Wormwood, scientifically known as Artemisia absinthium, is an herbaceous perennial plant with various traditional medicinal uses. It has been used for thousands of years for a variety of ailments. It was written about by ancient physicians such as Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder.
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| Wormwood Herb |
Plant Description and Habitat
Appearance
Wormwood is a perennial herb with silver-gray, deeply lobed leaves and yellow flowers that bloom in the summer. It has a distinctive bitter taste and a strong, aromatic scent.
Habitat
Wormwood is native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa but has been introduced to other regions worldwide. It typically grows in dry, rocky soils in areas with full sun exposure.
Primary Compounds
Absinthin
This bitter compound is one of the main active constituents in wormwood responsible for its digestive-stimulating effects.
Artemisinin
This compound has garnered significant attention for its antiparasitic properties, particularly in the treatment of malaria.
One metabolite of artemisnin, dihydroartemisinin, has been shown in studies to inhibit the growth of tumors, fight tumor metastatsis, and promote immune function. Dihydroartemisinin has also been shown to significantly fight malaria.
Sesquiterpenes
Wormwood contains a number of these compounds, including chamazulene and thujone.
Health Benefits Overview
Digestive Health
Wormwood has been traditionally used to stimulate digestion, relieve indigestion, and alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort such as bloating and flatulence.
Antiparasitic Properties
Wormwood contains compounds such as absinthin and artemisinin, which have demonstrated antiparasitic activity against intestinal worms and parasites.
Anti-inflammatory Effects
Some studies suggest that wormwood may possess anti-inflammatory properties, which could potentially benefit conditions characterized by inflammation, such as arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Antimicrobial Activity
Wormwood has shown antimicrobial activity against certain bacteria, fungi, and parasites, indicating its potential use in treating infections. This includes lyme bacteria and other invading organisms. Lyme-carrying bacteria have also been shown to be sensitive to wormwood.
Traditional Uses
Ancient Medicine
Wormwood has been used for centuries in various traditional medicine systems, including traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, to treat digestive disorders, fevers, and parasitic infections.
Western Herbalism
In Western herbalism, wormwood has been used as a digestive tonic, a vermifuge (to expel intestinal worms), and a bitter tonic to stimulate appetite and improve digestion.
Human Clinical Research
Wormwood has a long history of traditional use, and there are some human clinical studies to back it up.
In a 2007 study from the Yale University School of Medicine, researchers tested 40 patients with Crohn’s disease. After 10 weeks of wormwood treatment, researchers found the wormwood group had a 65% remission rate and most saw a reduction of symptoms when discontinuing their steroid treatment.
In a 2009 study from Germany’s University of Freiburg, 10 Crohn’s patients were given dried powdered wormwood herb with conventional therapy for six weeks, and 10 more patients were given conventional therapy alone. After the six weeks, the wormwood patients had significantly better Crohn’s scores compared to the conventional therapy-alone group.
In another study from the University of Freiburg, researchers found that wormwood improved symptoms for patients with IgA nephropathy.
A 2004 study from the German Institute for Medical Mission studied wormwood on malaria, comparing it to quinine treatment. The researchers found that after seven days of treatment, wormwood treatment had a 74 percent cure rate compared to 91 percent for quinine. However, the wormwood artemisia patients did have a higher recurrence rate than the quinine group. Further study was recommended.
This further study did take place. Note that Quinine is derived from the bark of the Cinchona tree (Cinchona officinalis). This has been used for many conditions for centuries in South America. Today the drug chloroquine is most used for malaria, though natural quinine is still also in use.
Quinine is not always successful, however. Some malaria species are resistant to Quinine.
A 2011 study from the Guangzhou University of Chinese
Medicine conducted a clinical trial with 220 malaria patients that used three
different Artemisia extract formulations – Artemisinin-piperaquine,
dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine phosphate and artemether-lumefantrine.
They found that parasites were cleared from the patients for all three formulations in an average of 65 to 67 hours.
In a 2022 study of 76 women, researchers found that wormwood increased sexual function among women.
