Nutmeg has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of illnesses, but scientists from various universities in China and the U.S. only recently confirmed that the spice can help protect against liver damage.

A study led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Science tested nutmeg on mice to determine its beneficial effects on the liver. The scientists believe that the beneficial effects of nutmeg stem from the high number of oxidants - called lignants - in the spice.

According to the Daily Mail, scientists from Nanchang University induced short-term liver damage on the mice with the use of the compound thioacetamide.

The experiment revealed that nutmeg protects the liver through a gene called the peroxisome prolifererator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA).

Nutmeg was able to restore compounds such as lipids and acylcarnitines to healthy levels by working through PPARA, but when the gene was removed the spice was unable to protect the liver.

"This data demonstrates that nutmeg alleviates TAA (thiocetamide) liver injury through the modulation of PPARA and that the lignan compounds in nutmeg partly contributed to this action," the researchers wrote in the study published in the Journal of Proteome Research, according to Daily Mail.

The research team from universities in Beijing, China and Maryland, USA suggested that the ability of nutmeg to protect the liver can be found in a specific compound called myrislignan, which modulates the PPARA receptor.

According to the Express, 9,000 tons of nutmeg are consumed across the world each year. Nutmeg is used in Chinese medicine to treat gastrointestinal diseases and other ailments, such as asthma, rheumatism and toothache infections.

"Nutmeg is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat gastrointestinal diseases. This data demonstrates nutmeg alleviates liver injury," the scientists wrote, as reported by Daily Mail.

The study also revealed that nutmeg can keep the liver healthy by regulating fat levels. Other experiments in recent years have found that the spice can also help fight against heart tissue damage and hyperglycemia.

A nutmeg relative, known as black wild nutmeg, was found to be beneficial to the brain and nervous system. A study in January 2009 revealed that the spice has anti-inflammatory and protective effects on brain cells and can help promote brain tissue growth after a period of low oxygen and glucose, SF Gate reported.

A research published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine in April 2012 suggested that the spice can also help prevent or treat cancer. Nutmeg reportedly acts as an anti-oxidant and prevent formation of new blood vessels that allows tumors to grow.