What is sweet wormwood good for?
Sweet wormwood is used by some people to help with malaria or other infections. Some people use it to help stomach problems and to increase sexual desire. Others believe it may help with cancer.
Is mugwort and Wormwood the same thing?
Wormwood is often considered a type of mugwort, but the names are used interchangeably. There are many species of mugwort and many species of wormwood, but they are grouped into one scientific family, the Artemisia genus. Plants are then divided into smaller groups that differ by how they look, where they live, or other traits.
What are the side effects of the Wormwood herb?
- Pregnant or breastfeeding: Wormwood may cause a miscarriage. ...
- Epilepsy or another seizure disorder: Wormwood contains thujone—a chemical that is known to cause seizures. ...
- Heart disease: If you are taking warfarin for cardiac health, wormwood may cause intestinal bleeding. ...
What is Wormwood and what does it do to absinthe?
Wormwood stimulates digestion and eases gastrointestinal spasms. It is believed that bitter herbs help stimulate digestion by increasing saliva production as well as promoting the secretion of stomach acid and digestive enzymes. Why Was Absinthe Banned In The Us?
What are side effects of sweet wormwood?
Thujone-free wormwood is possibly safe when used as medicine, short-term. But wormwood that contains thujone is possibly unsafe. Thujone can cause seizures, kidney failure, vomiting, and other serious side effects. When applied to the skin: Wormwood extract is possibly safe as an ointment.
What should you not take with wormwood?
By affecting chemicals in the brain, wormwood may decrease the effectiveness of medications used to prevent seizures. Some medications used to prevent seizures include phenobarbital, primidone (Mysoline), valproic acid (Depakene), gabapentin (Neurontin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenytoin (Dilantin), and others.
Is there a difference between sweet wormwood and wormwood?
The key difference between wormwood and sweet wormwood is that wormwood is a moderately poisonous species belonging to the genus Artemisia, which is native to Eurasia and Northern Africa, while sweet wormwood is a non-poisonous species belongs to genus Artemisia, which is native to temperate Asia.
What are the benefits of taking wormwood?
Traditionally, wormwood is regarded as a useful remedy for liver and gallbladder problems. Wormwood contains strong bitter agents known as absinthin and anabsinthin, which stimulate digestive and gallbladder function. Wormwood is believed to stimulate digestion and relieve spasms in the intestinal tract. More.
Does wormwood have side effects?
High doses of wormwood may result in digestive upset, kidney failure, nausea, vomiting, and seizures. However, you're unlikely to experience these side effects if you're taking it in small doses, such as those found in tea ( 26 , 27).
Does wormwood get rid of parasites?
It's true. Wormwood is actually used to eliminate intestinal worms, especially roundworms and pinworms. This is exactly why it's commonly recommended as part of a parasite cleanse.
Is sweet wormwood healthy?
Wormwood is a nutrient-dense herb that has proven benefits for people with Crohn's disease and arthritis. It can also remove unwanted parasites from the body, such as pinworm and malaria, and helps with healthy digestion.
Is sweet wormwood poisonous?
Wormwood is an herb and the main ingredient in the alcoholic drink absinthe. It may have medicinal properties. However, its active ingredient, thujone, is toxic and can pose a health risk if people take it long term or have a health condition.
What is another name for sweet wormwood?
Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood, sweet annie, sweet sagewort, annual mugwort or annual wormwood (Chinese: 黄花蒿; pinyin: huánghuāhāo), is a common type of wormwood native to temperate Asia, but naturalized in many countries including scattered parts of North America.
How long does wormwood take to work?
Patients were considered cured when no more parasite eggs were found in their stool samples. The results showed that both of the Artemisia tea infusions were just as effective in eliminating the parasite as PZQ, but that they achieved that result in two-thirds of the time—14 days, vs. 21 days for PZQ.
Is wormwood good for hair?
The plant been used medicinally for thousands of years, with recorded uses in the Roman Empire as well as during the Han Dynasty in China. Traditional uses include treating malaria, helping grow hair, and even promoting a longer lifespan.
Is wormwood an antifungal?
Wormwood roots are a rich source of thiophenes with remarkable activities. Supercritical fluid extraction is the best method to extract active thiophenes compared to the other three methods. 8 thiophenes including 2 new were isolated and they showed remarkable nematicidal and antifungal activities.
How long does wormwood take to get rid of parasites?
Patients were considered cured when no more parasite eggs were found in their stool samples. The results showed that both of the Artemisia tea infusions were just as effective in eliminating the parasite as PZQ, but that they achieved that result in two-thirds of the time—14 days, vs. 21 days for PZQ.
Is wormwood good for hair?
The plant been used medicinally for thousands of years, with recorded uses in the Roman Empire as well as during the Han Dynasty in China. Traditional uses include treating malaria, helping grow hair, and even promoting a longer lifespan.
What does thujone do to the body?
Thujone: A ketone monoterpene, this compound blocks GABA receptors, which are neurotransmitters, making thujone a neurotoxin. The side effects include vomiting and seizures.
What are the side effects of artemisinin?
Research suggests that artemisinin is generally well-tolerated, but some people may experience side effects, including:nausea.vomiting.skin rash.vertigo.ringing in the ears.digestive complaints.tremors.liver damage.
