This weekend’s experimenting with recipes found me in need of some Nutmeg. Now I have used Nutmeg occasionally through out my baking, but not very often and I did not have any on hand. In pricing out this spice I found it to be pretty expensive in small quantities, which was not helping my cost per unit totals. So I make the trek to a distribution center and purchased a large container, roughly 162 teaspoons. After completed the baking test run, I made arrangements with my family to be the taste testers (yes I do accept volunteers for these difficult positions). Now my nephew has a peanut allergy, and I am always very careful about what food I bring into their home and make sure it is safe for him to eat. As I was looking over the ingredients, I realized I did not know anything about Nutmeg, including if it was a nut. So I did a quick internet search and discovered some very interesting things about it.
First of all it is not a nut, a fruit.
Second in large quantities it can be toxic, or even deadly. Here is the report…
In low doses, nutmeg produces no noticeable physiological or neurological response. Large doses of 30 g (~6 teaspoons) or more are dangerous, potentially inducing convulsions, palpitations, nausea, eventual dehydration, and generalized body pain. In amounts of 5–20 g (~1-4 teaspoons) it is a mild to medium hallucinogen, producing visual distortions and a mild euphoria. It is a common misconception that nutmeg contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). While untrue, nutmeg taken in combination with MAOIs may elevate risks.[1] A test was carried out on the substance that showed that, when ingested in large amounts, nutmeg takes on a similar chemical make-up to MDMA (ecstasy). However, use of nutmeg as a recreational drug is unpopular due to its unpleasant taste and its side effects, including dizziness, flushes, dry mouth, accelerated heartbeat, temporary constipation, difficulty in urination, nausea, and panic. A user will not experience a peak until approximately six hours after ingestion, and effects can linger for up to three days afterwards.
A risk in any large-quantity (over 25 g, ~5 teaspoons) ingestion of nutmeg is the onset of 'nutmeg poisoning', an acute psychiatric disorder marked by thought disorder, a sense of impending death, and agitation. Some cases have resulted in hospitalization.
Fatal doses in children are significantly lower, with approximately 15g being sufficient to cause one of only two recorded nutmeg toxicity deaths, in an eight year old child.
Nutmeg is an abortifacient, and as such any significant doses should be avoided by pregnant women.
Third in many cultures it is used as an aphrodisiac or stimulant.
First of all it is not a nut, a fruit.
Second in large quantities it can be toxic, or even deadly. Here is the report…
In low doses, nutmeg produces no noticeable physiological or neurological response. Large doses of 30 g (~6 teaspoons) or more are dangerous, potentially inducing convulsions, palpitations, nausea, eventual dehydration, and generalized body pain. In amounts of 5–20 g (~1-4 teaspoons) it is a mild to medium hallucinogen, producing visual distortions and a mild euphoria. It is a common misconception that nutmeg contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). While untrue, nutmeg taken in combination with MAOIs may elevate risks.[1] A test was carried out on the substance that showed that, when ingested in large amounts, nutmeg takes on a similar chemical make-up to MDMA (ecstasy). However, use of nutmeg as a recreational drug is unpopular due to its unpleasant taste and its side effects, including dizziness, flushes, dry mouth, accelerated heartbeat, temporary constipation, difficulty in urination, nausea, and panic. A user will not experience a peak until approximately six hours after ingestion, and effects can linger for up to three days afterwards.
A risk in any large-quantity (over 25 g, ~5 teaspoons) ingestion of nutmeg is the onset of 'nutmeg poisoning', an acute psychiatric disorder marked by thought disorder, a sense of impending death, and agitation. Some cases have resulted in hospitalization.
Fatal doses in children are significantly lower, with approximately 15g being sufficient to cause one of only two recorded nutmeg toxicity deaths, in an eight year old child.
Nutmeg is an abortifacient, and as such any significant doses should be avoided by pregnant women.
Third in many cultures it is used as an aphrodisiac or stimulant.
And finally it known as an underground drug and at times has been widely used in jails or by very poor communities.
I found this all to be very interesting. Now, for all I know this could be common knowledge, but this is one area I know very little about. :)
I found this all to be very interesting. Now, for all I know this could be common knowledge, but this is one area I know very little about. :)
It does make me think though, if 6 teaspoons is considered a large amount that could be potentially lethal, I currently have about 27 times that amount in my house. Hmm… I am pretty sure that make it the most toxic thing I have in my house.
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