Home Ingredients Allspice (Pimenta dioica)

Allspice (Pimenta dioica)

Pimenta dioica
Evidence Level
Preliminary
4 Clinical Trials
5 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Allspice is the dried unripe berry of Pimenta dioica, a Caribbean tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). Its aroma comes from an essential oil that is mostly eugenol, the main compound of clove oil, with smaller amounts of methyl eugenol. The US FDA lists allspice and its essential oil and extracts as generally recognized as safe for use as seasonings and flavorings, which covers food use rather than supplement doses. No human trial has tested allspice on its own. The only human data come from a small single-meal study of a pumpkin pie spice blend in which allspice was one of four spices and the smallest share. Other findings, such as a smaller rise in blood triglycerides after a fatty meal in mice and insulin-like activity in cells, come from lab and animal work. Allspice can cause allergic reactions, including a reported severe one.

Studied Dose No human trial has tested allspice alone, so no dose has been studied. The only human data used 6 g of a pumpkin pie spice blend (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice, with allspice the smallest share) added to one meal.
Active Compound Dried unripe berry of Pimenta dioica. Its essential oil is mainly eugenol (about 60 to 90%), with methyl eugenol and caryophyllene; the berry also contains polyphenols such as gallic acid, quercetin and ericifolin (a eugenol galloylglucoside), and triterpene acids.

Benefits

Blood vessel function after a meal with an allspice-containing spice blend

In a crossover study of 25 adults with overweight or obesity, a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal with 6 g of pumpkin pie spice blend was followed by higher flow-mediated dilation, a measure of artery widening, at 24 hours than the same meal without spices, although the overall meal effect across all time points was not significant. Allspice was the smallest of four spices, so the effect cannot be credited to it.

Supported by Trial 1

Insulin response to a high-fat meal with a pumpkin pie spice blend

In the same single-meal crossover, the rise in blood insulin 30 minutes after eating was smaller with the pumpkin pie spice blend than with the plain meal, while blood glucose, triglycerides and IL-6 did not differ. The blend also contained cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, and the study was supported by a gift from the McCormick Science Institute.

Supported by Trial 1

Spice plant compounds reach the bloodstream after a meal

In a report from the same trial in 24 adults, compounds from the spice blends were absorbed after the meal and appeared in blood as their breakdown products, some within 30 minutes and others up to 24 hours later. This shows absorption of compounds from a blend that included allspice, not a health effect of allspice.

Supported by Trial 1

Blood triglycerides after a fatty meal in mice (animal study)

In lab tests, allspice essential oil and its main compound eugenol slowed pancreatic lipase, the enzyme that digests dietary fat. Given by mouth to mice together with corn oil, the oil lowered the rise in blood triglycerides at 3 and 4.5 hours. These are lab and mouse findings that have not been tested in people.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 3

Insulin-like and bile acid receptor activity in lab tests

In a US Department of Agriculture screen of 49 plant extracts in rat fat cells, allspice extract increased insulin-dependent glucose use, an effect lost when phenolic compounds were removed. In another cell study, allspice triterpene acids activated TGR5, a gut receptor linked to GLP-1 release. These are cell results only.

Supported by Trial 3, Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

A eugenol-rich essential oil

Eugenol makes up about 60 to 90% of the essential oil distilled from allspice berries. In two Jamaican berry oil samples, eugenol was about 73 to 75%, methyl eugenol 4 to 10% and caryophyllene 3 to 5%. Eugenol slowed fat-digesting lipase in lab tests, and the oil shows strong antioxidant activity in chemical assays.

2

Polyphenols and triterpene acids in the berry

Water and solvent extracts of the berry contain polyphenols, including gallic acid, quercetin and ericifolin, a eugenol galloylglucoside. Allspice extracts also contain triterpene acids such as oleanolic and ursolic acid, which activated the bile acid receptor TGR5 in cell tests. None of this has been measured in people eating allspice.

3

Eugenol and platelets in the test tube

Eugenol isolated from clove oil, the same compound that dominates allspice oil, slowed platelet clumping in human platelets in the lab, partly by lowering thromboxane formation. No study has measured platelet effects in people eating allspice; this lab finding is the basis for a bleeding caution with concentrated products.

