Wormwood

Latin Name: Artemisia absinthium
Family: Asteraceae

Part used: Dried leaves and tops.
Energetics: Very bitter, astringent.
Iris: All types.
Interactions: Please check with your Healthcare Provider.

CONTRA-INDICATIONS

Pregnancy and Lactation.
Allergic hypersensitivity
Gastric ulcers
Duodenal ulcers
Stomach irritation
Nursing mothers
Avoid prolonged use
Allergy to Asteraceae family.

ACTIONS

Digestive
Mental
Stomach
Bile and gastric juice stimulant
Anti-parasitic
Anthelmintic
Anti-inflammatory
Carminative
Immune enhancer
Expectorant
Diuretic
Vulnerary
Antispasmodic
Stimulant
Bitter tonic
Cholagogue
Emmenagogue
Anti-fungal
Anti-bacterial
Anti-viral
Anti-protozoal
Neuro-tonic

Main Constituents

Phenolic acids
Volatile oil (Thujone)
Sesquiterpene lactones
Bitter glycosides
Tannin up to 7%
Vitamins: B, Mn, Silica, Choline.

Main Uses

Digestive System: Feeble digestion in the elderly, Jaundice - promotes flow of bile, Yellow tinge of skin, Lack of appetite, Nausea, Vomiting

Infections:
Bacteria: Bacillus, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Pasteurella, Proteus, Providencia, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus.
Fungi: Aspergillus Spp., Botrytis, Candida Spp., Epidermophyton, Fusarium, Microsporum, Trichophyton.
Nematodes: Ascaris, Clonorchis sinensis, Enterobius, Haemonchus, Trichinella, Strongyloides.
Parasites: Weevil, Fleas, Gnats.
Protozoa: Babesia, Entamoeba, Leishmania, Naegleria, Plasmodium, Theileria, Toxoplasma, Trypanosoma.
Viruses: Epstein-Barr (EBV), HIV, Herpes simplex - HSV-1, Hepatitis B.
Oral System: Foul breath
Nervous system: Travel sickness
Musculo-Skeletal System: Spasms of muscles, Rheumatism, Sprains
Endocrine: Amenorrhoea

More About Wormwood

The intense bitterness acts upon the taste glands, affecting the stomach, gallbladder and intestine.
It stimulates hydrochloric acid, stomach and pancreatic enzymes and aids the assimilation of food, promotes the appetite and digestion.
It helps to remove flatulence and halitosis. Halitosis can be caused by stomach or oral infection, and oral inflammation is improved by using wormwood.
It can help with toning up a sluggish digestion as well as aiding nausea, retching, acidity and bloating.
It stimulates the central nervous system and heart and can help in cases of nervousness and physical exhaustion with fatigue.

Recipes:

Wormwood Infusion

Ingredients:

1-2 teaspoons of dried wormwood leaves and flowers
236ml of boiling water

Instructions:

Place the dried wormwood leaves and flowers in a cup.
Boil water and pour it over the dried wormwood.
Cover and steep for about 5-10 minutes.
Strain the infusion to remove the plant material.
Drink the wormwood infusion while it's warm.

Wormwood-Infused Oil

Ingredients:

Dried wormwood leaves and flowers
Carrier oil (e.g., olive oil, coconut oil, or jojoba oil)

Instructions:

Fill a clean, dry glass jar about halfway with dried wormwood leaves and flowers. The exact amount of wormwood will depend on the size of the jar.
Pour the carrier oil over the wormwood to completely cover it. Ensure there are no air bubbles.
Seal the jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Place the jar in a warm, sunny location, like a windowsill, for about 2-4 weeks. This allows the oil to become infused with the properties of the wormwood. Shake it gently every day or as often as you remember.
After the infusion period, strain the oil to remove the wormwood plant material. You can use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
Transfer the infused oil to a clean glass bottle or container.
Label the bottle with the date of preparation.

References

Damaged skeletal muscles

A carbonized wormwood modified photothermal microneedle patch for the repair of damaged skeletal muscles
Above all, this light-controlled photothermal MN (microneedle) drug-delivery system avoided the common problems of traditional moxibustion such as large levels of smoke, slow efficacy and risk of scalding. Collectively, we put forward a safe, accurate and efficient approach for skeletal muscle damage treatment using carbonized wormwood.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34477628/

Apoptosis/cancer cells

Artemisinin induces apoptosis in human cancer cells
DHA treatment significantly decreased cell counts and increased the proportion of apoptosis in cancer cells compared to controls (chi2=4.5, df=1, p<0.035). This rapid induction of apoptosis in cancer cells after treatment with DHA indicates that artemisinin and its analogs may be inexpensive and effective cancer agents.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15330172/

Hip & Knee Osteoarthritis

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.
ART low dose was well tolerated. ART has potential as an anti-inflammatory/analgesic in OA. Treatment with ART 150 mg BD is associated with clinically relevant reductions in pain over 12 weeks.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26631103/

Anti-proliferative, prostate cancer

Artemisinin blocks prostate cancer growth and cell cycle progression by disrupting Sp1 interactions with the cyclin-dependent kinase-4 (CDK4) promoter and inhibiting CDK4 gene expression.
Taken together, our results demonstrate that a key event in the artemisinin anti-proliferative effects in prostate cancer cells is the transcriptional down-regulation of CDK4 expression by disruption of Sp1 interactions with the CDK4 promoter.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19017637/

Neuroblastoma

Artemisinin reduces cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in neuroblastoma
Soft agar assays revealed that artemisinin suppressed the ability of clonogenic formation of neuroblastoma cells and a xenograft study in NOD/SCID mice showed that artemisinin inhibited tumor growth and development in vivo. Therefore, our results suggest that the Chinese medicine artemisinin could serve as a novel potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of neuroblastoma.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25017372/