Q. Years ago, when I would get diarrhea, my parents would give me a spoonful of nutmeg with sugar and a glass of water. Later when I was married, I needed something again for diarrhea so I took nutmeg. It stopped right away.
I now see that myristica oil, found in nutmeg, is poison. Is nutmeg poison?
A. Nutmeg is considered safe when used as a spice in food. Even an occasional teaspoon is not likely to cause trouble. But at high doses, such as those sometimes used in a folk remedy for diarrhea, nutmeg can cause flushing, dry mouth, rapid heart rate, nausea, vomiting and even hallucinations.