Our Favorite Sweet Wormwood Products
One of the newest members of our digestive line, Microbiome Cleanse helps to support the body’s natural cleansing process, and is great for those who enjoy trying new foods.* Made with Sweet Wormwood, Black Walnut, Oregon Grape, Andrographis, and Peppermint, this formula helps to balance the GI tract.*
Welcome Wormwood into Your Herbal Routine
With its digestive-supporting properties and long history of traditional use for occasional digestive complaints, Sweet Wormwood is a great herbal aid.* It can keep you feeling your best when you are visiting new environments, traveling, and trying new foods, so consider this herb when packing for your next adventure.
Side Effects, Risk Factors of, and Cautions for Sweet Wormwood
It may cause Vomiting, Dizziness, Stomach Cramps, Restlessness and Diarrhea. It may cause Seizures, Urine Retention, Muscle breakdown and numbness in arms and Legs. Avoid if you have undergone any radiation therapy. Avoid if you are Pregnant or Breast feeding. Avoid if you have Seizures. Avoid if you are allergic to Marigold, Daisies, Ragweed or Chrysanthemums..
Sweet Wormwood General
Sweet Wormwood is a good remedy for Malaria. It kills the Malaria causing parasites. It is effective for Breast Cancer. It kills the Iron enriched Breast Cancer cells. It eliminates Intestinal Worms. It fights Bacterial strains as E.Coli, Candida and Salmonella. Wormwood is good for people suffering from Crohn's disease.
May alleviate pain
Wormwood has long been sought for its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties ( 4, 9, 10 ).
May fight parasitic infections
Wormwood has been used to treat intestinal worms as far back as Ancient Egypt. This parasite-fighting property is attributed to thujone ( 4, 7 ).
Boasts antioxidant properties
Besides thujone, another notable wormwood compound is chamazulene. It acts as an antioxidant and is most concentrated in the essential oils of the plant’s pre-flowering stage ( 14 ).
May fight inflammation
Artemisinin, another plant compound found in wormwood, may help fight inflammation in your body. Prolonged inflammation is associated with several chronic diseases ( 18 ).
Precautions and possible side effects
Vulnerable populations and people with certain conditions may want to avoid wormwood. These conditions include:
Improves Digestion, Reduces Pain and Inflammation
Lindsay Curtis is a health writer with over 20 years of experience in writing health, science & wellness-focused articles.
What Is Wormwood Used For?
Studies have tested many uses for wormwood. While research is limited, here's what is known.
Possible Side Effects of Wormwood
Wormwood is relatively safe for short-term use of two to four weeks by adults, and it has been used longer-term as lesser doses upward of 10 weeks. 1
Wormwood Dosage and Preparation
There are currently no specific dosage guidelines for wormwood. Be sure to follow all recommended dosages on the labels of commercially available wormwood products. Large amounts can cause serious side effects.
What to Look For
Wormwood is available at health food stores and online. It may be found in essential oil, pill, and liquid extract forms.
Summary
Wormwood is proven to have many benefits but be sure to talk to your doctor before taking it. It is also important to think about the possible side effects and decide if the benefit is worth the risk.
A Word From Verywell
Wormwood is a nutrient-dense herb that has proven benefits for people with Crohn’s disease and arthritis. It can also remove unwanted parasites from the body, such as pinworm and malaria, and helps with healthy digestion.
What is Wormwood?
Wormwood certainly does not have the most attractive name but it may have got its moniker from its ability to kill intestinal worms and other harmful organisms.
A Controversial History
Wormwood has something of a controversial history which may even linger on to this day. Its name is synonymous with an alcoholic drink called absinthe which was very popular during the 19th century.
Composition of Wormwood
Wormwood gets its therapeutic uses from the presence of volatile oils, absinthin, anabsinthin, organic acids and resins. These compounds also give wormwood its very bitter taste.
Health Benefits of Wormwood
Apart from being used as an ingredient in absinthe, wormwood has historically been used to treat various illnesses including digestive conditions, fevers, and dyspepsia and liver conditions. These days it is becoming more and more popular to treat conditions which include the following:
How to Take It
Wormwood is available in a number of forms including capsules, tinctures, tablet and liquid extract forms. Its oil is also extracted and sold as an essential oil.
Wormwood Tea
As well as the commercially available forms of wormwood, it is often drunk as a tea. You can make your own homemade wormwood brew by following these steps.
Wormwood Side Effects
Despite the fact that most wormwood products these days are sold with little to none of the dangerous chemical thujone being present, there are still several potential adverse side effects and you should approach it with caution. These possible side effects include:
What is Artemisia annua?
Artemisia annua is an annual plant in the Asteraceae (i.e. sunflower) family. It was originally native to China, but is now localized in many countries, including scattered areas of North America
Benefits of Artemisia annua
There are many purported health benefits of sweet wormwood. As a malaria treatment, Artemisia annua is scientifically proven to be effective. Other uses, including for arthritis, are still being explored.
Sweet Wormwood Safety
Interaction Class: A (no clinically relevant interactions are expected)
Sustainability
The demand for Artemisia annua is very high since it provides a natural source of artemisian, a key antimalarial drug.
Naming & Taxonomy
Sweet wormwood’s scientific name is Artemisia annua. It’s an annual plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family of plants.
History & Traditional Use
Chinese physicians have used sweet wormwood for the treatment of fevers and other symptoms related to malaria since around 200 BCE (Hsu, 2006)
