Nutmeg

An evergreen tropical tree growing to a height of 12 m. Each male tree can pollinate up to 20 female trees, bearing peach like fruits. The kernels are sold after drying as nutmeg spice. Surrounding the kernel is a layer of fleshy red covering that is sold seperately as the mace spice. Both can be used for extracting essential oils.

The genus of about 100 large, evergreen trees range through Asia and Australia. Myristica fragrans is an important crop in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Carribean island of Grenada. The golden fruits split open when ripe to reveal a single seed (nutmeg) in a woody, brown shell, which in turn is clasped by a bright red aril (mace) that turns yellow when dried. Fruits of M. fragrans are rich in volatile oils, which differ in concentration (and hence flavor) in the seed (nutmeg) and aril (mace). These include safrole (as foing in Sassafras albidum, see Sassafras) which in excess in carcinogenic, and myristicin, a hallucinogenic compound. Inferior fruits are obtained from M. argentea (Papua nutmeg, Macassar nutmeg), M fatua and M. malabarica. Nutmeg and mace probably reached Europe via Arab traders in the first century CE, and were mainly used for medicinal purposes. Although now used almost exclusively as a spice, M. fragrans was promoted as a tonic after the Portuguese took the Moluccas and obtained a monopoly on its production in 1512. The first recorded case of nutmeg poisoning came in 1576, when a "pregnant English lady" consumed ten to twelve fruits and became "deliriously inebriate". Myristica fragrans has been listed as a Chinese medicinal herb since c. CE600.

The delicious smell of nutmeg was so revered that it was scattered over the streets of Rome in preparation for the coronation of Emperor Henry VI in 1191. Nutmeg is the seed of the Myristica fragrans tree, which takes seven years to bear fruit and can continue producing until its ninetieth year. Traditionally, nutmeg has been used in tiny amounts to relieve nausea, vomiting, flatulence, toothache, and chronic diarrhea and as an aphrodisiac.

Bushy, evergreen tree with aromatic, oblong leaves, to 12cm (5in) long, covered in silvery, aromatic scales when young. Pale yellow flowers, 1cm (3/8in) across, are produced in axillary clusters, followed by fleshy, yellow, rounded, pendant fruits, 6-9cm (2½-3½in) long, containing a lustrous brown, ovoid seed to 4cm (1½in) long, encased in a hard thin shell and leathery, laciniate, scarlet aril.

