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Nutmeg

Nutmeg and mace are plant products. Nutmeg is the dried seed of the Myristica fragrans plant and mace is the dried, net-like covering of the seed. Nutmeg and mace are used in the production of medicine. Nutmeg and mace are used to treat diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, stomach pain and flatulence. They are also used to treat cancer, kidney disease and sleep problems, to increase menstrual flow, to induce abortion, as a hallucinogen and as a general tonic. Nutmeg and mace are applied to the skin for pain - especially rheumatic joint pain - mouth ulcers and toothache. Nutmeg and mace are used in food as a spice and flavoring. In industrial production, nutmeg oil is used as a fragrance in soap and cosmetics. Nutmeg oil is steam distilled from nutmeg seeds eaten by worms. The worms remove most of the starch and fat, leaving the parts of the seeds that are rich in oil.

How do nutmeg and mace work?

Nutmeg and mace contain chemicals that may affect the central nervous system. Nutmeg and mace may also kill bacteria and fungi.

How effective are nutmeg and mace?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of using nutmeg and mace as a hallucinogen. The consumption of 5 to 20 grams of nutmeg powder (1 to 3 whole seeds) could have psychoactive effects. As nutmeg and mace are very similar, mace could also have psychoactive effects, although this has not yet been proven. There is also a lack of scientific information on the effectiveness of nutmeg and mace for diarrhea, stomach problems, flatulence, cancer, kidney disease and pain. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of nutmeg and mace in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Nutmeg and mace are potentially safe and harmless when taken orally and used appropriately. Nutmeg and mace are commonly used as a spice. It may not be safe to take nutmeg and mace over a long period of time in higher amounts than are commonly used in food. Long-term use of nutmeg in doses of 120 mg or more per day has been associated with hallucinations and other mental side effects. People who have taken large amounts of nutmeg have reported nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, agitation and hallucinations. Deaths have also been reported. Not enough is known about the safety and harmlessness of using nutmeg and mace on the skin.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Nutmeg and mace may not be safe when used in larger amounts than are used in food, as they may cause miscarriages and birth defects. Not enough is known about the safety and harmlessness of nutmeg and mace during breastfeeding, so breastfeeding women should avoid nutmeg and mace to be on the safe side.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining nutmeg and mace with the following medicines:

Drugs that are broken down by the liver (cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) substrates, cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) substrates, cytochrome P450 2B1 (CYP2B1) substrates, cytochrome P450 2B2 (CYP2B2) substrates ) Some drugs are broken down by the liver. Nutmeg and mace can accelerate the rate at which the liver breaks down certain drugs. Taking nutmeg and mace in conjunction with drugs that are broken down by the liver can lead to a whole range of effects and side effects. For this reason, you should consult your doctor before taking nutmeg and mace if you are taking medicines that are broken down by the liver.

Phenobarbital

The body breaks down phenobarbital in order to be able to excrete it. Nutmeg and mace may increase the rate at which the body breaks down phenobarbital. Taking nutmeg and mace in combination with phenobarbital could reduce the effectiveness of phenobarbital.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of nutmeg and mace depends on various factors such as age, health status and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to determine appropriate dosage ranges for nutmeg and mace. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

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