Clinical trials

1
Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend (Including Allspice) in a Single Test Meal: Crossover Trial
PubMed

Randomized, single-blind, four-arm crossover (NCT03926442); a high-fat, high-carbohydrate breakfast (about 810 to 830 kcal) with salt and pepper only, or with about 6 g of an Italian herb mix, cinnamon, or a pumpkin pie spice blend (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice in decreasing amounts, exact ratio not given); measurements over 24 hours. A second paper from the same trial reported absorption of the spice compounds. Supported by a gift from the McCormick Science Institute. (Huang et al. 2022, Front Nutr)

25 adults with overweight or obesity, average age about 37 (blood results from 23; 24 in the absorption report).

Flow-mediated dilation at 24 hours was higher after the pumpkin pie spice meal than after the control meal (7.9% vs 6.5%, p=0.027), but the overall meal effect was not significant (p=0.26) and the pre-meal value on the pumpkin pie spice visit was already 7.4%. The insulin rise at 30 minutes was smaller (p=0.01), while glucose did not differ from control, and triglycerides and IL-6 rose after all meals without differences between them. The companion report tentatively identified 47 spice-derived metabolites in blood, some within 30 minutes and others up to 24 hours, with no results for allspice separately. Allspice was the smallest part of a four-spice blend, so no effect can be attributed to it.

2
Allspice Essential Oil and Blood Triglycerides After Fat in Mice (Lab and Animal Study)
PubMed

Chemistry and bioactivity study of essential oils from allspice fruit and leaves grown in Puebla, Mexico, harvested 2022 to 2024, with lipase tests in the lab and oral dosing of the oil or eugenol together with corn oil in ICR mice. (Pacheco-Hernández et al. 2025, Chem Biodivers)

ICR mice and lab enzyme assays; no people.

Eugenol (over 50%) and beta-myrcene (over 16%) were the main oil components. The oils inhibited human pancreatic lipase in the test tube, and given by mouth with corn oil they lowered the rise in blood triglycerides at 3 and 4.5 hours (p<0.01). The oral lethal dose in mice was above 8000 mg/kg. Animal and lab findings only.

3
Allspice Berry Water Extract Given by Mouth to Mice (Lab and Animal Study)
PubMed

Cell and mouse study of a polyphenol-rich water extract of allspice berries; mice with implanted human tumor cells were given the extract by stomach tube at 150 mg/kg a day, with or without two weeks of dosing beforehand. (Zhang et al. 2015, Oncotarget)

Human tumor cell lines and athymic mice; no people.

In cells the extract reduced tumor cell growth through autophagy. In mice, dosing that began after tumor implantation slowed tumor growth by about 14%, which was not significant (p of 0.20 or more); when dosing began two weeks before implantation, tumor appearance and growth were significantly delayed. No overt toxicity was seen at 150 mg/kg. These results do not show any effect in people.

4
Allspice Extract Given by Mouth for 14 Days in Rats (Animal Study)
PubMed

Spanish-language study of allspice extracts in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats, given by injection into the abdomen and, for one water fraction, by mouth for 14 days. (Suárez Urhan et al. 1997, Rev Biol Trop)

Normotensive and hypertensive laboratory rats; no people.

Extracts injected into the abdomen depressed the central nervous system in a dose-dependent way and had pain-relieving and temperature-lowering effects. The water fraction given by mouth for 14 days did not change systolic blood pressure, heart rate or body weight in either strain.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Allspice is a food allergen for some people: a medical journal case report describes a severe allergic reaction to allspice as a hidden food allergen, and a Finnish clinic found allspice among the spices causing occupational allergic contact dermatitis on the hands of kitchen and restaurant workers. Avoid it if you have reacted to allspice or related spices.
Allspice oil is mostly eugenol, like clove oil. JECFA, the WHO and FAO food additives committee, set an acceptable daily intake for eugenol as a flavoring of up to 2.5 mg per kg body weight. Concentrated essential oils are not food-strength seasonings; keep them away from children and do not swallow them.
Allspice oil also contains methyl eugenol (about 4 to 10% in Jamaican berry oil samples). In US National Toxicology Program studies, the isolated compound given at high doses by stomach tube (37 to 150 mg/kg on 5 days a week for two years) caused liver tumors in rats and mice. These were rodent studies of pure methyl eugenol, not of allspice as a seasoning, but concentrated allspice oil or extracts add exposure that has not been assessed in people.
The flavor industry's expert panel affirmed allspice flavorings as generally recognized as safe for use as flavoring ingredients in food, and stated that its evaluation does not cover added use in dietary supplements. No human safety data exist for allspice in supplement doses, in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Important Drug interactions

