Wormwood – properties, health effects, dosage, side effects

Proven content

Wormwood is called your herb, vermouth, absinthe, and also dog rue. It grows in all conditions and can often be seen in the fields. It flowers in mid or late April and is then suitable for harvesting, which is then dried and left the raw material for infusion. Infused wormwood has many health-promoting properties. For centuries, it has been used for problems with the digestive system and female ailments. It happens that it can also be poisonous. What do you need to know about Wormwood?

Wormwood is usually taken as an extract or tea. Its oil is made from the stems and leaves of the plant, while the extract or tincture can use the entire plant. They contain no calories, vitamins or minerals, but contain numerous plant compounds, the most famous of which is thujone.

This compound exists in two forms – alpha and beta thujone, which differ at the molecular level. While these differences are minor, they are significant as alpha thujone is considered to be more toxic. It is also the main active ingredient in wormwood.

Thujone is thought to stimulate the brain by blocking gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect on the central nervous system. While this compound may have several benefits, consuming thujone in excess is toxic and has been linked to seizures and even death.

Wormwood – pro-health properties

In wormwood you can find tannins, mineral salts, flavonoids and essential oils. They have a bactericidal, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and choleretic effect, and even protect the body against parasites.

As a result, wormwood has a positive effect on the digestive system. It helps with all types of indigestion, as well as gastritis. The infusion of wormwood can be drunk for problems with heartburn, flatulence, the so-called a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. The chemicals in wormwood support the liver by cleansing it and the gallbladder by draining the bile into the duodenum. They can also stimulate the appetite and support the metabolism. Research like this one published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2014 shows that wormwood can aid digestion and reduce intestinal and stomach cramps. Wormwood can also increase your appetite and aid in the production of saliva, other digestive enzymes, or proteins that aid your metabolism and support healthy digestion.

What’s more, a small study published in Clinical Rheumatology in 2016 found that wormwood can relieve pain and reduce swelling in the body. The study involved 42 people who received 300 mg of wormwood extract daily, 600 mg of extract daily or a placebo for 12 weeks. The participants who took 300 mg per day found their pain levels to be weaker, but the other two groups did not have the same effect. A 2018 review of the scientific literature found that all Artemisia plants, such as wormwood, are helpful herbal remedies for pain. They are believed to contain antioxidants that help protect cells through a chemical reaction. They can also reduce the swelling.

Earlier it was mentioned that the main ingredient of wormwood is thujone, but besides it, another noteworthy compound of wormwood is chamazulene. It acts as an antioxidant and is most concentrated in the plant’s pre-flowering essential oils.

Antioxidants like chamazulene can combat oxidative stress in our body that is linked to cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other ailments. Nevertheless, more research is needed on the properties of this compound.

Extract of wormwood is included in, among others Worm syrup with calamus, which supports the functioning of the human digestive system.

Wormwood is an effective remedy for female ailments. It is used to regulate menstrual cycles, which is why it is called maiden herb.

It can also cleanse the body of parasites living in the digestive system, such as pinworms, nematodes, lamellae and human roundworms. In the treatment of these infections, therapies derived from compounds contained in wormwood were used. However, most of the research into the use of wormwood as an antiparasitic agent is based on animal studies that cannot be interpreted as having the same value in humans. One such study in mice, published in the Journal of Helminthology, found that wormwood caused the parasites to lose muscle function and die. Treatment has been shown to work in the same way as some of the leading anti-parasitic drugs.

Wormwood oil can be used externally to fight head lice or scabies, as well as rub it on the chest to facilitate breathing and cough treatment. Try Tea on lamblas with wormwood in the composition.

Wormwood is part of dietary supplements that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the entire body, incl. on the immune system or the digestive system. At Medonet Market you can buy the following preparations: Invent Farm: Para Farm – liquid supplement, Para Farm capsules or with a broader spectrum of activity Para Farm Max Plus – liquid supplement.

Wormwood, arthritis and immune support

Inflammation is associated with many long-term diseases, acute and chronic pain, and lowered immune function. Artemisinin, a compound found in wormwood, can help. It stops the body from producing cytokines, a type of protein that causes inflammation.

