Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPurported BenefitsSide EffectsDosage and PreparationWhat to Look For
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Purported Benefits
Side Effects
Dosage and Preparation
What to Look For
The possible health benefits of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) include helping with pain and inflammation, parasites, skin infections, digestion, and more, but scientific evidence supporting these claims is lacking.
Despite these potential benefits, the bitter-tasting perennial in its natural form contains thujone, a toxic chemical that can cause hallucinations and seizures. Wormwood sold in the United States is required to be thujone-free.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements the way it regulates prescription drugs. That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says. Whenchoosing a supplement, look for independently tested products and consult a healthcare provider, registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN), or pharmacist.
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There’s not enough scientific evidence to definitively support the benefits of wormwood for treating or preventing any health condition, but some limited animal and human studies point to a few.
May Combat Pain and Inflammation
Historically, wormwood has been used to treat labor, premenstrual, joint, and muscle pain.Much of the research has centered on its use inosteoarthritis(“wear-and-tear arthritis”) andrheumatoid arthritis(an autoimmune form of arthritis).
Likewise, a 2017 study reported pain relief in people with rheumatoid arthritis when wormwood extract was used with leflunomide and methotrexate (two common rheumatoid arthritis drugs). However, the study did not suggest that wormwood on its own had any effect on rheumatoid arthritis.
May Fight Parasites
Wormwood’s name stems from its traditional use in treating parasites that cause severe gastrointestinal disease, includingpinworms,roundworms, andtapeworms. It dropped out of favor due to severe side effects in people who drank the liquor absinthe.
Most studies investigating the use of wormwood in treating parasites have been in animals, with mostly positive results. A 2017 study showed that wormwood killsHymenolepis nana,the most common form of tapeworm affecting humans, in both test tubes and lab mice.
Wormwood didn’t work as well as Biltricide (praziquantel). However, the findings are important becauseH. nanahas become increasingly resistant to Biltricide and other antiparasitic agents such as Albenza (albendazole).This suggests that wormwood extract may support antiparasitic drugs in parts of the world where tapeworms, roundworms, and pinworms are common.
May Fight Bacteria and Fungus
Wormwood contains camphor, an ingredient in products such as Vicks Vapo-Rub, that offers potent antibacterial and antifungal activity.
Wormwood has demonstrated activity againstStaphylococcus aureus, the common bacteria that causes skin and soft tissue infections. This includesmethicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA), a dangerous form of staph infection.
Wormwood’s antifungal activity may also act against common fungi such asCandida albicans(which causes yeast infections and oral thrush). Lab studies suggest that thujone can suppressC. albicansand other disease-causing fungi.
Although these effects were seen in test tubes, a 2021 study reported that wormwood extract given for six days to lab mice had no tangible effects against sixCandidaspecies.
May Aid Digestion
Wormwood has long been used to treat indigestion, flatulence,gastritis, and symptoms ofgallbladder disease. It is thought to stimulate the production of saliva, stomach mucus, and intestinal secretions that can help reduce stomach acids that contribute topeptic ulcersandacid reflux.
A 2020 review suggested that wormwood may be effective againstCrohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease. By reducing inflammation and stimulating intestinal secretions, wormwood may reduce the need forsteroid medicationsused to reduce gut inflammation and pain.
Most commonly found in absinthe and vermouth. the bitter-tasting perennial can be grown from seeds or purchased as a supplement and dried herb.
Possible Side Effects
Wormwood is relatively safe for short-term use in adults and has been used at low doses without incident for up to 12 weeks.
Unaltered wormwood contains significant amounts of thujone, a psychoactive chemical that can be toxic even in small amounts. Fresh wormwood should be consumed with caution due to the potential for serious side effects such as vomiting, hallucinations, and seizures.
Wormwood SafetyWormwood products made in the United States are required to be “thujone-free,” defined as containing no more than 10 parts per million (ppm) of thujone.
Wormwood Safety
Wormwood products made in the United States are required to be “thujone-free,” defined as containing no more than 10 parts per million (ppm) of thujone.
Possible side effects of wormwood include:
Precautions
Wormwood contains ingredients that may have toxic effects that are contraindicated in certain medical conditions such as:
Wormwood isnotsafe for children.
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.
Also Known AsAbsinthiumGreen gingerMadderwortMugwort
Also Known As
AbsinthiumGreen gingerMadderwortMugwort
Wormwood is often used to make tea and can be applied to the skin as an essential oil when diluted with a carrier oil such as almond. To be safe, test the oil on a small area and wait an hour or two.
There are no guidelines for the use of wormwood in any form. Be sure to follow all recommended dosages on the product labels. Overdosing can cause serious side effects.
Wormwood is available at health food stores and online in many forms, including:
Look for products with independent certification from organizations such as U.S. Pharmacopeia, ConsumerLab, and NSF International. A seal of approval confirms that the product was properly manufactured, contains the ingredients listed on the product label, and does not contain impurities or contaminants.