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs (such as warfarin): eugenol, the main compound in allspice oil, slows platelet clumping in lab tests. No human interaction study exists; ask your clinician before using concentrated allspice products with these drugs or before surgery.
If you take any prescription medicine, check with your health care provider before using concentrated allspice extracts or oil; normal seasoning amounts in food are not known to cause interactions.

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Frequently asked questions about Allspice (Pimenta dioica)

Is allspice a mixture of several spices?

No. Allspice is a single spice: the dried unripe berry of the Pimenta dioica tree. It is different from spice blends such as the pumpkin pie spice tested in one study, which combined allspice with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. The only human study involving allspice tested such a blend, not allspice alone.

How does allspice compare with clove?

Both are dried plant parts whose essential oils are dominated by eugenol, so they share the same eugenol intake guidance. Clove has a few small human studies of a polyphenol extract, while allspice has none on its own. Findings for clove do not automatically apply to allspice.

What is methyl eugenol, and is it in allspice?

Methyl eugenol is a flavor compound found in allspice oil at roughly 4 to 10% in tested Jamaican samples. As an isolated compound given at high doses by stomach tube for two years, it caused liver tumors in rats and mice. Those were rodent studies of the pure compound, not of allspice, but they are one reason concentrated oils and extracts are not the same as cooking with the spice.

Does the pumpkin pie spice study show that allspice works?

No. In that single-meal study the blend raised a measure of artery widening at 24 hours and blunted the early insulin rise, but allspice was the smallest of four spices, the meal was eaten once, and the study was supported by a gift from the McCormick Science Institute. It cannot show what allspice does on its own.

What is Allspice?

Allspice is the dried unripe berry of Pimenta dioica, a Caribbean tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). Its aroma comes from an essential oil that is mostly eugenol, the main compound of clove oil, with smaller amounts of methyl eugenol.

What is Allspice used for?

NutraSmarts does not list Allspice under a health category. What the research covers: In a crossover study of 25 adults with overweight or obesity, a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal with 6 g of pumpkin pie spice blend was followed by higher flow-mediated dilation, a measure of artery widening, at 24 hours than the same meal…

What is the recommended dosage of Allspice?

