Nutmeg

Research corpus coverage

Chemistry notes

• CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include myristicin; elemicin; safrole; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.

Traditional / historical use

Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.

• TRADITIONAL: Nutmeg has been used for digestive complaints; flavoring; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

Modern evidence

• EVIDENCE: For the major use set (digestive complaints; flavoring), the evidence assessment is insufficient: Insufficient clinical evidence.

  LOW · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

Forms used traditionally

A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.

Cats & dogs

• High risk

  Large amounts of ingested nutmeg can cause vomiting, dry mouth, agitation, difficulty walking or standing, hallucinations, pupil changes, and fast heart rate.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Nutmeg; amount described as large, specific form not specified · MODERATE · poison_control_database · When Pumpkin Spice is Not So Nice - ASPCA

• High risk

  Very large nutmeg ingestions can cause myristicin toxicity, including neurologic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and potentially seizure-related effects.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Large amount of nutmeg · HIGH · poison_control_database · Nutmeg And Cinnamon Toxicity | Pet Poison Helpline®

• Low concern

  Nutmeg in the small amounts typically present in recipes is very unlikely to cause serious toxicity, although mild stomach upset may occur.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Nutmeg-containing food · HIGH · poison_control_database · Nutmeg And Cinnamon Toxicity | Pet Poison Helpline®

Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)

Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.

• SAFETY: Major issues include High-dose intoxication causes delirium, tachycardia, seizures and organ injury. Contraindications/cautions include Pregnancy; psychiatric or seizure disorders.

  HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

• SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Additive CNS/anticholinergic effects; MAOI-like interactions theoretical.

  MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

  Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.

• SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Food spice differs; avoid medicinal/high-dose use in pregnancy/lactation.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries

  Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.

• Large amounts of ingested nutmeg can cause vomiting, dry mouth, agitation, difficulty walking or standing, hallucinations, pupil changes, and fast heart rate.

  MODERATE · poison_control_database · When Pumpkin Spice is Not So Nice - ASPCA

  The page says nutmeg contains a chemical but does not name it; species-specific effects are not provided.

• Nutmeg in the small amounts typically present in recipes is very unlikely to cause serious toxicity, although mild stomach upset may occur.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Nutmeg And Cinnamon Toxicity | Pet Poison Helpline®

• Very large nutmeg ingestions can cause myristicin toxicity, including neurologic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and potentially seizure-related effects.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Nutmeg And Cinnamon Toxicity | Pet Poison Helpline®

  The page does not specify whether the large-ingestion symptom list applies specifically to cats, dogs, or both.

Taxonomic identity note

• Nutmeg is treated here as Myristica fragrans Houtt. in the family Myristicaceae; recorded older names include Myristica officinalis L.f..