Muscat allergy T78.1

The main active ingredient of nutmeg (Myristica fragans; nutmeg) is the pungent drug myristicin. Myristicin acts as an MAO inhibitor and is hallucinogenic. Essential nutmeg oil is used as a flavouring in toothpastes. It is also used as a flavour corrector in medicines. The oil is often added to men's perfumes because of its acrid smell.

Nutmeg and nutmeg oil are used in natural medicine for diseases of the digestive system. In India an ointment is made from nutmeg powder and water, which is said to have an anti-eczematous effect.

Nutmeg allergy can occur as a food allergy, often in connection with the celery-carrot-mugwort spice syndrome. IgE antibodies against nutmeg are also detectable in 50% of people affected by celeriac-carrot-mugwort spice syndrome (Sastre J et al. (1996). In very rare cases, nutmeg causes type IV sensitization. Mace can trigger inhalative allergies (Jäger L et al. 2001).

The limit value for the occurrence of symptoms of poisoning of nutmegs (disturbance of balance, severe headaches, intoxication, sweating and nausea) in adults is a dose of about 4.0g. Chronic poisoning leads to "nutmeg psychosis" (Hodson AH 1994).

1. Hodson AH (1994) Chronic nutmeg psychosis. J R Soc Med 87:308.
2. Sastre J et al (1996) Occupational asthma due to different spices. Allergy 51:117-120.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8738518