Rather than infused oil I had 5mL of my usual nutmeg tincture this morning - details of what this is are posted round here somewhere - mixed with some milky coffee. The effects build over the course of three to five hours and continue for, er, well, it's now thirteen hours after ingestion and I'm unquestionably still experiencing them. This is what I'd call a low-medium dose.
These effects being:- enhancement of colour perception, mood elevation, increased sociability, occasional difficulty with concentration and a general improvement of outlook. Dry mouth, gastric symptoms and all the usual gamut of other negative symptoms are absent, except perhaps for some difficulty with complex cognition which would lead to a description of confusion given the correct (inappropriate) circumstances.
Staying well-hydrated is the key. To reiterate yet again, certain other foodstuffs and beverages enhance the effects, most notably coffee. A very real and noticeable rekindling of the effects can be brought about on the following day with eggs and tomatoes. Salmon and prawns also work in this respect. The thing these foods all have in common is the presence of abundant carotenoids and similar conjugated polyenes. As far as I know, no-one else has noted this effect and I therefore claim this as my piece of original research.
How these coloured foodstuffs bring about this rekindling, I have as yet barely any inkling of an idea. Sensible suggestions are therefore most welcome (welcomest?
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Because of nutmeg's long-lasting effects, it is possible to lower the dose over subsequent days to achieve a prolonged antidepressant effect. This is best done using some kind of nutmeg infusion, although I have yet to try the olive oil method. Always use freshly powdered, whole nutmegs. Pre-powdered nutmeg tends to be much more unreliable.
I feel a key factor in the activity of extracts of whole nutmeg in contrast to the unreliable activity of pure myristicin as reported in the literature is that nutmeg contains many other bioactive components, quite notably macelignan which is an incredibly potent inhibitor of CYP2D9 or thereabouts. To my mind at least, there is a very high probability that other related enzyme inhibitors are present which will significantly contribute to the activation of myristicin and the other nutmeg phenylpropenes. I am unsure of the solubility of macelignan and the other CYPxxx inhibitors in olive oil and thus prefer to stick with the tincture.
Published research into the composition of nutmeg seems patchy at best and genuinely good research papers on the subject are few and far between. Much of what is published on nutmeg is out-and-out wrong. When I have time I'll be adding more to the 'Quality nutmeg information' thread and I also hope to start a 'Nutmeg myths and misconceptions' thread.
Meanwhile, if you haven't already, have a read of this
Erowid article reproduced from the Entheogen Review. It's a pretty good article.
Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling (2006) offer the following recipe for "Cookies for Preventing Sadness" in their book Pagan Christmas: The Plants, Spirits, and Rituals at the Origins of Yuletide. The recipe is slightly modified for purposes of American baking measurements.
2 Tbsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground cloves
3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 sticks of butter
2 eggs
pinch salt
3/4 cup chopped almonds
Mix ingredients and bake cookies at 350°F for five to ten minutes. The cookies are sweet, spicy, and they lift the spirits. Perfect for the holidays.
If you don't want to make a tincture or infused oil, then this recipe seems like a pretty good bet (but what is a "stick" of butter? US cooking measurements are totally lousy.)
And remember, always use freshly ground nutmeg and DRINK PLENTY OF WATER for the two days of the effects. Not too much though, hyponatraemia sucks worse than a post-nutmeg dehydration hangover.
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