Nafuu Herbs Wormwood - 20g - Worm Infection, Upset Stomach, Liver Disease

What is wormwood?

Wormwood certainly does not have the most attractive name, but it may have its moniker from its ability to kill intestinal worms and other harmful organisms.

Wormwood or common wormwood which is also known by its scientific name ‘artemisia absinthium’ is an herb which grows wild throughout many parts of Europe and in certain parts of north Africa and northern Asia. It is now growing increasingly in north America because of a rise in demand for its medicinal uses. It is closely related to mug wort or armoise but is higher in essential oils. It has many uses as an herbal remedy as we will see.

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 extremely popular during the 19th century.

Absinthe, for which wormwood was a key ingredient, is often associated with artists like Vincent van Gogh and writers like Edgar Allan Poe and was thought to have contributed towards their untimely deaths. Because of the presence of absinthe and another chemical called thujone, absinthe was thought to cause hallucinations, severe nervous disorders, depression, and mental impairment.

As a result, absinthe was banned in numerous countries around the world. Recent studies have however shown that the damaging hallucinogenic effects of absinthe were probably exaggerated, and it has made a recovery, especially in Europe.

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 increasingly popular to treat conditions which include the following:

Stimulating the digestive system

Wormwood has traditionally been used to treat many problems relating to the digestive system. It is used to relieve indigestion and to stimulate better digestion because of its ability to promote the production of bile and support gallbladder and liver health. It is especially effective when it is combined with another digestive herb like ginger or peppermint.

For Crohn’s disease

A German study published in 2007 was conducted to evaluate the ability of an herbal blend containing wormwood as a major ingredient to treat the symptoms of Crohn’s disease. The double-blind trial treated the 20 wormwood group members with 500 mg doses three times each day for 10 weeks while the other patients were given a placebo.

The effectiveness of the treatment was based on psychological factors associated with Crohn’s sufferers such as a decline in feelings of depression. Those who received the wormwood treatment experienced good improvements in their symptoms with thirteen of the twenty patients being totally freed of psychological symptoms. Those in the placebo group experienced a worsening of both physical and emotional symptoms.

 For irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a quite common condition which affects the colon and can cause several nasty symptoms including cramping, bloating, abdominal pains, diarrhea, and constipation.

Some people have had success in treating many of these symptoms with wormwood either alone or in combination with other herbal remedies. Research also shows that wormwood combined with other herbs was effective against the symptoms of abdominal complaints like nausea, heartburn and intestinal spasms. (2)

To kill worms and parasites

There is evidence that wormwood can destroy harmful parasites which lends credence to one of its traditional uses. People in developing countries can benefit from the far more affordable herbal treatments because of the high cost and limited availability of pharmaceuticals. It can destroy numerous parasites including pinworms and roundworms.

According to research wormwood helps to produce an intestinal environment that is deadly to parasites and other dangerous organisms.

 Malaria

Malaria is a very serious disease responsible for over a million deaths each year. The disease is caused by a certain parasite which is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The disease is especially common in africa and parts of asia and some 500,000 new cases occur each year.

The most powerful antimalarial drug – artemisinin is an extract which was isolated from sweet wormwood (artemisia annua). The drug is extremely effective as a malaria treatment. It can quickly reduce the number of parasites present in the blood of a person suffering from the disease. In fact, artemisinin is recommended by the world health organization as the first line of treatment for p. Falciparum malaria.

Stimulate menstruation

Wormwood has natural emmenagogue properties which basically means that it can help stimulate menstruation and help regulate the cycle of menstruation. This may be desirable because herbal emmenagogue preparations like wormwood can be used as an emergency or as a natural treatment for infrequent menstruation.

Some women might also choose to induce menstruation early for convenience, for example, to avoid coinciding with a holiday.

Because of its emmenagogue effects, wormwood should be avoided by pregnant women as it may result in miscarriage. 

Wormwood tea

As well as the commercially available forms of wormwood, it is often drunk as tea. You can make your own homemade wormwood brew by following these steps.

Take around half a teaspoon of crushed, dried wormwood.

Add your herbs to a cup of boiled water.

Allow the herbs to seep for around 15 minutes then strain out the herbs.

You can conceal the bitter taste of the herb by adding a masking agent like peppermint. This will make your decoction more palatable and is also excellent for indigestion and heartburn.

You can drink up to three cups a day but should not continue to use it for more than 4 weeks at a time.

Wormwood side effects

Even though 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:

Diarrhea

Dermatitis when used topically.

Kidney damage has been reported when a 31-year-old male mistakenly drank 10 ml of wormwood essential oil. This led to renal failure and heart disease, but the man eventually made a full recovery.

It may become habit-forming and should not be used for more than 4 weeks at a time.

It may cause nausea, insomnia, tremors and in extreme circumstances seizures.

People with certain pre-existing conditions like gastric problems and ulcers should not take wormwood because of its potential to cause further irritation.

Wormwood for pregnant women

Pregnant women should avoid using wormwood because of its potential to stimulate menstruation which may result in miscarriage. Women who are breastfeeding should also stay on the side of safety and avoid using it.

Final thoughts

The history of wormwood is controversial mostly stemming from its use in the alcoholic beverage – absinthe. But studies have started to reveal that wormwood may be very beneficial for your health. It is already used in the most powerful antimalarial remedy available, and studies have also shown that the plant is useful against intestinal parasites and worms. It has also exhibited great potential against Crohn’s disease and sibo.

Wormwood is a potent herb and should only be used under expert supervision. Pregnant women must never use it and you should pay attention to the potential adverse side effects we wrote about above.

Please let us know if you have ever used wormwood as a natural remedy and whether you found it effective. We would be delighted to hear from you.