Nutmeg, a great benefit in the kitchen as a spice, has a varied background. It’s use and benefits vary by the culture it represents. Some of the more conventional uses of nutmeg did include it as an aphrodisiac. This was probably because consumption of large amounts usually causes mild hallucinations and warms the limbs.
Considering this information, it’s a wonder that every druggy in the world doesn’t grab some nutmeg and start grating. It never gained popularity because potential intoxicant also causes nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, difficulty urinating and a huge hangover. It also may have an unreliable high, one that may be compared to a very bad case of influenza.
Nutmeg is a magical spice that found its way into the black books of the sorcerers. It held a prominent spot in “The Key of Solomon the King”, often used as a textbook on magic, or grimoire. Nutmeg was used as part of a perfume that created magic in the life of the users.
Chinese medicine recommends nutmeg for abdominal pain and binding the intestines. Part of this comes from the effect to reduce diarrhea and stimulate the stomach, therefore reducing nausea.
Oil from the nutmeg, such as those in nutmeg butter; often treat conditions such as arthritis from rheumatic fever. They stimulate the flow of the blood and the increased circulation treats the condition. A paste made from nutmeg is used in India for the treatment of eczema and even ringworm.
Today nutmeg is used in a variety of alternative medicines. It is taken internally as a decoction for diarrhea, gastroenteritis, distension, vomiting and bloating. It acts as a catarrh for the respiratory area. Another way to take it for the ailments drips the essential oil onto a sugar lump or mixes it with a teaspoon of honey.
Ayurvedic medicine uses the nutmeg to improve digestion, treat urinary incontinence as well as a treatment for premature ejaculation. A drop of the essential oil on a cotton swab and applied to the gums near a problematic tooth, relieves the pain of a toothache until dental aid is available.
When used externally a soothing massage oil helps to relieve the stress of the day and soothe aching joints and muscles. A cream with nutmeg also treats skin conditions like eczema. It has antiseptic qualities as well as analgesic, antispasmodic, stimulant, anti-rheumatic and tonic like properties, which makes it useful in aromatherapy also.
A recipe for a sleep tonic uses nutmeg and cognac or brandy. You need to grate 1½ nutmegs and add it to a little over 2½ cups of the liquor. Allow it to soak and brew for over three weeks then strain the nutmeg out of the mixture. Use only 1 tablespoon about a half hour before bedtime. Be aware that continuous use creates a dependence on the tonic for sleep; just as continuous use of prescription drugs create dependence.
