Arecanut is an erect, unbranched palm reaching heights of 12 to 30m,depending upon the environmental conditions. The stem, marked withscars of fallen leaves in a regular annulated form. Male flowers very numerous, sessile, without bracts.

Female flowers solitary or 2 or 3 at or near the base of each ramification of the spadix, sessile, without bracts. Fruit a monolocular, one-seeded berry, 3.8-5 cm long. Its use has also been recommended in the prevention and treatment of obesity. It improves salivation (Sialagogue). Nutritional analysis of the nuts suggests it to be the richest source of organic chromium salts. The role of chromium in the metabolism of fat has been well established now through various studies.