Is Nutmeg Bad For You?

Commonly used as a holiday spice, nutmeg is a popular and essential ingredient to your pumpkin pies and gingerbread houses. But is this Christmas ingredient turning you into Santa Clause? Well, far from it actually. Nutmeg is a spice, and like many other spices, has plenty of nutritional benefits.

Antioxidant Rich

Did you know nutmeg is actually a fruit, and we use the kernel for the spice? Like most fruits, nutmeg contains several antioxidant factors. Antioxidants fight the radicals in the air that cause you to become sick on a regular basis. Because of these factors, nutmeg has been exalted for ages for promoting medicinal advantages and preventing disease.

Back in the ancient times, nutmeg oil was actually used to relieve illnesses surrounding the digestive and nervous system. Other uses of nutmeg and its oils include toothache relief, muscle relaxation, and even gastritis relief. In other words, nutmeg, in addition to being an aromatic spice, also helps with indigestion, relieving muscle pain, detoxifying the body, and improving the circulation of blood.

Additionally, nutmeg contains many minerals, which are essential to our biology and help us perform everyday functions. A few minerals that can be found in nutmeg are:

Calcium—essential for healthy bone growth

Magnesium—helps relax the mind, helps induce sleep

Iron—used to produce red blood cells

Zinc—needed for wound healing and other reparative functions

Potassium—helps regulate blood pressure

Vitamins and Nutrients

The vitamins in nutmeg are as equally as impressive. According to Organicfacts.net, nutmeg contains the following vitamins: thiamin, folate, vitamin-B6, and niacin.

And as far as nutrients go, nutmeg also takes the cake once more. It’s high in dietary fiber (86%), low in calories (26%) and carbohydrates (16%), and fat content is fair (56%). Nutmeg can also be repurposed into nutmeg oil or butter because of the fat.  The fat is saturated, which according to the latest research, can be good in moderation. And contributing to nutmegs delicious smell and flavor-enhancing abilities are essential oils, which also double as herbal medicines. Too many benefits in one paragraph.

So does that mean you should double/triple/quadruple the amount of nutmeg you use in your recipe to supercharge your body with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients? Of course not. The same website tells us that nutmeg in excessive use may incite hallucinations…almost like a drug. Also, because nutmeg does wonders for our blood circulation and overall heart health, too much of it can actually cause heart palpitations and seizures. Remember, you shouldn't eat healthy foods unhealthily!

And if you’re worried about how much nutmeg you’re putting in your food, just stick with the recipe, and you should be fine—so as long as the recipe doesn’t call for cups of nutmeg on a tiny dish. Nutmeg is only but a spice. Use sparingly.

To use nutmeg as an alternative to Proactive, combine with water or honey.