Artemisia absinthium, otherwise known as common wormwood, is a species of Artemisia native to North Africa and temperate regions of Eurasia, and widely naturalised in Canada and the northern United States. It is grown as an ornamental plant and is used as an ingredient in the alcoholic drinks vermouth and absinthe. Its oil contains the chemical thujone, which may be poisonous. The thujone in wormwood oil excites the central nervous system and can cause seizures and other adverse effects.

Etiology: Wormwood’s relative mugwort was traditionally used as a remedy for a variety of complaints, especially those of a gynaecological nature, and so the wormwood genus bears the name of the Greek goddess of childbirth, Artemis. The specific name derives from apsínthion, the Greek term for the plant.

“Wormwood” itself is an alteration of Old English wermod, which is of obscure origin. The German cognate Wermut is the source of the term vermouth, used in French and English to describe a kind of wine traditionally flavoured with wormwood.

Uses

Artemisia absinthium possesses antifungal, neuroprotective, insecticidal, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, acaricidal, antimalarial, antidepressant, and hepatoprotective activities.

• It is an ingredient in the spirit absinthe, and is used for flavouring in some other spirits and wines, including bitters, bäsk, vermouth, and pelinkovac.

• As medicine, it is used for dyspepsia, as a bitter to counteract poor appetite, for various infectious diseases, Crohn’s disease, and IgA nephropathy.

• In the Middle Ages, wormwood was used to spice mead, and in Morocco, where it is called shība (الشيبة), it is used as a complement or substitute for mint in Moroccan tea.

• Wormwood was traditionally relatively common as a bittering spice in farmhouse brewing in Denmark, and to some extent Estonia. In 18th-century England, wormwood was sometimes used instead of hops in beer.

• Wormwood clippings and cuttings are added to chicken nesting boxes to repel lice, mites, and fleas. Bailen et al. 2013 and Gonzalez-Coloma et al. 2013 find the unique terpenoids of the Gonzalez-Coloma chemotype make this strain especially promising for insect control. As of 2020 a company named EcoflorAgro is investing heavily into increasing the planted area of this strain, hoping to commercialize it to a degree attempted – but never achieved due to unreliable supply – for other botanical insecticides before.

The Health Benefits of Wormwood

source: https://www.verywellhealth.com/wormwood-5082001

Common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a perennial herb used in the alcoholic beverages absinthe and vermouth. The bitter-tasting plant has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes to reduce pain and swelling and to treat digestion problems, intestinal worms, and skin infections. Other species of wormwood are also used medicinally.

Wormwood can be grown from seeds or purchased as a supplement and a dried herb. Despite its possible benefits, pure untreated wormwood contains a chemical called thujone that can be toxic and cause hallucinations and seizures.

This article explains how wormwood is used as medicine, including what the current research says about its effectiveness, benefits, and risks. It also describes how to take wormwood and the possible side effects.

Also Known As

• Absinthium
• Green ginger
• Madderwort
• Mugwort

Wormwood Benefits

Evidence is limited regarding the benefits of wormwood for treating or preventing any health condition. Even so, there is some research illustrating wormwood’s effect on the human body, supported by smaller animal and human studies.

Before using wormwood for any health purpose, speak with your healthcare provider to understand the potential benefits and risks, and ensure that it doesn’t interfere with any medication you use or medical conditions you have.

Combats Pain and Inflammation

Artemisinin, a compound found in wormwood, is thought to have potent anti-inflammatory effects. Research suggests that it does so by tempering the action of proteins called cytokines that help instigate inflammation. By doing so, wormwood may help ease inflammatory symptoms like pain, redness, warmth, and swelling.¹

Historically, wormwood has been used to treat pain from labor, premenstrual pain, and joint and muscle pain.¹

Much of the research regarding wormwood’s anti-inflammatory effects has been centered on its use in people with osteoarthritis (“wear-and-tear arthritis”) and rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune form of arthritis).