The FDA lists wormwood as unsafe for internal use because it contains thujone. The FDA requires all wormwood products sold in the United States to be thujone-free.
Summary
The possible health benefits of wormwood include improving digestion, treating skin infections, and killing parasites such as tapeworms. However, there’s not enough evidence that wormwood can treat or prevent any medical condition in humans. Furthermore, natural wormwood contains thujone, a toxic compound that can cause hallucinations and seizures. For this reason, wormwood products sold in the United States are required to be thujone-free.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Natural flavoring substances and natural adjuvants. CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21.El-Saber Batitha G, Olatunde A, El-Mleeh A, e al.Bioactive compounds, pharmacological actions, and pharmacokinetics of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium).Antibiotics (Basel).2020;9(6):353. doi:10.3390/antibiotics9060353Stebbings 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;35(7):1829-36. doi:10.1007/s10067-015-3110-zYang M, Guo MY, Luo Y, et al.Effect ofArtemisia annuaextract on treating active rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized controlled trial.Chin J Integr Med. 2017;23(7):496-503. doi:10.1007/s11655-016-2650-7Szopa A, Pajor J, Klin P, et al.Artemisia absinthiumL.—importance in the history of medicine, the latest advances in phytochemistry and therapeutical, cosmetological and culinary uses.Plants (Basel).2020;9(9):1063. doi:10.3390/plants9091063Beshay EVN.Therapeutic efficacy ofArtemisia absinthiumagainstHymenolepis nana:in vitroandin vivostudies in comparison with the anthelmintic praziquantel.J Helminthol. 2018;92(3):298-308. doi:10.1017/S0022149X17000529Elfawal MA, Gray O, Dickson-Burke C, Weathers PJ, Rich SM.Artemisia annuaand artemisinins are ineffective against humanBabesia microtiand sixCandidasp.Longhua Chin Med.2021;4:12. doi:10.21037/lcm-21-2Wang C, Wang B, Aili M, et al.Effect ofArtemisia rupestrisL. extract on gastrointestinal hormones and brain-gut peptides in functional dyspepsia rats.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Nov 16;2020:2528617. doi:10.1155/2020/2528617Holleran G, Scaldaferri F, Gasbarrini A, Currò D.Herbal medicinal products for inflammatory bowel disease: A focus on those assessed in double-blind randomised controlled trials.Phytother Res. 2020;34(1):77-93. doi:10.1002/ptr.6517McMullen MK, Whitehouse JM, Towell A.Bitters: time for a new paradigm.Evid Based Complementary Alternative Med. 2015;2015:1-8. doi:10.1155/2015/670504Food and Drug Administration.Food additive status list.Açıkgöz SK, Açıkgöz E.Gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to interaction of Artemisia absinthium with warfarin.Drug Metabol Drug Interact. 2013;28(3):187-189. doi:10.1515/dmdi-2013-0021
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Natural flavoring substances and natural adjuvants. CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21.El-Saber Batitha G, Olatunde A, El-Mleeh A, e al.Bioactive compounds, pharmacological actions, and pharmacokinetics of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium).Antibiotics (Basel).2020;9(6):353. doi:10.3390/antibiotics9060353Stebbings 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;35(7):1829-36. doi:10.1007/s10067-015-3110-zYang M, Guo MY, Luo Y, et al.Effect ofArtemisia annuaextract on treating active rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized controlled trial.Chin J Integr Med. 2017;23(7):496-503. doi:10.1007/s11655-016-2650-7Szopa A, Pajor J, Klin P, et al.Artemisia absinthiumL.—importance in the history of medicine, the latest advances in phytochemistry and therapeutical, cosmetological and culinary uses.Plants (Basel).2020;9(9):1063. doi:10.3390/plants9091063Beshay EVN.Therapeutic efficacy ofArtemisia absinthiumagainstHymenolepis nana:in vitroandin vivostudies in comparison with the anthelmintic praziquantel.J Helminthol. 2018;92(3):298-308. doi:10.1017/S0022149X17000529Elfawal MA, Gray O, Dickson-Burke C, Weathers PJ, Rich SM.Artemisia annuaand artemisinins are ineffective against humanBabesia microtiand sixCandidasp.Longhua Chin Med.2021;4:12. doi:10.21037/lcm-21-2Wang C, Wang B, Aili M, et al.Effect ofArtemisia rupestrisL. extract on gastrointestinal hormones and brain-gut peptides in functional dyspepsia rats.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Nov 16;2020:2528617. doi:10.1155/2020/2528617Holleran G, Scaldaferri F, Gasbarrini A, Currò D.Herbal medicinal products for inflammatory bowel disease: A focus on those assessed in double-blind randomised controlled trials.Phytother Res. 2020;34(1):77-93. doi:10.1002/ptr.6517McMullen MK, Whitehouse JM, Towell A.Bitters: time for a new paradigm.Evid Based Complementary Alternative Med. 2015;2015:1-8. doi:10.1155/2015/670504Food and Drug Administration.Food additive status list.Açıkgöz SK, Açıkgöz E.Gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to interaction of Artemisia absinthium with warfarin.Drug Metabol Drug Interact. 2013;28(3):187-189. doi:10.1515/dmdi-2013-0021
