Nutmeg: Healthy Holiday Spice or Toxic Hallucinogen Nutmeg is a rich and fragrant spice that can crank up the flavor of just about any dish or dessert. Not only is this spectacular spice versatile and delicious like other healing herbs and spices, but it has also been well-studied for its impressive benefits, including its effects on brain and heart health, digestion, inflammation and more. So is nutmeg good for you? Is nutmeg a nut? And what is nutmeg used for? Keep reading for the answers to all of your burning questions about this incredible ingredient. What Is Nutmeg? Nutmeg Nutrition Facts Nutmeg spice is derived from the seed of Myristica fragrans, a type of evergreen nutmeg tree that is native to certain parts of Indonesia. The nutmeg plant itself can grow up to 50 feet tall and produces dark green leaves and waxy yellow flowers. It also produces the nutmeg fruit, which is a pear-shaped fruit with a brown seed that is ground into the spice. This warm, rich spice ca...

Is Black Pepper Healthy? Here's What the Science Says by TIME Like salt, black pepper sits on almost every kitchen table or countertop in America. But while whole books have been written about sodium consumption and human health, black pepper and its compounds have garnered little attention from experts. But pepper probably deserves more scrutiny. Some research has linked black pepper marinades to the elimination of heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, which are the cancer-causing chemicals that form when meat is charred or cooked at high temperatures. A group at Kansas State University found that mixing one gram of fine black pepper with 100 grams of ground beef—which works out to about a teaspoon of black pepper per half-pound of meat—almost completely eliminated the formation of HCAs during cooking. While that much pepper may be too pungent for some, the study author says that mixing pepper with oregano, rosemary, and other herbs in the same spice-to-meat ratio should pro...

Are Sweet Potatoes Healthy? Here's What Experts Say by TIME                Sweet potatoes pack the unique health benefits of regular potatoes with a little something extra. “In general, the more color you can add into your diet coming from fruits and vegetables, the better,” says Yasi Ansari, a sports dietitian in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Still, the many nutritional benefits are no excuse to spring for sweet potato fries at every chance. Here’s what you need to know about how healthy sweet potatoes are, plus the best ways to incorporate them into any diet. What are the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes? “All potatoes are nutrient-dense and healthy for you,” says Brigitte Zeitlin, a registered dietitian and owner of BZ Nutrition in New York. But sweet potatoes—the orange, yellow and purple varieties of the root vegetable—are lower in calories and carbohydrates than the average spud. They’re also higher in vitamin A, an a...

Male Fertility FAQs and Advice: How to Keep Your Swimmers Strong by The Manual Do hot tubs fry sperm? Should we burn our briefs and replace them with boxers? Do little swimmers get slower after a whiskey neat? We’re here to set straight all the hype about your nether regions and fertility. The Manual asked Dr. Brian Levine, founding partner and practice director of CCRM New York about the junk in our trunks and why and how we should and can help our swimmers get healthy. The Manual: Why should guys be aware of their fertility health? Dr. Brian Levine: Fertility is a good parameter of general health. Fertility can be a first checkpoint for a man to see if he needs to see a specialist (i.e. a urologist). Warning signs might include constant headaches, double vision, discharge from the breasts, sexual dysfunction, or pain with intercourse. If you’re trying to have a bambino, it’s dependent on the woman’s fertility, right? When evaluating an infertile couple, male fertility ...