Tibetan precious-pill aromatic — nutmeg (dza ti)
Myristica fragrans
Edible plantPhoto credit: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen
Safety information
Safety information
Toxicity: Low at culinary/formula doses. High doses are toxic and psychoactive: large amounts (myristicin/elemicin) cause a dangerous deliriant/anticholinergic-like poisoning (nausea, tachycardia, hallucination, agitation). Safrole/myristicin carry theoretical genotoxicity concerns.
Contraindications: Pregnancy — avoid medicinal/high doses (myristicin; traditional abortifacient reputation). Do not use high doses; psychiatric vulnerability.
Interactions: Possible MAO-related/CNS interactions at high dose (theoretical); additive effects with psychoactive drugs.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid medicinal/high doses in pregnancy (myristicin; abortifacient reputation).
Evidence level
Supported by laboratory or animal studies; not yet confirmed in humans.
Preparations
pill (compound precious formulas) · seed
Part used: seed
culinary spice · seed
Part used: seed
Dosage note (descriptive only): small amounts
powder · seed
Part used: seed
Traditional use: precious and heart-wind formulas; warming, rLung/wind-settling aromatic for nervous/heart wind, cold digestion, carminative
Proposed mechanism: phenylpropanoids/alkenylbenzenes (myristicin, elemicin, safrole), lignans, nutmeg butter — sedative/anxiolytic, antioxidant, antimicrobial; myristicin/elemicin underlie CNS effects and toxicity
Dosage note (descriptive only): do not use high doses
Associated conditions
Edibility
Edible parts: Culinary spice in small amounts (seed/aril).
Toxic lookalike warning
As a ground spice rarely confused, but high-dose 'recreational' use is dangerous.
Nutritional notes
Used in trace amounts; not a nutritional source.
Healing traditions
Sources (1)
- Hao et al. 2025, Pharmaceuticals (Basel) (PMID 41599653)