mace
Herbs & Spices
Is mace high in caffeine?
Is mace high or low in caffeine? See its exact rating, how much counts as a portion, and its FODMAP, salicylate, oxalate and diet compatibility in one place.
Related checkers
Compare mace across criteria
Sensitivity notes
Why caffeine food checker matters
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and many soft drinks. While safe for most people, those with caffeine sensitivity may experience anxiety, rapid heartbeat, digestive issues, or sleep disturbances even from small amounts.
- Gradually reduce caffeine to avoid withdrawal headaches
- Switch to decaf versions of your favorite drinks
- Be aware of hidden caffeine in chocolate and some medications
- Try herbal alternatives like rooibos or peppermint tea
- Caffeine sensitivity can change with age and stress levels
Sensitivities
What mace contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where mace fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about mace
Mace is the lacy crimson aril that wraps the nutmeg seed, so mace and nutmeg come off the same fruit of the same tree (Myristica fragrans) and share the same chemistry. That includes myristicin, the compound behind nutmeg poisoning, which mace carries too. On the everyday trigger criteria mace is mild: moderate salicylate, a slight histamine-liberating tendency, a little free glutamate, and clean on histamine, nickel, tyramine, sulfites and all FODMAP groups. The thing worth knowing about mace is not an intolerance, it is the dose ceiling.
Watch for
- Same source as nutmeg, so mace is not a substitute if you are avoiding nutmeg for reasons of chemistry rather than flavour
- Contains myristicin, elemicin and safrole.Around 5 g of ground nutmeg is enough to cause nausea, racing heart, confusion and hallucinations, and mace has produced the same picture, including a documented case of a child needing hospital care after accidental ingestion
- Culinary use sits nowhere near that.A blade of mace in a béchamel or a pinch in a spice blend is a small fraction of a gram, which is why the spice is on the shelf at all
- Moderate salicylate, so it adds to the load in the warm-spice blends it usually appears in rather than being an issue in isolation
- Ground mace loses aroma fast, which pushes people to use more of it than a recipe intended
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Caffeine Guide
Everything you need to know about caffeine sensitivity and smart food choices.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and many soft drinks. While safe for most people, those with caffeine sensitivity may experience anxiety, rapid heartbeat, digestive issues, or sleep disturbances even from small amounts.
Sensitivity varies widely. What triggers one person may be fine for another. Track your reactions to find your personal threshold.
These foods have moderate levels and may be tolerated in small amounts:
These foods are high in caffeine and may trigger symptoms:
If you're sensitive to Caffeine, consider these strategies:
- 1Gradually reduce caffeine to avoid withdrawal headaches
- 2Switch to decaf versions of your favorite drinks
- 3Be aware of hidden caffeine in chocolate and some medications
- 4Try herbal alternatives like rooibos or peppermint tea
- 5Caffeine sensitivity can change with age and stress levels
Pro tip: Keep a food diary to track your reactions. The Triggerbites app makes this easy with automatic pattern detection.
Want personalized tracking?
Download Triggerbites to log meals, track symptoms, and discover your unique triggers.
Get the AppFAQ
Is mace high in Caffeine?
Caffeine: low signal for most people.
Can I still eat mace if I'm sensitive to Caffeine?
Usually fine in normal portions.
What else should I check?
Check AIP, Salicylates, and Low Salicylate next for a fuller picture.