Nutmeg

Nutmeg - History

In medieval times, Nutmeg was very expensive and highly prized as a spice. It was known to have reached Constantinople by the 9th century: St Theodore of Studium (759 - 826 A.D.), a Byzantine monk of Constantinople, was said to have allowed the use of Nutmeg in his monastery, though whether it was previously forbidden due to alleged aphrodisiac effects, or whether due to the fact that monks were supposed to live a plain life without excessive sensory stimulation, is not stated. [2]

Nutmeg is mentioned in the Canterbury Tales of Chaucer (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400). Chaucer's Sir Thopas describes "licorice and ginger and many a clove and nutmeg to put in ale". Nutmeg was called Notemuge at that time, the name meaning a nut with musky fragrance.

In those days, the world's only source of Nutmeg was Run Island, one of the smallest islands in the Indonesian Banda Islands. Due to the value of Nutmeg, and of mace, derived from the fruit of the same tree, Run was considered of economic importance despite its small size. Arab traders kept the Banda's location secret; controlling the market and selling Nutmeg for a high price to Venetian traders. [3] The Venetians in turn held the monopoly of European trade with the Middle East, and grew wealthy - as herbs and spices were among the most expensive and in-demand products of the Middle ages. [4]

This scenario lasted until 1511, when the Portuguese learned the location of the islands. Then followed the English and the Dutch, who fought ferociously for supremacy in the spice trade.[2]

The price of nutmeg was driven sky-high by faith in the belief that a recipe of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves; eaten, powdered and mixed into drinks, or even worn, was the only remedy for the plague. Traders of old were known to "hype" the mysteries of nutmeg, telling tales that the spices came from Eden itself, or of great and terrifying dangers undergone in its harvesting. It's been said that at this time, a sackful of nutmeg could have set a person up financially for life. [5] The practice of carrying a nutmeg in the pocket as a charm against ill health continued until recent times in England.

From 1620 the Dutch reigned supreme in the spice trade until eventually, in the early 19th century, Nutmeg trees were transplanted to British colonies such as Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Grenada. [3]

Is Nutmeg an Aphrodisiac?

Nutmeg has had a reputation as an aphrodisiac since ancient times, and has been included in many an "aphrodisiac formula". Hari Datt Sharma's 2005 "Better Sex The Herbal Way" states that nutmeg is chewed with betel leaf to create euphoria, and that it "acts as an aphrodisiac by stimulating the higher centres of sex." It's said to be made into a love potion in Israel, and, fried in gingili oil, rubbed into the genitals before intercourse to create a pleasant sensation. This practice was also described by the English "Professor of Physick" William Salmon (1644–1713), who stated that nutmeg oil applied in this way was an aphrodisiac. [6]

Nutmeg has also had a reputation as an aphrodisiac in the Unani medicinal system (India) [7] and in other cultures of the orient.

Spices were associated with luxury and the exotic; is it any wonder then that they have acquired a reputation as being aphrodisiac? However, some scientific research has been done into the aphrodisiac qualities of nutmeg. A study on mice at the Faculty of Unani Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University, India - in 2003 and 2005 - found that extracts of the nutmeg and clove were found to stimulate the mounting behaviour of male mice, and also to significantly increase their mating performance. [8]

This was followed up at the same faculty by a 2005 study on rats, which found, at the dose of 500 mg/kg "significant and sustained increase in the sexual activity of normal male rats without any conspicuous adverse effects, [indicating] that the 50% ethanolic extract of nutmeg possesses aphrodisiac activity, increasing both libido and potency, which might be attributed to its nervous stimulating property." [9]

Nutmeg contains myristicin, a substance that has been used by drug chemists as a precursor to the restricted narcotic MDA, and it has been hypothesized that myristicin is transformed in the body to similar substances in the amphetamine family, which would explain the stimulant effects. Nutmeg also contains elemicin, another substance with structural similarity to amphetamines, safrole and many other compounds. [7]

Nutmeg - safety notes

Although small amounts of nutmeg are said to produce no neurological or physiological response, nutmeg is dangerous when taken in large doses, and can even (rarely) be fatal. A dose of 7.5g or more is said to lead to convulsions, palpitations, nausea, intoxication, and possibly panic. The intoxication produced by high doses of nutmeg is generally held to be of a most unpleasant nature, and it is often reported not to be worth seeking out as a "high".

Note - the above is not medical advice.

Myristicin is also said to be deadly to some animals in quantities harmless to humans and for this reason Nutmeg should never be given to dogs. [2]

Nutmeg may be illegal in some countries including Oman and Saudi Arabia.[10]

It is also said that there is much adulteration and fraud in the Nutmeg trade. [11] One famously amusing example from history actually involved carving fake "nutmegs" out of wood - however such a fraud would be easily spotted and highly unlikely nowadays.

Nutmeg is listed in the AHPA's "Herbs of Commerce", p252. [12]

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