areca nut
asian woman
betel nut
black lo lo tribe
bảo lạc
cau
drug
hat
headwear
hill tribes
lo lo den tribe
lá trầu
necklace
"Lo Lo Den" Tribe woman with red lips caused by chewing Areca nut (also called Betelnut) (Bảo Lạc, Vietnam)
The Areca nut is wrapped with "lá trầu" leaf (Betel leaf) and chewed for its exhilarating lift. Betel chewing has been claimed to produce a sense of well-being, euphoria, heightened alertness, sweating, salivation, a hot sensation in the body and increased capacity to work.
Just like alcohol, tobacco, coffee and sakau, Areca nut and Betel leaf are culturally-approved psychoactive drugs.
The Areca nut, by association, is sometimes inaccurately called the "Betel nut".
See the Areca nut Wikipedia page.
See the "lá trầu" (Betel) leaves Wikipedia article.
For more information about the "Lo Lo Den" Tribe, please check the description of the photo album.
Location: Route 34, Bảo Lạc District, Cao Bang, Vietnam -