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Herb library · Spice · Monodora myristica

African nutmeg

The seed of a West African tree, used whole or ground as a spice. No study has tested it in people; the evidence is market testing, which found lead in samples from Nigeria and aflatoxins in powder from Ghana.

Traditional use

A food spice sold in markets in Nigeria, Ghana and neighboring countries. It belongs to the custard-apple family (Annonaceae), like Ethiopian pepper, and is not related to true nutmeg.

What studies show

  • Insufficient

    Sickle cell disease and other uses: laboratory and animal studies only (for example, sickled red blood cells in a dish). No study has tested it in people.

Be careful of

Cautions

  • NoteContaminants: market samples from Nigeria held lead well above the WHO/FAO limit for spices, and powder from a Ghana market contained aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, toxins made by molds. Buy whole seeds from a source that tests for them, and store them dry.
  • NoteIts safety as a medicine, or in amounts larger than cooking, has not been studied in people.
  • PregnancyThere is no safety information for medicinal use in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.

Sources

  1. Heavy metals hazards from Nigerian spices (Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig, 2016) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  2. Reduction in mycotoxin levels of African nutmeg (Monodora myristica) powder using a high-energy electron beam (Food Addit Contam, 2024) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  3. Monodora myristica (African nutmeg) modulates redox homeostasis and alters functional chemistry in sickled erythrocytes (2018) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  4. Amino acid composition and antioxidant properties of the enzymatic hydrolysate of calabash nutmeg (Monodora myristica) and its membrane ultrafiltration peptide fractions (2021) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  5. Antibiofilm and Enzyme Inhibitory Potentials of Two Annonaceous Food Spices, African Pepper (Xylopia aethiopica) and African Nutmeg (Monodora myristica) (2020) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026

Reviewed September 25, 2026.