Some people use wormwood to relieve pain and swelling caused by arthritis. One study, published in 2017 in the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, of 180 people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) looked at the differences between those given 12 weeks of wormwood extract or a placebo. People taking wormwood have reported significant relief from joint pain, with wormwood shown to be safer than some commonly used medications used to treat RA.

Another study in 90 people with knee pain found that applying 3% wormwood ointment to aching joints reduced pain and improved physical performance in patients with osteoarthritis.

See also: Placebo effect – what is it? The importance of the placebo effect for medicine [EXPLAINED]

Wormwood and Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease is an inflammation of the digestive system. Symptoms include severe stomach pain, diarrhea and fatigue. Research suggests that people with Crohn’s disease who take wormwood benefit, but the results come from small samples.

In one study published in the Journal of Phytomedicine in 2009, 10 people with the disease were given 750 milligrams (mg) of dried powdered wormwood three times a day for six weeks, in addition to regular treatment. Ten other subjects, who did not receive wormwood, served as controls. Among those who took wormwood, eight out of ten reported fewer symptoms, while only two in the control group said their symptoms improved. The study also found that those who took the supplements saw an improvement in mood compared to the control group.

Another, older study, published in 2007 in the journal Planta Medica, included 40 adults with Crohn’s disease. Patients were given either 1500 mg of wormwood per day or a placebo. Symptoms improved significantly in 65% of those taking wormwood, compared with just 15% in the control group. Patients taking wormwood also did not need as many steroids – a common drug in Crohn’s disease – after eight weeks of supplementation.

A small study of the use of wormwood in people with Crohn’s disease may show promising results. However, more research is needed to see if it is safe and effective.

You can find mugwort wormwood extract in Intestinal Support – Pharmovit Drops Extract, which you can buy at an attractive price on Medonet Market.

Wormwood – a promising remedy for malaria

The Ugandan community was observed in 2012 after scientists found out they were relying on wormwood tea to treat malaria. Researchers concluded that it is effective in preventing multiple malaria episodes, and a 2017 case study published in the journal Phytomedicine found that wormwood (in particular, dried leaf tablets of the plant) was helpful in treating drug-resistant malaria as a last resort. However, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Center warns that people re-infected with malaria are more susceptible to wormwood than to conventional anti-malaria medicine. Therefore, wormwood should not be used alone to treat malaria; The World Health Organization recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies that include taking artemisinin (a derivative of wormwood) along with an approved antimalarial drug.

Also check: Why is approval of the malaria vaccine a turning point? [WE EXPLAIN]

Wormwood – tumors

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

Cancer cells can also be high in iron as they usually absorb it to facilitate cell division. In a 2012 study published in Life Sciences, researchers tested samples of breast cancer cells and normal breast cells that had first been treated to maximize iron content. The cells were then treated with a water-soluble form of artemisinin, an extract of wormwood.

The results were impressive. Normal cells showed little change, but by 16 hours almost all cancer cells were dead and only a few normal cells had been killed. Bioengineer Henry Lai believes that because a breast cancer cell contains 5 to 15 more receptors than normal, it absorbs iron more easily and is therefore more susceptible to attack by artemisinin.

See also: Narcissus as a hope in the fight against cancer. What other common plants have an anti-cancer effect

Piołun — SIBO

Many people turn to natural and alternative treatments when it comes to digestive health issues, and for good reason. Research shows that herbal remedies such as tea or wormwood capsules are just as good, or even better, at fighting bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine or symptoms of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). The standard treatment of SIBO today is limited to oral antibiotics of varying degrees of effectiveness. In a 2014 study, 104 newly diagnosed SIBO patients were taking either a high dose of rifaximin or herbal therapy daily for four weeks.

The herbal products were specially selected because they included antimicrobial herbs such as wormwood, oregano oil, thyme and berberine extract, which have been shown to provide a broad spectrum of activity against the types of bacteria most commonly involved in SIBO. Of the patients who received herbal therapy, 46 percent showed no evidence of SIBO in the follow-up studies compared to 34 percent of rifaximin users. Side effects reported among people taking rifaximin included anaphylaxis, hives, diarrhea, and colitis caused by C. difficile, while only one case of diarrhea and no other side effects were reported in the herbal therapy group.

