250 mg · vegan · gluten-free · 60 caps
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Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), known as Jaiphal in Hindi and Jathikai in Tamil, is the seed kernel of an evergreen tree native to the Banda Islands of Indonesia. It has been used in Ayurveda, Unani, and traditional Chinese medicine for insomnia, digestive disorders, and as a nervine tonic.
Myristicin and elemicin in nutmeg essential oil interact with the GABA-A receptor and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition, producing sedative and mood-elevating effects. At low doses, it stimulates digestion; at higher doses, it becomes hypnotic. Macelignan exhibits potent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity.
Individuals with mild insomnia, anxiety-related sleep disturbance, poor digestion, or low appetite. Traditional Ayurvedic remedy for children's sleep and colic.
Pregnant women (myristicin may be embryotoxic), children under 12, people with psychiatric disorders, those on MAO inhibitors. Side effects: Safe at 250–500 mg. Doses above 1 g may cause nausea, dizziness, tachycardia, and hallucinations. High recreational doses (>5 g) are toxic.
A plain-English read of the literature behind this supplement. Not a clinical recommendation.
Key citations: PMID 41104350 (Therapeutic potential review, 2025), PMID 26434127 (Antioxidant & anti-inflammatory compounds, 2015), PMID 41082903 (Pharmacological activities review, 2026), PMID 10404545 (Anti-inflammatory, analgesic & antithrombotic, 1999)
SacredBod's longer take on Nutmeg Extract — context the structured blocks above don't capture.
Nutmeg — Jaiphal — is one of the most misunderstood spices in the supplement world. While high recreational doses have earned it a reputation for toxicity, the tiny amounts used in Ayurvedic medicine (250–500 mg) provide genuine sedative, digestive, and anti-inflammatory benefits without risk.
A 2025 comprehensive review in Food Science & Nutrition cataloged nutmeg’s pharmacological profile: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and neurocognitive support. Myristicin and macelignan are the key bioactives. Macelignan inhibits inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α) and enhances insulin sensitivity through AMPK activation.
A 1999 study in Phytotherapy Research found nutmeg chloroform extract significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema (anti-inflammatory), reduced acetic acid writhing (analgesic), and protected against ADP-induced thrombosis in rodents.
The sedative mechanism involves myristicin’s interaction with GABA-A receptors and MAO inhibition — explaining both its sleep-promoting and mild mood-elevating effects.
Jaiphal is described in Charaka Samhita as deepana-pachana (digestive stimulant), shoolahara (pain reliever), and nidrajanana (sleep promoter). It is a key ingredient in classical formulations like Jaiphaladi churna and Kumaryasava. In Indian households, a pinch of nutmeg in warm milk before bed is the traditional remedy for children’s insomnia and colic.
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