usual physiotherapy.

The results showed that unconscious patients regained consciousness earlier than those in the control group, and dysphasic patients started speaking much earlier too. Improvement in the activity of daily living came earlier, and so did recovery of micturition control. Areca Catechu was also useful in patients with chronic CVD due to atherosclerosis.

The probable way Areca catechu works in CVD patients can be presumed as follows: by improving circulation of the brain, by directly stimulating the brain cells, by improving the metabolism and nutrition of the brain cells, or by a combination of these. Arecoline and the other alkaloids in Areca Catechu are known as parasympathomimetic agents, and they might have improved circulation of the brain by dilating the cerebral blood vessels, which increases blood flow. Areca Catechu also contains many essential amino acids and other essential nutrients, or some unidentified factors, which may improve the metabolism of the brain. The effect may be due as well to direct stimulation of the brain by the alkaloids present in Areca Catechu.