Myristica fragrans is a flowering plant belonging to the Myristicaceae family. The plant is also commonly called nutmeg. Evidence suggests that the seeds of the nutmeg plant may possess carminative, astringent, hypolipidaemic, antithrombotic, antiplatelet aggregation, antifungal, aphrodisiac, and anti-inflammatory activities. The seeds contain an essential oil that have been shown to possess antioxidant activity. Evidence from animal models suggests that nutmeg can act on the central nervous system to alter mood. For example, in one study researchers administered extracts of nutmeg seeds to mice and exposed them to experimental stress. The results of the study showed that the mice demonstrated significantly less anxious behaviour after consumption of the nutmeg seeds. The researchers used inhibitors to deduce that the effects of the nutmeg were likely conferred through the GABA or serotonin systems. Therefore nutmeg may affect mood by acting on the brain to cause neurochemical changes.
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