A 2016 study published in Clinical Rheumatology reported that people with osteoarthritis who took 150 milligrams (mg) of wormwood extract per day for 12 weeks had fewer joint pain symptoms than those who took a placebo (sham drug). The findings were limited by the study’s small size (42 participants) and the fact that people who took a higher, 300-mg dose had no reported benefit.²

A 2017 study in the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine also reported pain relief in people with rheumatoid arthritis when wormwood extract was used with leflunomide and methotrexate (two drugs commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis). Compared to people given leflunomide and methotrexate alone, those in the wormwood group had less pain and fewer affected joints overall. The study did not suggest that wormwood on its own had any effect on rheumatoid arthritis.³

Fights Parasites

Wormwood’s name stems from its historical use in treating parasites, including helminths such as pinworms, roundworms, and tapeworms that cause severe gastrointestinal disease. Historically, wormwood had been considered a preferred remedy for intestinal worms, but it dropped out of favor due to severe side effects associated with the liquor absinthe.⁴

Most studies investigating the use of wormwood in treating parasites have been conducted on animals, and the results have been mostly good.

A 2017 study in the Journal of Helminthology reported that wormwood extract was effective in killing Hymenolepis nana, the most common form of tapeworm affecting humans, both in test tubes and lab mice.⁵

Although the researchers reported that wormwood extract was not as effective as Biltricide (praziquantel), a drug commonly used to treat helminths, the findings were considered important given that H. nana has become increasingly resistant to antiparasitic agents like Biltricide and Albenza (albendazole).⁵

This suggests that wormwood extract may help support antiparasitic drugs in parts of the world where tapeworms, roundworms, and pinworms are common.

With that said, animal study results cannot be interpreted as having the same value in humans.

Fights Bacteria and Fungus

Wormwood has also been shown to have potent antibacterial and antifungal activity. Different compounds are thought responsible for these effects, including chemicals called terpenes that give certain plants their aromatic scent. This includes a terpene called camphor, which many people recognize from products like Vicks Vapo-Rub.¹

Wormwood has demonstrated activity against Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that is one of the leading causes of skin and soft tissue infections. This includes a potentially serious form called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).¹

A 2012 study in the Indian Journal of Microbiology reported that the twice-daily application of wormwood extract to surgical wounds in rats prevented S. aureus infection far better than those that were left untreated.⁶

Wormwood’s antifungal activity may also act against common fungi like Candida albicans (the type that causes yeast infections and oral thrush). In addition to terpenes, lab studies have suggested that thujone can suppress C. albicans and other disease-causing fungi.¹

Although these effects were seen in test tubes, a 2021 study in Longua Chinese Medicine reported that wormwood extract given for six days to lab mice had no tangible effect against six Candida species.⁷

Aids in Digestion

Wormwood has long been used to treat indigestion, flatulence, gastritis, and symptoms of gallbladder disease. It is thought that terpenes in wormwood stimulate saliva, stomach mucus, and intestinal secretions that can help ease digestive symptoms. At the same time, they may help reduce stomach acids that contribute to peptic ulcers and acid reflux.

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Wormwood: The Parasite-Killing, Cancer-Fighting Super Herb

source: https://draxe.com/nutrition/wormwood/

What do Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso all have in common aside from their incredible painting abilities? These three artists all shared a love of absinthe, a botanical spirit made from wormwood, anise and fennel.

Absinthe is currently illegal in the U.S. as well as many other countries, but it’s still available in Europe. You may have heard of wormwood because of its inclusion in this famous European beverage, but did you know that it also holds an ability to aid many common and serious health concerns?

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.

Just how powerful is wormwood? Well, it’s owed thanks and praise for being the source of the key ingredient for the herbal drug artemisinin, which is touted as the most powerful anti-malarial on the market.

And it doesn’t stop there. Scientific research also shows that wormwood can even kills cancer cells. Wormwood tea can also be used to treat anorexia, insomnia, anemia, a lack of appetite, flatulence, stomach aches, jaundice and indigestion.

Wormwood herb is used in alcoholic beverages while the wormwood star is mentioned in the bible. Truly an intriguing plant to say the least, but can this herb really kill parasites and cancer? Studies say yes, and the positive medicinal effects keep on coming.

