We already know the nutmeg, or the seeds of Mirystica fragrans for its uses as a spice in the kitchen .
But perhaps we do not know its uses (known since ancient times) for health, nor the possibility of obtaining other products such as essential oil or even butter.
Be careful though! Nutmeg is quite toxic in high doses and some of its derivatives are not for use in the kitchen.
Among these is really the nutmeg butter : what then are its properties and its uses? We find out together.
Nutmeg butter: properties
The seeds of the plant Mirystica fragrans contain starch and lipid i.
They are used after drying (they become what we call "nutmeg") or they are distilled to obtain essential oil, or they can be cold pressed, to obtain the separate lipid fraction, which has the consistency of a butter: the butter of nutmeg in fact, which contains high percentages of myristin (a fatty acid derived from myristic acid) and fatty acids derived from oleic and palmitic acid .
The main properties of nutmeg and its derivatives are largely due to myristicin, a substance that is a powerful narcotic, neurotoxic, hepatotoxic and hallucinogenic at high doses; at modest doses it can cause migraine, nausea, diarrhea, hypotension, depression, acidosis .
In minimal doses the myristicin contained in nutmeg butter has properties:
> Eupeptic (stimulates the appetite, promotes digestion);
> improvement of intestinal peristalsis ;
> vasodilators;
> anti-emetic, which means it stops vomiting, nausea from car sickness.
Also read Almond butter, properties and uses >>
Nutmeg butter: uses
Nutmeg is usually linked to cooking and spicy recipes.
This is not the case for nutmeg butter: its ingestion is absolutely prohibited, both for its neurological activity, for its intrinsic liver toxicity, and for its interaction activity with anticoagulant drugs .
Nutmeg butter can be found in pharmacies and is used for external use in these situations:
> against rheumatic pains ;
> against neuralgic pains ;
> as a stimulant of local epidermal circulation ;
> as a base for medicated plasters ;
> as a component of creams for sports massages .
Always do an allergy test on a small area of skin before using the product. If in doubt, consult your doctor.
Warning: do not use nutmeg, and its derivatives (essential oil, nutmeg butter) in children and during pregnancy, due to suspected abortive effects.