Common Name:	Nutmeg
Other Names:	Jatiphala, Mace, Macis, Myristica
Botanical Name:	Myristica fragrans
Genus:	Myristica
Family:	Myristicaceae
Native Location:	Moluccas and Banada Islands
Cultivation:	Well-drained, rich, sandy soil, with high humidity.
Propagation:	By seed sown when ripe; by hardwood cuttings at the end of growing season. Dried nutmegs are prone to insect attack; they are usually limed, and stored in sealed containers.
Harvest:	Seeds are removed from ripe fruits and separed from arils; both are dried for oil distillation or used in decoctions and powders.
Height:	10-20m (30-70ft)
Width:	8m (25ft)
Hardiness:	Z10
Extraction:	Steam Distillation
Parts Used:	Kernel (Nut), Seeds (rou dou kou), arils, oil from seed.
Color and Odor:	The essential oil is clear with a hint of yellow. It has a sharp, warm and spicy aroma.
Background:	First mentioned in Europe in the fifth century, nutmeg was traded by the Arabs and was important during the Middle Ages for various medicinal purposes. From 1605 until 1768 the Dutch took over the monopoly of nutmeg production, after which time production reverted back to indonesia.
Properties:	Warming, tonic, stimulant, digestive. A bitter, astringent, spicy herb that act as a warming, digestive tonic. It controls vomiting and relaxes spasms. Topical application is anti-inflammatory.
Warning:	This oil is best used in lower concentrations as it may be overstimulating. Contraindicated during pregnancy
Uses:	Digestive System—Encourages appetite and stimulates digestion. Good for nausea, vomiting, flatulence and bad breath. Respiratory System—Helps to strengthen the body against colds. Reproductive System—A uterine tonic, helping to regulate scanty periods and to soothe painful ones. Muscular System—Useful for warming and toning the muscles and relieving rheumatic pain. Emotions—Helps to disperse nervous anxieties, invigorating and activating the mind. Nutmeg has reputed aphrodisiac properties, being soft, sultry, evocative and seductive. It is gently provocative, arousing and lingering.
Medicinal Uses:	Internally for diarrhea, dysentery, gastroenteritis, vomiting, abdominal distention, indigestion, and colic. Excess causes severe headache, nausea, dizziness, and delerium. Externally for toothache, eczema, and rheumatic and abdominal pains (including labor pains). Used in Ayurvedic medicine for poor digestion, insomnia, urinary incontinence, and premature ejaculation. To treat diarrhea, dysentery, cramps, vomiting, headaches, fever, impotence, rheumatism, and nerve pain.
Typical Dose:	A typical dose of nutmeg may range from 1 to 3 drops of nutmeg oil taken two to three times a day.
Possible Side Effects:	Nutmeg's side effects include nausea, vomiting, spontaneous abortion, and allergic reactions.
Drug Interactions:	Taking nutmeg with these drugs may increase the effects of the drugs: Bismuth, (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) Bismuth Subsalicylate, Metronidazole, and Tetracycline, (Helidac) Charcoal, (Charcoal Plus DS, EZ-Char) Difenoxin and Atropine, (Motofen) Diphenoxylate and Atropine, (Lomotil, Lo-Nox) Haloperidol, (Haldol, Novo-Peridol) Iproniazid, (Marsilid) Lactobacillus, (Kala, Probiotica) Loperamide, (Diarr-Eze, Imodium A-D) Moclobemide, (Alti-Moclobemide, Nu-Moclobemide) Nifuroxazide, (Akabar, Diarret) Octreotide, (Sandostatin) Olanzapine, (Zydis, Zyprexa) Opium Tincture, (Opium Tincture) Paregoric, (Paregoric) Phenelzine, (Nardil) Prochlorperazine, (Compazine, Compro) Psyllium, (Metamucil, Reguloid) Quetiapine, (Seroquel) Risperidone, (Risperdal) Selegiline, (Eldepryl) Tranylcypromine, (Parnate)
Supplement Interactions:	Increased risk of additive toxicity when used with herbs containing safrole, such as Basil, Camphor, Cinnamon, and Sassafras.
Culinary Uses:	Ground or grated nutmeg gives flavor to bakery products, desserts, drinks, meat dishes, vegetables (notably spinach and mushrooms), cheese dishes, sauces (such as onion, bread, and béchamel), and pasta stuffings. Powdered or whole mace gives a similar but less pungent flavor and is better suited to soufflés, fish, clear soups, and sauces where nutmeg would spoil the appearance. Nutmeg and mace are key ingredients of the N African spice mixture, ras el hanout. Flesh of nutmeg fruits is candied, pickled, and made into jellies and syrups.
Economic Uses:	Fatty oil, known as "nutmeg butter", is used in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly in perfume, soap, and candle manufacture.
Blends:
DIGESTIVE RESPIRATORY REPRODUCTIVE Nutmeg 5 Nutmeg 5 Nutmeg 5 Orange 4 Benzoin 4 Clary Sage 3 Cardamon 3 Pine 2 Geranium 3 MUSCULAR EMOTION Nutmeg 6 Nutmeg 5 Black Pepper 4 Bergamot 4 Lavender 2 Ylang-Ylang 2
Bibliography:	Aromatherapy Blends and recipes by Franzesca Watson Copyright © 1995 Thorsons, Harper Parker Publishing Inc. Pp 140-141 The Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Bown Copyright © 1995,2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited pp.284-285 The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide by Geo. T. Grossberg,MD and Barry Fox,PhD Copyright©2007 Barry Fox,PhD. Pp.350-351