Nutmeg has actually been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to treat gastrointestinal issues. Nutmeg has also been used to treat asthma, rheumatic pain, toothaches, and other types of infections.
Researchers wanted to determine whether or not nutmeg could help prevent liver damage.
Using a mouse model of liver toxicity, the researchers studied nutmeg’s protective properties. An analysis revealed that nutmeg most likely protects the liver by restoring the mice to a healthy level of various lipids and acylcarnitines. Gene expression analysis showed that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) was controlled by nutmeg, but these effects did not take place when PPARα was removed.
Furthermore, the researchers found specifically that myrislignan also had protective effects against liver damage.
As always, studies done on mice do not necessarily translate to that in humans, but nutmeg is a delicious spice known to have other health benefits. Therefore, including it in your diet may be a wise choice overall to maintain good health.
Also read: Should you detox your liver?