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Natural flavoring substances and natural adjuvants. CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21.El-Saber Batitha G, Olatunde A, El-Mleeh A, e al.Bioactive compounds, pharmacological actions, and pharmacokinetics of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium).Antibiotics (Basel).2020;9(6):353. doi:10.3390/antibiotics9060353Stebbings 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;35(7):1829-36. doi:10.1007/s10067-015-3110-zYang M, Guo MY, Luo Y, et al.Effect ofArtemisia annuaextract on treating active rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized controlled trial.Chin J Integr Med. 2017;23(7):496-503. doi:10.1007/s11655-016-2650-7Szopa A, Pajor J, Klin P, et al.Artemisia absinthiumL.—importance in the history of medicine, the latest advances in phytochemistry and therapeutical, cosmetological and culinary uses.Plants (Basel).2020;9(9):1063. doi:10.3390/plants9091063Beshay EVN.Therapeutic efficacy ofArtemisia absinthiumagainstHymenolepis nana:in vitroandin vivostudies in comparison with the anthelmintic praziquantel.J Helminthol. 2018;92(3):298-308. doi:10.1017/S0022149X17000529Elfawal MA, Gray O, Dickson-Burke C, Weathers PJ, Rich SM.Artemisia annuaand artemisinins are ineffective against humanBabesia microtiand sixCandidasp.Longhua Chin Med.2021;4:12. doi:10.21037/lcm-21-2Wang C, Wang B, Aili M, et al.Effect ofArtemisia rupestrisL. extract on gastrointestinal hormones and brain-gut peptides in functional dyspepsia rats.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Nov 16;2020:2528617. doi:10.1155/2020/2528617Holleran G, Scaldaferri F, Gasbarrini A, Currò D.Herbal medicinal products for inflammatory bowel disease: A focus on those assessed in double-blind randomised controlled trials.Phytother Res. 2020;34(1):77-93. doi:10.1002/ptr.6517McMullen MK, Whitehouse JM, Towell A.Bitters: time for a new paradigm.Evid Based Complementary Alternative Med. 2015;2015:1-8. doi:10.1155/2015/670504Food and Drug Administration.Food additive status list.Açıkgöz SK, Açıkgöz E.Gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to interaction of Artemisia absinthium with warfarin.Drug Metabol Drug Interact. 2013;28(3):187-189. doi:10.1515/dmdi-2013-0021
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Natural flavoring substances and natural adjuvants. CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21.
El-Saber Batitha G, Olatunde A, El-Mleeh A, e al.Bioactive compounds, pharmacological actions, and pharmacokinetics of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium).Antibiotics (Basel).2020;9(6):353. doi:10.3390/antibiotics9060353
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;35(7):1829-36. doi:10.1007/s10067-015-3110-z
Yang M, Guo MY, Luo Y, et al.Effect ofArtemisia annuaextract on treating active rheumatoid arthritis: A randomized controlled trial.Chin J Integr Med. 2017;23(7):496-503. doi:10.1007/s11655-016-2650-7
Szopa A, Pajor J, Klin P, et al.Artemisia absinthiumL.—importance in the history of medicine, the latest advances in phytochemistry and therapeutical, cosmetological and culinary uses.Plants (Basel).2020;9(9):1063. doi:10.3390/plants9091063
Beshay EVN.Therapeutic efficacy ofArtemisia absinthiumagainstHymenolepis nana:in vitroandin vivostudies in comparison with the anthelmintic praziquantel.J Helminthol. 2018;92(3):298-308. doi:10.1017/S0022149X17000529
Elfawal MA, Gray O, Dickson-Burke C, Weathers PJ, Rich SM.Artemisia annuaand artemisinins are ineffective against humanBabesia microtiand sixCandidasp.Longhua Chin Med.2021;4:12. doi:10.21037/lcm-21-2
Wang C, Wang B, Aili M, et al.Effect ofArtemisia rupestrisL. extract on gastrointestinal hormones and brain-gut peptides in functional dyspepsia rats.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Nov 16;2020:2528617. doi:10.1155/2020/2528617
Holleran G, Scaldaferri F, Gasbarrini A, Currò D.Herbal medicinal products for inflammatory bowel disease: A focus on those assessed in double-blind randomised controlled trials.Phytother Res. 2020;34(1):77-93. doi:10.1002/ptr.6517
McMullen MK, Whitehouse JM, Towell A.Bitters: time for a new paradigm.Evid Based Complementary Alternative Med. 2015;2015:1-8. doi:10.1155/2015/670504
Food and Drug Administration.Food additive status list.
Açıkgöz SK, Açıkgöz E.Gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to interaction of Artemisia absinthium with warfarin.Drug Metabol Drug Interact. 2013;28(3):187-189. doi:10.1515/dmdi-2013-0021
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