Myristica fragrans
2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
The lacy red aril that wraps the nutmeg seed inside its fruit, dried and sold whole as blades or ground. It comes from the same tree as nutmeg and tastes like a lighter, more peppery version of it. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the ground spice, whereas a recipe uses a fraction of a teaspoon.
Also known as mace, mace blade, javitri
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.
Mace has traditional use as a carminative and antidiarrhoeal across South and Southeast Asia. Controlled human research does not exist, so the traditional use remains untested rather than supported.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Rodent studies describe sedative and antidepressant-like effects from nutmeg and mace extracts, and this circulates online as a mood remedy. No human trials exist, and the compound responsible for the animal findings is the same one that causes poisoning at higher doses.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Meta-analysis · European heart journal. Cardiovascular pharmacotherapy · 2024 · PMID 39054275
Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.
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 | 475 kcal | 24% |
| Protein | 6.71 g | 13% |
| Total fat | 32.4 g | 42% |
| Carbohydrate | 50.5 g | 18% |
| Fibre | 20.2 g | 72% |
| Water | 8.17 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 9.51 g | 48% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 11.2 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 4.39 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| EPA (omega-3) | 0 g | — |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0 g | — |
| DPA (omega-3) | 0 g | — |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 4.31 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 40 µg | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 21 mg | 23% |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.312 mg | 26% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.448 mg | 34% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.35 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.16 mg | 9% |
| Folate | 76 µg | 19% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 252 mg | 19% |
| Iron | 13.9 mg | 77% |
| Magnesium | 163 mg | 39% |
| Phosphorus | 110 mg | 9% |
| Potassium | 463 mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 80 mg | 3% |
| Zinc | 2.3 mg | 21% |
| Copper | 2.47 mg | 274% |
| Manganese | 1.5 mg | 65% |
| Selenium | 2.7 µg | 5% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Caffeine | 0 mg | — |
| Ash | 2.23 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, mace, ground (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170927).
% 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.
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.
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 mace blades keep their aroma far longer than the pre-ground spice, which fades within months. Grating from whole is the standard advice for both mace and nutmeg.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Too much
Mace carries the same myristicin and elemicin as nutmeg. Doses of roughly a tablespoon upwards have caused a distinctive poisoning — nausea, racing heart, dry mouth, agitation, hallucinations and confusion lasting a day or more — and deliberate recreational use is the usual reason people end up in emergency departments. Culinary pinches are nowhere near this, but the margin is narrower than for most spices.
Worth knowing
Nutmeg and mace contain small amounts of safrole, a compound restricted in food because it is carcinogenic in rodents. This is an argument against concentrated nutmeg or mace oil rather than against seasoning a béchamel.
Worth knowing
Myristicin crosses the placenta and mace has traditional abortifacient use. Cooking amounts are not the concern; taking mace or nutmeg by the spoonful in pregnancy is.