Wormwood

(Artemisia spp.)

Other Names:

absinthe, absinthium, absinthe wormwood, grand wormwood, wormwood

Range:

Family:

Asteraceae - Aster or Composite Family

Growth Type:

Herbaceous perennial

Height:

Growing up to 2-4' in height

Leaves:

The leaves are spirally arranged, greenish-grey above and white below, covered with silky silvery-white trichomes, and bearing minute oil-producing glands; the basal leaves are up to 25 cm long, bipinnate to tripinnate with long petioles, with the cauline leaves (those on the stem) smaller, 5–10 cm long, less divided, and with short petioles; the uppermost leaves can be both simple and sessile (without a petiole)

Stem/Trunk:

Straight, grooved, branched, silver-green in color.

Root:

Fibrous root system

Flower Season:

Early summer to early autumn.

Flower Appearance:

Pale yellow, tubular flowers are clustered in sphere-shaped bent-down heads. These heads are clustered into branched panicles.

Seed/Fruit:

Fruit is a small achene.

Miscellaneous characteristics:

This plant is non-native. It has escaped cultivation, and has become naturalized across the northern United States and Canada.

Habitat:

Grows on uncultivated arid ground, on rocky slopes, and at the edge of footpaths and fields

Parts Used:

Arial parts of the plant

Culinary Uses:

This plant has been used as a flavoring in the production of the drink absinthe.

Energetics:

Taste: Bitter
Thermal: Warming
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:

This plant is used as a bitter to counteract poor appetite and for IgA nephropathy. Extracts of A. absinthium have been shown to decrease TNF-a (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha). It functions in a manner like the biologics Humira®, Enbrel®, and Remicade®, etc.

Use to counter autoimmune related illnesses such as Chrohn's disease, Psoriatic Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Etc.

Indications

Amenorrhea, Anemia, Anorexia, Arthritis, Ascaris, Atonic Dyspepsia, Biliary disorders, Chronic Gastritis, Colic, Dysmenorrhea, Enterobius, Flatulence, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Hyperkalemia, IgA Nephropathy (Berger's Disease), Indigestion, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Chrohn's Disease), Malabsorption, Nausea, Plaque Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sexual Disfuntion

Usage Citations

The fact that studies concerning all indications listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said uses are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia prior to the advent of allopathic medicine.

Anorexia: Mohajeranirad M, Saeidi N, Nejad MK, Akbari A, Mahmoodi SA, Almasi-Hashiani A, Latifi SA. Effects of Artemisia supplementation on anorexia in hemodialysis patients: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2021 Feb 15;33(2):169-174. doi: 10.1515/jbcpp-2020-0250. PMID: 33583158.

Arthritis Pain: Stebbings S, Beattie E, McNamara D, Hunt S. A pilot randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of an extract of Artemisia annua administered over 12 weeks, for managing pain, stiffness, and functional limitation associated with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Clin Rheumatol. 2016 Jul;35(7):1829-36. doi: 10.1007/s10067-015-3110-z. Epub 2015 Dec 3. PMID: 26631103.

Crohn's Disease: 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. Epub 2007 Jan 19. PMID: 17240130.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Sun X, Sun H, Zhang J, Ji X. Artemisia Extract Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus by Up-Regulating Adiponectin. J Clin Pharmacol. 2016 Dec;56(12):1550-1554. doi: 10.1002/jcph.755. Epub 2016 Jun 2. PMID: 27119600.

IgA Nephropathy (Berger's Disease): 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. Epub 2010 Sep 16. PMID: 20843592.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Yang M, Guo MY, Luo Y, Yun MD, Yan J, Liu T, Xiao CH. Effect of Artemisia annua extract on treating active rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized controlled trial. Chin J Integr Med. 2017 Jul;23(7):496-503. doi: 10.1007/s11655-016-2650-7. Epub 2016 Dec 29. PMID: 28035541.

Sexual Disfunction (Sexual dissatisfaction): 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. Epub 2022 Nov 5. PMID: 36368248.

Sexual Disfunction (Sexual dissatisfaction): Niloufar H, Raheleh B, Roshanak S, Jamshid J, Sharbanoo I. Evaluating the safety and efficacy of wormwood vaginal cream on sexual satisfaction and quality of sexual life of postmenopausal women: a randomized, triple-blinds, placebo-controlled clinical trial. BMC Womens Health. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):664. doi: 10.1186/s12905-024-03515-z. PMID: 39716229; PMCID: PMC11665077.

Medicinal Actions:
Anthelmintic, Antiarthritic, Anti-Inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Antineoplastic, Antiparasitic, Antipsoriatic, Antirheumatic, Bitter, Carminative, Choleretic, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Immunomodulator, Nervine, Stomachic, Tonic: Kidney, Tonic: Uterine

Constituents:

Essential Oil: 3,6-Dihydrochamazulene, 5,6-Dihydrochamazulene

Flower: Achillicin

Leaf: Absinthin, Alpha-Thujone, Artabasin, Artemetin, Ascorbic-Acid, Beta-Carotene, Beta-Thujone, Chamazulene, Cis-Epoxyocimene, Eo, Fat, Isoquercitrin, Isorhamnetin-3-Glucoside, Patueltin-3-0-Rhamnoside, Patuletin-3-0-Glucoside, Spinacetin-3-0-Glucoside, Spinacetin-3-0-Rhamnoglucoside, Tannin, Trans-Epoxyocimene

Plant: 2,3-Diepi-Artabsinolide-C, 3,7-Dioxabicycl-(3,3,0)-Octane, 5-Hydroxy-3,6,7,3',4'-Pentamethoxyflavone, Anabsin, Anabsinin, Anabsinthin, Arabsin, Artabin, Artabsinolide, Artemolins, Artenisetin, Arthamaridin, Arthamaridinine, Arthamarin, Arthamarinin, Beta-Caryophyllene, Bisabolene, Cadinene, Camphene, Chlorogenic-Acid, Formic-Acid, Hydroxypelenolide, Inulobiose, Isoabsinthin, Isorhamnetin-3-0-Rhamnoglucoside, Ketopelenolides, Lirioresinol, Matrisin, Methyl-3-(5-Prop-1-Yne-1Yl-Thienyl-(2)-Propionate, Nicotinic-Acid, P-Coumaric-Acid, P-Hydroxyphenylacetic-Acid, Palmitic-Acid, Phellandrene, Pinene, Pipecolic-Acid, Protocatechuic-Acid, Quebrachitol, Quercitin-3-0-Beta-D-Glucoside, Quercitin-3-0-Rhamnoglucoside, Rutin, Sabinene, Salicylic-Acid, Syringic-Acid, Thujyl-Alcohol, Thujyl-Isovalerate, Thujyl-Palmitate, Trans-Saqbinyl-Acetate, Vanillic-Acid

Root: Trans-Dehydromatricaria-Ester, Trans-Spiroketalenol

Seed: Ash, Protein