# RE: Does Nutmeg have hallusenigenic properties? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 11, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767 "2010-12-11T06:59:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![doobsy420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@doobsy420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doobsy420)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/1 "2010-12-11T06:59:36Z")
Cecil missed one crucial part: It has to be REAL Nutmeg (ie: not the stuff you buy in the spice isle at the grocery store, must be REAL shaved off the nut, nutmeg) ETA: Link to column - [Is nutmeg hallucinogenic? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/691/is-nutmeg-hallucinogenic) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/2 "2010-12-11T10:43:16Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/3 "2010-12-11T22:27:38Z")
“Cecil missed one crucial part: It has to be REAL Nutmeg (ie: not the stuff you buy in the spice isle at the grocery store, must be REAL shaved off the nut, nutmeg)” Why? They’re the same thing. One is not realer than the other. Are you suggesting there’s some chemical in ungrated nutmeg that evaporates or changes with exposure to air or something? ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/4 "2010-12-11T22:32:27Z")
Although my guess is that “doobsy420” won’t be back for a discussion of this topic. Wish I’d paid attention to the username… Prove me wrong, doobsy. ---
**Author:** ![iamnotbatman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@iamnotbatman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamnotbatman)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/5 "2010-12-11T22:47:06Z")
I suspect the psychoactive ingredient does evaporate. My only source is my dad, who while in high school was something of a prodigy-chemist. He told me a story once of distilling a few drops of what sounded like some aromatic compound of nutmeg. As the story went, he went to place a drop onto his tongue, and the _instant_ it touched his mouth his heart rate went through the roof, he could hardly breath, and was sweating profusely. He said that for an hour or so he thought he was going to die, but recovered soon thereafter. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/6 "2010-12-12T17:13:41Z")
The psychoactive compound in nutmeg is myristicin, a weak MAOI. Neither it nor trimyristin, the characteristic oil of nutmeg, is very volatile; I therefore expect that dried, ground nutmeg will do the job just fine, as reported by many partakers. The distillation of trimyristin is a common freshman exercise, and it’s quite possible that an early distillation will contain enough myristicin to produce the effects reported by your dad (certainly the symptoms are characteristic). ---
**Author:** ![iamnotbatman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/858c86/32.png) [@iamnotbatman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamnotbatman)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/7 "2010-12-12T20:46:10Z")
It’s amazing that a non-volatile compound had produce such an immediate whole body reaction! My assumption was the drug exposure must have been through a little insufflation of the volatile stuff. Now I’m interested in learning more! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/8 "2010-12-12T23:04:49Z")
> [@fgasparini](#): > > “Cecil missed one crucial part: It has to be REAL Nutmeg (ie: not the stuff you buy in the spice isle at the grocery store, must be REAL shaved off the nut, nutmeg)” > > Why? They’re the same thing. One is not realer than the other. Are you suggesting there’s some chemical in ungrated nutmeg that evaporates or changes with exposure to air or something? Noted later posts in the thread discussing the facts, however, it’s certainly true that ground nutmeg does not keep as well as whole - this is also true of many other culinary spices - whether it’s attributable to evaporation of volatiles, oxidation due to increased surface area, or some mechanical issue, it’s generally the case that freshly ground spices are a different thing to those bought in a ready-ground state. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/9 "2010-12-13T15:49:05Z")
Nutmeg contains many volatile compounds which are responsible for its flavor and aroma, and these indeed evaporate rapidly from ground nutmeg. However, none of these is myristicin. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-does-nutmeg-have-hallusenigenic-properties/563767/10 "2010-12-13T19:43:47Z")
Understood and acknowledged above.