Nutmeg's Health Effects

It's that time of year again, during my trip today to the grocery store I saw the welcome and all but forgotten sight of one my favorite treats; egg nog. I've often wondered why it's not available year round, but was pleased to see it once again. Of course there are two essential ingredients that must be added to eggnog, rum and nutmeg. As I sat enjoying my first egg nog of the season with freshly ground nutmeg decorating the surface I began to wonder if this spice has any nutritional benefits and this is what I found. For what it's worth, take it with another spice, a grain of salt, and be comforted by the fact that even if none of the benefits are true, at least it tastes good with egg nog.

These are just a couple of the benefits that intrigued me, for more benefits read this.

One of the interesting health benefits of nutmeg oil is it’s ability to stimulate the brain - it relieves stress and stimulates mental activity. It is even reputed to stimulate dreams. It’s ability to improve concentration and increase efficiency was not lost on the ancient Greeks and Romans who used it as a brain tonic despite the fact that it was quite rare and costly.

It is also said to be able to help with asthma. However, this remains unsubstantiated by research.

While there are many health benefits of nutmeg, be careful not to take it in high doses. It can be toxic and can cause serious problems.