How to Use Nutmeg for Health

Nutmeg is a hard, marble-sized seed with a zesty flavor. It comes from the fruit of a tree that grows on the Caribbean island, Grenada, a major supplier of nutmeg to the world. For most people the occasional cup of eggnog or holiday cookie is their only exposure to nutmeg. Use nutmeg to remedy common illnesses by examining its use in folk medicine.

Things You'll Need

• Nutmeg seeds
• Kitchen mallet or rolling pin
• Water
• Food processor
• Milk
• Towel
• Petroleum jelly
• Cotton cloth
• Ground nutmeg
• Flour
• Egg white
• Ground coffee
• Strainer

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Instructions

• 1

  Soothe eczema. Make a nutmeg paste. Use a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to pulverize a few nutmeg seeds. Add water and mix to form a paste. Smear the paste over the red scaly patches.

• 2

  Tame acne. Grind several nutmeg seeds with a food processor. Add small amounts of milk to make a paste. Rinse the face and other affected areas with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel. Spread the paste evenly over the acne. After 2 hours, use warm water to remove the paste. Follow with cold water to close pores. Repeat this remedy at least daily until acne improves.

• 3

  Remedy a toothache. Scoop two fingers of petroleum jelly onto a clean cotton cloth. Cover with a generous amount of ground nutmeg. Hold against the jaw line at the point nearest the painful tooth.

• 4

  Calm a chest cold. Prepare a nutmeg plaster by mixing equal parts of ground nutmeg and flour. Add an egg white and a small amount of water to form a paste. Cover a cotton cloth with the paste and apply to the chest.

• 5

  Relieve diarrhea. Mix 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground coffee and 1 cup of water. Pour through a strainer. Drink the filtered liquid. Repeat this remedy up to two more times until diarrhea subsides.

• 6

  Promote sleep. Add 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg to 1 cup of milk. Stir while heating. Bring to a boil. Drink the entire cup of warm liquid remedy. Recline.