The study concluded that herbal treatments are at least as effective as rifaximin in fighting SIBO. Additionally, herbal therapy with wormwood appears to be as effective as triple antibiotic therapy for people who do not respond to rifaximin.

Wormwood – antimicrobial and antifungal properties

In vitro studies have shown that wormwood essential oils have antimicrobial activity. Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests that wormwood oil exhibits a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against several strains of bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella.

It is estimated that salmonella causes 1 million food-borne diseases each year in the United States alone, with 19 hospitalizations and 000 deaths. E. coli is another disturbing type of bacteria that can cause a range of problems, from diarrhea to urinary tract infections to pneumonia and other illnesses.

Not only can wormwood kill bacteria but fungi as well. Research shows that the essential oil distilled from the aerial parts of Artemisia absinthium inhibited the growth of a very wide spectrum of fungi tested (11 to be exact). Wormwood essential oil has also shown antioxidant properties during research.

Another study published in Planta Medica found that A. absinthium oil inhibited the growth of Candida albicans. It is the most common type of yeast infection in the mouth, digestive tract, and vagina that can affect the skin and other mucous membranes.

Wormwood – opinions and dosage

Wormwood has many advantages and good opinions, especially in the form of absinthe, i.e. high-percentage alcohol produced on the basis of wormwood extract. Absinthe is the favorite alcoholic drink of famous artists such as Ernest Hemingway or Vincent van Gogh. It is also popular among connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages. However, wormwood also has the reputation of being a dangerous herb, as overdosing it leads to hallucinations, diarrhea, and vomiting. Therefore, it must be used in moderation and for a short time.

Very large amounts of this herb and other thujone-containing products can be fatal, although its lethal dose in humans has not been established.

In addition, wormwood can cause burns if applied directly to the skin. If it is used topically, remember to use it only as an ointment or lotion.

Wormwood herb can be used as an infusion for everyday use. To reduce the bitterness, you can sweeten it with a teaspoon of honey.

For health purposes, you can make an infusion of wormwood. One teaspoon of dried herb in one cup of boiling water is enough. After brewing it for 20 minutes, it is enough to strain the infusion. This infusion is drunk at a dose of half a teaspoon, up to 3 times a day. You can buy ready-made wormwood teas in sachets in herbal shops and pharmacies. Before brewing them, read the instructions and follow the doses recommended by the manufacturer.

1. Also try wormwood extract

Wormwood – contraindications

Unfortunately, wormwood has contraindications for use and cannot be used by everyone.

Because wormwood contains ingredients that can be toxic, people with certain medical conditions should not take wormwood.

Contraindications include:

1. Pregnancy or breast-feeding: Animal studies show that wormwood can cause miscarriage.
2. Epilepsy or other seizure disorders: Wormwood contains thujone, which is known to cause seizures. Wormwood can also reduce the effects of some antiepileptic drugs.
3. Heart disease: If you take warfarin for heart health, wormwood can cause bleeding.
4. Kidney disease: Wormwood is toxic to the kidneys and can lead to kidney failure.
5. Allergies: Wormwood belongs to the Asteraceae family. If we are allergic to anything in this group, such as ambrosia or calendula, avoid wormwood.

While wormwood is safe for most adults to use for a short time, it’s important to discuss its use with your doctor and pharmacist. In some cases, it may not be taken with certain medications. Wormwood is not safe for children.

Wormwood – side effects

Wormwood is relatively safe for short-term use for two to four weeks by adults, and has been used for longer periods at lower doses over 10 weeks, according to a study published in the aforementioned Journal of Phytomedicine.

In its unshaded form, wormwood contains a chemical called thujone that can become toxic even in small amounts, and these products should be consumed with caution as serious side effects can occur.

Side effects can include:

1. Problems with sleeping;
2. Vomiting;
3. Nausea;
4. Dizziness;
5. Hallucinations;
6. The need for constant movement;
7. Seizures.