Betel Nut Looks Like an Ancient Habit, Not Just a Modern One

New research on ancient human remains suggests people were habitually using betel nuts long before the practice became a contemporary fixture, NPR reports. Betel nut is a plant seed with mind-affecting properties, popular in parts of Asia despite the health risks it presents. A habit that is now widespread enough to raise public-health questions turns out to have deep roots in the archaeological record, which complicates the usual story that a psychoactive substance spread mainly through modern trade.