benefits of nutmeg

Benefits of Nutmeg

21. Flavor
Nutmeg, or Jaiphal as it is called in Hindi, is a very popular flavoring agent in making sweets in India. It is also used in baked goods, sauces, ice cream, and custards. Certain coffee drinks, including cappuccino, are flavored using nutmeg and cinnamon.
22. Soaps
The antiseptic properties of nutmeg make it useful in the manufacturing of antiseptic soaps. Nutmeg essential oil is used for bathing as well, due to its refreshing nature. It also reduces swelling of the joints. Often, overexertion leads to body or muscle ache, and in such cases, nutmeg oil can be very useful in removing the pain.
23. Cosmetics
Since nutmeg oil is antibacterial and antiseptic, it is used in many cosmetics meant for dull, oily or wrinkled skin. It is also used in making after shave lotions and creams. Nutmeg oil is obtained from the seed of the nutmeg tree fruit. The fruit, when dried, produces nutmeg (the seed) and mace (the covering).
24. Room Freshener
Nutmeg oil can be used as a room freshener, again due to its woody and pleasant aroma. The health benefits of nutmeg oil can be attributed to its medicinal properties such as its role as a sedative, stimulant, relaxing, antiinflammatory, antiseptic, and bactericidal substance.
25. Tobacco
Nutmeg oil is commonly used in the tobacco industry to change the flavor of the tobacco blend slightly. Nutmeg oil blends well with many other essential oils including lavender, rosemary, orange, black pepper, clary sage, eucalyptus, ginger, and ylangylang oils.
26. Essential oils
The essential oil obtained by steam distillation of ground nutmeg is used widely in the perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. This volatile fraction typically contains 6080% dcamphene by weight, as well as quantities of dpinene, limonene, dborneol, lterpineol, geraniol, safrol, and myristicin. The oil is colourless or light yellow, and smells and tastes of nutmeg. It contains numerous components of interest to the oleochemical industry, and is used as a natural food flavouring in baked goods, syrups, beverages, and sweets. It is used to replace ground nutmeg, as it leaves no particles in the food.
27. Nutmeg butter
Nutmeg butter is obtained from the nut by expression. It is semisolid, reddish brown in colour, and tastes and smells of nutmeg. Approximately 75% (by weight) of nutmeg butter is trimyristin[citation needed], which can be turned into myristic acid, a 14carbon fatty acid, which can be used as a replacement for cocoa butter, can be mixed with other fats like cottonseed oil or palm oil, and has applications as an industrial lubricant.
28. History
Nutmeg is known to have been a prized and costly spice in European medieval cuisine as a flavouring, medicinal, and preservative agent. Saint Theodore the Studite (ca. 758
29. World production
World production of nutmeg is estimated to average between 10,000 and 12,000 tonnes (9,800 and 12,000 long tons; 11,000 and 13,000 short tons) per year, with annual world demand estimated at 9,000 tonnes (8,900 long tons; 9,900 short tons); production of mace is estimated at 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes (1,500 to 2,000 long tons; 1,700 to 2,200 short tons). Indonesia and Grenada dominate production and exports of both products, with world market shares of 75% and 20% respectively. Other producers include India, Malaysia (especially Penang, where the trees grow wild within untamed areas[citation needed]), Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Caribbean islands, such as St. Vincent. The principal import markets are the European Community, the United States, Japan and India. Singapore and the Netherlands are major reexporters.
30. Medical research
Nutmeg has been used in medicine since at least the seventh century. In the 19th century it was used as an abortifacient, which led to numerous recorded cases of nutmeg poisoning. Although used as a folk treatment for other ailments, unprocessed nutmeg has no proven medicinal value today.