No human trial has tested allspice alone, so no dose has been studied. The only human data used 6 g of a pumpkin pie spice blend (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice, with allspice the smallest share) added to one meal. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Allspice safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Allspice include: Allspice is a food allergen for some people: a medical journal case report describes a severe allergic reaction to allspice as a hidden food allergen, and a Finnish clinic found allspice among the spices causing occupational allergic contact dermatitis on the hands of kitchen and… It may also interact with some medications. Allspice is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Allspice interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs (such as warfarin): eugenol, the main compound in allspice oil, slows platelet clumping in lab tests. No human interaction study exists; ask your clinician before using concentrated allspice products with these drugs or before surgery. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Allspice?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Allspice as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 4 study summaries and 16 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(16 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Huang Y, Tsai MF, Thorat RS, Xiao D, Zhang X, Sandhu AK, Edirisinghe I, Burton-Freeman BM. Endothelial Function and Postprandial Glucose Control in Response to Test-Meals Containing Herbs and Spices in Adults With Overweight/Obesity. Front Nutr. 2022;9:811433. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.811433.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, single-blind, four-arm crossover in 25 adults with overweight or obesity (NCT03926442): a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal with 6 g of pumpkin pie spice blend (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice in decreasing amounts) raised flow-mediated dilation at 24 hours versus the plain meal (7.9% vs 6.5%, p=0.027; overall meal effect not significant, p=0.26) and blunted the 30-minute insulin rise (p=0.01), with no difference in glucose, triglycerides or IL-6. Supported by a gift from the McCormick Science Institute; one author advises it. Allspice was the smallest part of the blend.
  2. Huang Y, Edirisinghe I, Burton-Freeman BM, Sandhu AK. Characterization and Pharmacokinetic Profile of Herbs and Spices' Phytochemicals over 24 h after Consumption in Overweight/Obese Adults. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2023;67(14):e2200785. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202200785.PubMedUsed to support: Report from the same randomized crossover trial in 24 adults: 79 compounds were tentatively identified in the three herb and spice mixes, including a pumpkin pie spice blend containing allspice, and 47 metabolites were found in plasma over 24 hours after the meal, some by 30 minutes. Absorption data only; no health outcomes.
  3. Pacheco-Hernández Y, Rangel-Galván M, Velásquez-Hernández FE, Lozoya-Gloria E, Castro-Juárez CJ, Villa-Ruano N. Chemical Variation and Biological Properties of the Essential Oil and Main Volatiles of Pimenta dioica Harvested in the Northern Highlands of Puebla, Mexico. Chem Biodivers. 2025;22(4):e202402843. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202402843.PubMedUsed to support: Essential oils from Mexican allspice fruit and leaves (2022 to 2024 harvests) contained eugenol (over 50%) and beta-myrcene (over 16%), inhibited human pancreatic lipase in the lab, and, given by mouth with corn oil, lowered the blood triglyceride rise in mice at 3 and 4.5 hours. The oral lethal dose in mice was above 8000 mg/kg. Lab and animal work only.
  4. Zhang L, Shamaladevi N, Jayaprakasha GK, Patil BS, Lokeshwar BL. Polyphenol-rich extract of Pimenta dioica berries (Allspice) kills breast cancer cells by autophagy and delays growth of triple negative breast cancer in athymic mice. Oncotarget. 2015;6(18):16379-95. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.3834.PubMedUsed to support: Cell and mouse study: a water extract of allspice berries reduced tumor cell growth in culture through autophagy. Given by stomach tube at 150 mg/kg a day to mice with implanted human tumor cells, it slowed tumor growth by about 14% (not significant) when started after implantation, and significantly delayed tumor growth when started two weeks before. No overt toxicity at that dose. Lab and animal work only.
  5. Suárez Urhan A, Ulate Montero G, Ciccio JF. [Effects of acute and subacute administration of Pimenta dioica (Myrtaceae) extracts on normal and hypertensive albino rats]. Rev Biol Trop. 1997;44-45:39-45.PubMedUsed to support: Rat study (Spanish, English abstract): allspice extracts injected into the abdomen caused dose-dependent central nervous system depression with pain-relieving and temperature-lowering effects; a water fraction given by mouth for 14 days did not change systolic blood pressure, heart rate or body weight in normal or hypertensive rats. Animal work only.
  6. Broadhurst CL, Polansky MM, Anderson RA. Insulin-like biological activity of culinary and medicinal plant aqueous extracts in vitro. J Agric Food Chem. 2000;48(3):849-52. doi: 10.1021/jf9904517.PubMedUsed to support: Laboratory screen of 49 herb, spice and medicinal plant extracts in rat fat cells: allspice was among the more active products for insulin-dependent glucose use, after cinnamon, witch hazel and teas and ahead of bay leaves and cloves, and its activity was lost when phenolic compounds were removed. Cell assay only.
