Betel nuts remain widely used today for stimulant effects
A new study analyzing ancient human remains has identified evidence of habitual betel nut use dating back to the Ice Age, NPR’s Pien Huang reported. According to the NPR report, the finding offers some of the oldest archaeological evidence of psychoactive drug use and potential insights into how betel nut use — now popular for their stimulant effects — may have evolved over time.
Huang reported the story for NPR’s science section.