Nutmeg, a Holiday Spice

Nutmeg, a spice often used in holiday drinks such as eggnog is a nut from several species of the Myristica tree. This is an evergreen tree found in Indonesia. Nutmeg is the seed of the tree while mace is the seed covering or aril; so both of these spices are obtained from the nut. And no, this mace is in no way related to the spray often used for self defense.  Like most herbs, nutmeg is rich in antioxidants but also is said to sooth a stomach ach and help diarrhea. It may also relieve stress and improve mental ability. However, nutmeg is also toxic so keep its use to a few sprinkles. Try buying nutmeg whole and grating it fresh when you use it – it won’t take much because the freshly grated has much more flavor than dried.

There is also some evidence that nutmeg can increase the fat tissue under the skin. This may prove useful in skin care to help fill in wrinkles. Something I will have to look into more.