  7. Ladurner A, Zehl M, Grienke U, Hofstadler C, Faur N, Pereira FC, Berry D, Dirsch VM, Rollinger JM. Allspice and Clove As Source of Triterpene Acids Activating the G Protein-Coupled Bile Acid Receptor TGR5. Front Pharmacol. 2017;8:468. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00468.PubMedUsed to support: Cell-based study: extracts of allspice and clove activated TGR5, a gut bile acid receptor involved in GLP-1 and PYY release, and the activity was traced to triterpene acids such as oleanolic, ursolic, corosolic and maslinic acid. Lab work only.
  8. Padmakumari KP, Sasidharan I, Sreekumar MM. Composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil of pimento (Pimenta dioica (L) Merr.) from Jamaica. Nat Prod Res. 2011;25(2):152-60. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2010.526606.PubMedUsed to support: Two hydrodistilled Jamaican allspice berry oils contained eugenol (74.71% and 73.35%), methyl eugenol (4.08% and 9.54%) and caryophyllene (4.90% and 3.30%) among 45 identified constituents, and showed strong radical-scavenging activity in chemical assays.
  9. Zhang L, Lokeshwar BL. Medicinal properties of the Jamaican pepper plant Pimenta dioica and Allspice. Curr Drug Targets. 2012;13(14):1900-6. doi: 10.2174/138945012804545641.PubMedUsed to support: Narrative review: allspice is the dried unripe berry of Pimenta dioica; eugenol makes up 60 to 90% of the berry essential oil; the berries also contain quercetin, gallic acid and ericifolin (a eugenol galloylglucoside). The reported activities come from lab and animal studies, not human trials.
  10. Rietjens IMCM, Cohen SM, Eisenbrand G, Fukushima S, Gooderham NJ, Guengerich FP, Hecht SS, Rosol TJ, Davidsen JM, Harman CL, Taylor SV. FEMA GRAS assessment of natural flavor complexes: Allspice, anise, fennel-derived and related flavoring ingredients. Food Chem Toxicol. 2023;174:113643. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.113643.PubMedUsed to support: Flavor industry (FEMA) expert panel review affirming GRAS status for allspice and pimento leaf flavor complexes as flavoring ingredients in food, using a constituent-based approach that compares intake of allylalkoxybenzene constituents with suspected genotoxic potential with safety thresholds. The panel states that its evaluation does not cover use in dietary supplements. Panel members and authors are tied to FEMA.
  11. National Toxicology Program. NTP Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Methyleugenol (CAS NO. 93-15-2) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Gavage Studies). Natl Toxicol Program Tech Rep Ser. 2000;491:1-412.PubMedUsed to support: Two-year studies in which methyl eugenol was given by stomach tube at 37, 75 or 150 mg/kg on 5 days a week (plus 300 mg/kg stop-exposure in rats) caused liver tumors in all dosed groups of rats and mice, with stomach neuroendocrine tumors at the higher doses. The NTP concluded there was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in both species. These are high-dose rodent studies of the isolated compound, not of allspice.
  12. Regula P, Edelman D, Ferastraoaru D, Ramesh M, Hudes G. Severe allergic reaction to allspice, a hidden food allergen. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022;129(2):241-242. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2022.04.036.PubMedUsed to support: Clinical letter reporting a severe allergic reaction to allspice and describing allspice as a hidden food allergen. A single case; no abstract is available.
  13. Kanerva L, Estlander T, Jolanki R. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from spices. Contact Dermatitis. 1996;35(3):157-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.1996.tb02334.x.PubMedUsed to support: Of about 1000 patients investigated for occupational skin disease in Finland from 1991 to 1995, 5 kitchen and restaurant workers had allergic contact dermatitis of the hands from spices; the causative spices were garlic, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and clove. Skin contact, not oral intake.
  14. Srivastava KC. Antiplatelet principles from a food spice clove (Syzygium aromaticum L) [corrected]. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 1993;48(5):363-72. doi: 10.1016/0952-3278(93)90116-e.PubMedUsed to support: Lab study in human platelets: eugenol and acetyl eugenol isolated from clove oil inhibited platelet aggregation triggered by arachidonate, adrenaline and collagen, partly by lowering thromboxane formation. Eugenol is also the main compound of allspice oil; not a study of allspice or of people.
  15. US Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 182.10 Spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings; 21 CFR 182.20 Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and natural extractives (including distillates). Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). 2026;Title 21, Part 182, Sections 182.10 and 182.20 (accessed 2026)..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed. Section 182.10 lists allspice (Pimenta officinalis Lindl.) among spices and natural seasonings generally recognized as safe for their intended use; section 182.20 lists allspice, pimenta and pimenta leaf (Pimenta officinalis Lindl.) essential oils, oleoresins and extractives. This covers food seasoning and flavoring use, not concentrated supplement doses.
  16. Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Eugenol (JECFA No. 1529): evaluation summary WHO IPCS INCHEM. 2005;ADI set at the 26th meeting (1982), maintained at the 65th meeting (2005). Accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (WHO expert committee summary). JECFA set an acceptable daily intake for eugenol, used as a flavoring agent, of 0 to 2.5 mg per kg body weight in 1982 and maintained it in 2005.