These studies offer insights into the potential health benefits of wormwood, particularly its antiparasitic properties. However, more research, especially well-designed clinical trials, is needed to further establish its efficacy, safety, and optimal dosage for various health conditions.
Scientific References
Omer B, Krebs S, Omer H, Noor TO. Steroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn's disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Phytomedicine. 2007 Feb;14(2-3):87-95. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2007.01.001.
Dai X, Zhang X, Chen W, Chen Y, Zhang Q, Mo S, Lu J. Dihydroartemisinin: A Potential Natural Anticancer Drug. Int J Biol Sci. 2021 Jan 16;17(2):603-622. doi: 10.7150/ijbs.50364.
Niloofar H, Raheleh B, Roshanak S, Jamshid J. Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of wormwood vaginal gel in improving sexual function and sexual satisfaction in women of reproductive age: A randomized, triple-blinds, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2023 Jan;280:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.11.002.
Mueller MS, Runyambo N, Wagner I, Borrmann S, Dietz K, Heide L. Randomized controlled trial of a traditional preparation of Artemisia annua L. (Annual Wormwood) in the treatment of malaria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2004 May;98(5):318-21. doi: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2003.09.001.
Batiha GE, Olatunde A, El-Mleeh A, Hetta HF, Al-Rejaie S, Alghamdi S, Zahoor M, Magdy Beshbishy A, Murata T, Zaragoza-Bastida A, Rivero-Perez N. Bioactive Compounds, Pharmacological Actions, and Pharmacokinetics of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Antibiotics (Basel). 2020 Jun 23;9(6):353. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics9060353.
Ma N, Zhang Z, Liao F, Jiang T, Tu Y. The birth of artemisinin. Pharmacol Ther. 2020 Dec;216:107658. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107658.
Skyles AJ, Sweet BV. Alternative therapies. Wormwood. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2004 Feb 1;61(3):239-42. doi: 10.1093/ajhp/61.3.239.
Ekiert H, Knut E, Świątkowska J, Klin P, Rzepiela A, Tomczyk M, Szopa A. Artemisia abrotanum L. (Southern Wormwood)-History, Current Knowledge on the Chemistry, Biological Activity, Traditional Use and Possible New Pharmaceutical and Cosmetological Applications. Molecules. 2021 Apr 25;26(9):2503. doi: 10.3390/molecules26092503.
Krebs S, Omer TN, Omer B. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn's disease - A controlled clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2010 Apr;17(5):305-9. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2009.10.013.
Krebs S, Omer B, Omer TN, Fliser D. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for poorly responsive early-stage IgA nephropathy: a pilot uncontrolled trial. Am J Kidney Dis. 2010 Dec;56(6):1095-9. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2010.06.025.
Ogawa R, Hyakusoku H, Ogawa K, Nakao C. Effectiveness of mugwort lotion for the treatment of post-burn hypertrophic scars. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2008;61(2):210-2. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2007.10.032.
Sharma G, Kapoor H, Chopra M, Kumar K, Agrawal V. Strong
larvicidal potential of Artemisia annua leaf extract against malaria (Anopheles
stephensi Liston) and dengue (Aedes aegypti L.) vectors and bioassay-driven
isolation of the marker compounds. Parasitol Res. 2014 Jan;113(1):197-209. doi:
10.1007/s00436-013-3644-4.
Weathers PJ, Arsenault PR, Covello PS, McMickle A, Teoh KH, Reed DW. Artemisinin production in Artemisia annua: studies in planta and results of a novel delivery method for treating malaria and other neglected diseases. Phytochem Rev. 2011 Jun;10(2):173-183.
Song J, Socheat D, Tan B, Seila S, Xu Y, Ou F, Sokunthea S, Sophorn L, Zhou C, Deng C, Wang Q, Li G. Randomized trials of artemisinin-piperaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine phosphate and artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria in Cambodia-Thailand border area. Malar J. 2011 Aug 10;10:231. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-10-231.
Slezakova S, Ruda-Kucerova J. Anticancer Activity ofArtemisinin and its Derivatives. Anticancer Res. 2017;37:5995–6003.