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Herb Profile
Myristica Fragrans
Myristica fragrans
Myristica Fragrans (Myristica fragrans) carries a Grade C rating — limited evidence.
Last reviewed: •3 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·C Limited
Use extra caution — High dose nutmeg/myristicin exposure can cause neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular toxicity. Details
- Evidence
- Limited Evidence
- Typical onset
- Varies by prep
- Safety rating
- High caution
- Best for
- Digestive, Sedative, Sleep quality, Cognitive function
- Avoid / review if
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Without Clinician Supervision, Known Allergy To The Plant/Family, Potential Interaction Concern With Antihypertensives/Diuretics
At a glance
From this profile's structured data- Evidence
- Grade C
- Safety
- High-dose nutmeg/myristicin exposure can cause neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular toxicity.
- Profile context
- digestive, sedative
Next stepsWhere to go next — guides & comparisons
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- If you want to browse more herbs → All herbs
Safety
Safety & Cautions
High dose nutmeg/myristicin exposure can cause neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular toxicity.
High caution
Caution level: High. Multiple caution categories apply, or the record uses avoid/contraindication language.
- Interaction-AwareMedication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding CautionPregnancy or breastfeeding caution language is present.
Detailed safety fields
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Without Clinician Supervision
- Known Allergy To The Plant/Family
- Potential Interaction Concern With Antihypertensives/Diuretics
- Sedatives/CNS Depressants
- Use Clinician Review For High Dose Extracts Or Chronic Use.
Safety classifications
- Interaction-Aware: Medication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Caution: Pregnancy or breastfeeding caution language is present.
Full safety note
- High dose nutmeg/myristicin exposure can cause neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular toxicity.
Safety labels
- Interaction-Aware
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Caution
Evidence-based safety
Caution when combined
Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.
Moderate Caution
149 flagged pairingsBlood-pressure effects · Sedation / CNS depression
Moderate Caution
149 flagged pairingsBlood-pressure effects · Sedation / CNS depression
Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.
Blood-pressure effectsCertainty: Theoretical
Data provenance recorded for 81 of 81 pairings in this mechanism group.
- Agmatine sulfate — Theoretical interaction certainty
- ajoene — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Allicin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- American Ginseng Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Andrographis — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Dahurica — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Astaxanthin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Astragalus Membranaceus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Beetroot extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Berberis — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Bicarbonate — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Black Seed — Theoretical interaction certainty
+69 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.
Sedation / CNS depressionCertainty: Theoretical
Data provenance recorded for 68 of 68 pairings in this mechanism group.
- American Yellow Lotus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Artemisia Absinthium — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Bacopa — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Black Seed — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Black Tea — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Blue Lotus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Calamus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Catuba — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Celastrus Paniculatus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Chamomile — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Chinese Skullcap — Theoretical interaction certainty
+56 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.
Evidence
Evidence Summary
Evidence lens
Read as directional context, not settled clinical proof.
LimitedLimited Evidence
Human clinical evidence: Present in source signals
Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mapped — Neurotransmitter Modulation
Research maturity: Emerging research — Long Term Human Evidence May Be Limited.
Safety boundary: Safety note available — High dose nutmeg/myristicin exposure can cause neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular toxicity.
This profile cites 3 human studies.
Study design details
Evidence Grade
Grade C: Limited Evidence
Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.
- Design Match
- Systematic review
- Risk of Bias
- Low
- Consistency
- Not assessed
Strongest recorded design is a systematic review, drawn from 5 recorded studies, 1 in people.
How evidence grades work
Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.
- Strong
- Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
- Moderate
- Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
- Preliminary / Mixed
- Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
- Traditional / Theoretical
- Traditional use only; no controlled human trials
Clinical Study Summaries (5)1 human evidence source · 0 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable
Filter by study class
Showing 5 of 5 studies.
What the evidence actually shows
This table contains 5 structured sources, including 1 human evidence source; 0 are human trials. A reliable participant total cannot be calculated because sample size is not consistently structured in the cited sources. Source-to-conclusion relationships are not classified in this structured set, so consistency is not yet classifiable.
Profile-wide evidence grade: see the profile grade above · Confidence: not separately assigned
What would change our conclusion?
Larger, well-controlled human trials using comparable populations, doses, preparations, and clinically meaningful outcomes could materially strengthen or weaken this conclusion. Replication in a different population or a high-quality synthesis resolving current disagreement could also materially change confidence.
| Study | Design | N | Dose | Duration | Population | Outcome | Result & magnitude | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Background | Systematic review Uses a predefined method to find and evaluate relevant studies, but may or may not pool their results statistically. | — | — | — | — | — | A 2025/2026 systematic review of medicinal/edible seed safety identified 703 adverse events across eight seed medicines; Myristicae semen contributed one serious adverse event. Most events across the dataset involved children or excessive intake. These counts do not establish nutmeg-specific incidence but strengthen overdose/child-safety warnings. | PubMed → |
Ashokkumar K et al. · Phytother Res · 2022 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
PubMed indexed authors · 2006 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Myristica fragrans Houtt.: an updated review Ha MT et al. · Arch Pharm Res · 2020 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | A toxicology review documents neuropsychiatric and autonomic intoxication after gram-level nutmeg ingestion. These reports are toxicity observations—not a safe-use threshold—and support explicit overdose/intoxication warnings. | PubMed → |
Dosing & Timing
- No standardized dose
- Preparation specific; use standardized product label for Preparation varies by tradition and product form and require source backed dosage review before therapeutic claims.
How Myristica Fragrans works
Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.
Mechanism Pathway — How Myristica Fragrans Works
CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome
Mechanisms & biological pathways
Preclinical pathways. Proposed mechanisms from in vitro and animal research; these do not confirm clinical outcomes in humans.
- Neurotransmitter Modulation
Active Compounds
Key constituents studied in Myristica Fragrans, with full pharmacology and safety profiles.
Compare related active botanicals
Explore botanicals with similar chemistry, effects, or safety considerations in the Botanical Activity Atlas.
Guides that use Myristica Fragrans
Condition guides
Compare & Sourcing
Compare side-by-side tradeoffs or verify active marker guidelines.
Review available sources for Myristica Fragrans
Independent database mapping — evaluated separately from safety and efficacy scores.
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Safety first · Harm reduction
This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.
Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.
Editorial Review
Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.
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Botanical profile context
How to interpret Myristica Fragrans
Myristica Fragrans herb profile with evidence context, key research topics, source notes, safety context, and references presented in an evidence-first… Use this herb profile as a starting point for evidence review, not as a recommendation to start a new supplement. Botanical products can vary by plant part, extract ratio, standardization, dose, and contaminant testing, so two labels with the same common name may not behave the same way.
When reviewing Myristica Fragrans, compare the traditional-use context against the human evidence, mechanism notes, and safety cautions. Pay special attention to pregnancy, breastfeeding, liver or kidney disease, blood-pressure effects, sedation, stimulation, anticoagulant use, antidepressants, and any prescription medication overlap.
For product decisions, prefer transparent labels, named extracts, clear serving sizes, and third-party quality testing. Avoid treating a long list of possible mechanisms as proof that an herb will solve a specific condition.