Potential health effects of daily k h at leaves chewing: study on the biochemical blood constituents changes among adult S in Sana'A City, Yemen

Abstract

The khat plant (Catha edulis) leaves is grown and consumed daily in Yemen as a natural stimulant by chewing the young buds and tender leaves that contain the stimulant “Cathinone” for the mild stimulant effect. Cathinone is believed to be the main active ingredient in fresh khat leaves. In Yemen this habit has a deep-rooted socio-cultural tradition in which consumers spend part of their time chewing khat (ranging between 6-8 hours per day). The effect of this habit on blood constituent has not been adequately studied in human. There is an extensive literature on khat which estimated the effectiveness and specificity for these substances on kidney and liver function test in animals than humans. The present study was undertaken to investigate the biochemical changes associated with chewing Khat.