Is Spice Really Nice?

Cinnamon

Tumeric

Ginger

Cayenne Pepper

Nutmeg

CinnamonAn aromatic spice made from the peeled, dried, and rolled bark of a Southeast Asian tree.• There are different kinds of cinnamon: Ceylon cinnamon (which is safest) and Cassia

Cinnamon (which is most common)• It contains a liver toxin called coumarin, which is known to be harmful to the liver

Coumarin is a hepatotoxic and carcinogenic phytochemical found in some plants, of which cinnamon is a high source of.• It initially had a TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake) of 2mg/kg bodyweight max, but was lowered to 0.5 and

currently stands at 0.1mg/kg bodyweight. Although a safety buffer is included in this last recommendation, some subsets of the human population seem more susceptible due to less of a capacity to metabolize it

• Let’s use 60kg as our average body weight. 6mg is all that is safely permitted at this weight.

For cinnamon to be effective in treating ailments internally it has to be taken in quantities that exceed the TDI• So, whilst you may be treating one condition, you are creating another! • Cinnamon Oil, when ingested, can cause serious kidney damage

Cayenne Pepper

A pungent hot-tasting red powder prepared from ground dried chilli peppers. It stimulates the circulation and raises body temperature.

Capsaicin cream may cause an itching, burning sensation on the skin. People who take medication for high blood pressure, asthma, and blood thinning should not use cayenne pepper in any form. Cayenne does not dissolve easily in water, so it is hard to wash off. Use vinegar to get it off the skin.

Excessive and continual use may cause kidney and nerve damage, heart conditions such as vasospasm leading to myocardial infarction (heart attack), and cancer.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is one of the two spices – the other being mace – derived

from several species of tree in the genus Myristica.

Consumption of nutmeg at 1 to 2 mg/kg body weight was reported to induce CNS effects. Toxic overdose

occurred at a 5 g dose.

Eating as few as two nutmegs may result in death. A single dose of 7.5g

or more may produce convulsions and palpitations.

Large quantities are hallucinogenic and excitant to the motor cortex, and can produce stomach pain,

double vision, delirium and other symptoms of poisoning

Nutmeg can be used with excellent results as a poultice for chest colds.

A nutmeg paste, made by grinding nutmeg seeds with water, and

smeared over red scaly patches of eczema, significantly reduce the

eruptions.