Pimenta dioica
2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
The dried unripe berry of a Caribbean myrtle-family tree, named for an aroma that reads as clove, cinnamon and nutmeg at once — it is a single spice, not a blend. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the ground berry, whereas a teaspoon is about two grams.
Also known as allspice, pimento, Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, newspice
What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.
Allspice extracts perform well in laboratory antioxidant and anti-inflammatory assays, which is unsurprising for a eugenol-rich spice. There are essentially no human trials, so there is nothing here to rate.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
A cell-culture finding that an allspice extract slowed prostate cancer cell growth has been widely repeated online. That work has not been followed by human research, and laboratory cell studies do not describe what happens when someone seasons food.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.
AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.
| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 263 kcal | 13% |
| Protein | 6.09 g | 12% |
| Total fat | 8.69 g | 11% |
| Carbohydrate | 72.1 g | 26% |
| Fibre | 21.6 g | 77% |
| Water | 8.46 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 2.55 g | 13% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.66 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 2.36 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| EPA (omega-3) | 0 g | — |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0 g | — |
| DPA (omega-3) | 0 g | — |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 2.29 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 27 µg | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 39.2 mg | 44% |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.101 mg | 8% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.063 mg | 5% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.86 mg | 18% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.21 mg | 12% |
| Folate | 36 µg | 9% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 661 mg | 51% |
| Iron | 7.06 mg | 39% |
| Magnesium | 135 mg | 32% |
| Phosphorus | 113 mg | 9% |
| Potassium | 1044 mg | 22% |
| Sodium | 77 mg | 3% |
| Zinc | 1.01 mg | 9% |
| Copper | 0.553 mg | 61% |
| Manganese | 2.94 mg | 128% |
| Selenium | 2.7 µg | 5% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Caffeine | 0 mg | — |
| Ash | 4.65 g | — |
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Source record: Spices, allspice, ground (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171315).
% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Flavonol
A widely distributed flavonol, concentrated in onions, capers and apples. One of the most-studied dietary flavonoids, mostly at supplemental doses…
Polyphenol (class)
An umbrella term for thousands of plant phenolic compounds. Useful as a category, but a "high polyphenol" figure says nothing about which compounds…
Phenylpropanoid
The dominant aroma compound of cloves, also present in allspice, cinnamon leaf and basil.
The dominant volatile in allspice oil, the same compound that carries clove aroma.
Polyphenol
Astringent polyphenols that bind proteins and minerals — the reason tea with a meal reduces non-heme iron absorption.
Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.
Whole allspice berries hold their volatile oil for years; once ground, the aroma fraction is lost to evaporation over months. Grinding to order is the difference between a spice that tastes of something and one that tastes of dust.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Too much
Concentrated eugenol-rich oils are a different exposure from the ground berry. Swallowed clove and pimento oils have caused liver injury, low blood sugar and seizures in young children after quite small amounts, and the oils are not appropriate for internal use at home.
Allergy
Eugenol is a recognised contact allergen, best documented in dental settings. People sensitised to it can react to allspice, cloves and cinnamon with mouth burning, gum irritation or perioral rash.
Interaction
Eugenol inhibits platelet aggregation in laboratory work. Nothing suggests a problem with culinary amounts, but concentrated eugenol preparations are worth mentioning to a clinician alongside warfarin or antiplatelet drugs.