Of course, there is good reason for caution with wormwood products (like absinthe) as well, but once you learn about thujone, you’ll see why not all wormwood products are created equally.

What Is Wormwood?

What is wormwood exactly? Artemisia absinthium is an odorous, perennial that belongs to the Asteraceae or Compositae family, more commonly known as the daisy family. This artemisia plant releases an aromatic odor and has a spicy, bitter taste.

Many species of the artemisia family tend to have medicinal properties. It’s related to Artemisia vulgaris, or mugwort, another medicinal herb.

The wormwood plant is native to Europe and parts of Africa and Asia. Today, it also grows wild in the U.S., most commonly along roads or paths.

Also called shrub wormwood, Artemisia absinthium is a shrubby plant that typically grows to be one to three feet tall. It has gray-green or white stems covered by fine hairs and yellowish-green leaves that are hairy and silky. The leaves of the plant have glands that contain resinous particles where the natural insecticide is stored.

Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), also known as sweet annie, sweet sagewort, annual mugwort or annual wormwood, is a common type of wormwood native to temperate Asia but naturalized in parts of North America.

Wormwood can be used either fresh or dried. All the aerial portions (stem, leaves and flowers) of the plant have medicinal uses and wormwood tea is commonly consumed for a range of ailments.

The essential oil is extracted from the leaves and flowering tops by steam distillation. One study of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium found that it contains at least 28 components representing 93.3 percent of the oil. The main components are β- pinene (23.8 percent) and β- thujone (18.6 percent).

Thujone is the potentially poisonous chemical found in wormwood. Distilling the herb in alcohol increases the thujone concentration, which is what makes absinthe such a debatable liquor of choice.

Wormwood’s biologically active compounds include:

• acetylenes (trans-dehydromatricaria ester, C13 and C14 trans-spiroketalenol ethers, and others)
• ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
• azulenes (chamazulene, dihydrochamazulenes, bisabolene, camphene, cadinene, sabinene, trans-sabinylacetate, phellandrene, pinene and others)
• carotenoids
• flavonoids (quercitin 3-glucoside, quercitin 3-rhamnoglucoside, spinacetin 3-glucoside, spinacetin 3-rhamnoglucoside, and others)
• lignins (diayangambin and epiyangambin)
• phenolic acids (p-hydroxyphenylacetic, p-coumaric, chlorogenic, protocatechuic, vanillic, syringic and others)
• tannins
• thujone and isothujone
• sesquiterpene lactones (absinthin, artabsin, anabsinthin, artemetin, artemisinin, arabsin, artabin, artabsinolides, artemolin, matricin, isoabsinthin and others)

Benefits

Whether you’re using wormwood tea, extract, tincture or ointment, the benefits of this therapeutic herb are vast.

1. Beats Malaria

Malaria is a serious disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes and invades human red blood cells. Artemisinin is an extract isolated from the plant Artemisia annua, or sweet wormwood.

Artemisinin is an herbal drug that’s the most powerful antimalarial on the market. It’s known for quickly reducing the number of parasites in the blood of patients with malaria. The World Health Organization recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies as first-line treatment for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria.

Recent experiments have shown that artemisinin is effective against the malaria parasite because it reacts with the high levels of iron in the parasite to produce free radicals. The free radicals then destroy the cell walls of the malaria parasite

2. Fights Cancer Cells

According to recent studies, artemisinin can battle iron-enriched breast cancer cells similar to the way it eliminates malaria-causing parasites, making it a potential natural cancer treatment option for women with breast cancer.

Cancer cells can also be rich in iron since they commonly soak it up to facilitate cell division. Researchers in a 2012 study tested samples of breast cancer cells and normal breast cells that had first been treated to maximize their iron content. The cells were then treated with a water-soluble form of artemisinin, an extract of wormwood.

Results were quite impressive. The normal cells showed little change, but within 16 hours, almost all of the cancer cells were dead and only a few normal cells were killed. Bioengineer Henry Lai believes that because a breast cancer cell contains five to 15 more receptors than normal, it absorbs iron more readily and hence is more susceptible to artemisinin’s attack.

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