Known for the properties it offers in alcoholic beverages, wormwood has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes, to reduce pain and inflammation, to treat digestive issues, intestinal worms, and skin infections. Here are its properties, benefits, and contraindications!
About Wormwood
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a highly valued plant for its unique aroma and its supposed health benefits.
Native to Europe, wormwood has adapted to a variety of climatic conditions in Asia, Africa, South America, and the United States.
Its whitish or silver-green stem, greenish-yellow leaves, and yellow flowers are hard to confuse, which is why it is also called white wormwood!
The intensity of the flower color can vary, leading some to consider that there are wild wormwood species and garden wormwood.
All parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Sweet wormwood, also known as sweet sage, resembles wormwood but belongs to a different family of plants. If we talk about sweet wormwood, its benefits differ from those of wormwood.
The global fame of wormwood is linked to its use in the preparation of absinthe, the favorite liqueur of French artists in the 19th century. Long considered a hallucinogen and a potential poison, wormwood was banned in the United States from 1912 to 2007; during that time, it became legal even on the American continent.
What Benefits Does Wormwood Offer?
Wormwood has multiple health benefits. Its leaves, stems, and flowers are used. It has diuretic, disinfectant, vermifuge, and digestive actions, thanks to the substances it contains, including tannins, phytosterols, flavones, and organic acids.
This plant helps alleviate the following symptoms and conditions:
Gastrointestinal issues such as indigestion and abdominal bloating. It may play a role in stimulating appetite, gastric secretions, and protecting and regenerating the digestive mucosa.
It could be useful in some gallbladder conditions;
It may help eliminate bad breath;
It can assist in removing intestinal parasites;
It may have a beneficial influence in combating anemia;
It could contribute to normalizing scalp and hair oils;
It plays a role in maintaining intimate health.
How to Use Wormwood Depending on Conditions and Symptoms
Preparations from the plant can be used for both internal and external treatments. It can be used in the form of tea, decoction, tincture, or poultice.
The tea is made from dried and crushed leaves and rhizomes. One tablespoon of leaves or roots is placed in 200 ml of boiling water and left to infuse for 15 minutes, after which it is strained. The resulting tea can be consumed cold or warm without any sweeteners.
For the decoction, one full tablespoon of dried and crushed leaves is placed in a cup of cold water and left to infuse for 20 minutes. Then it is brought to a boil and left to simmer for another 20 minutes. The resulting solution is strained and used for skin washes or gargles.
The tincture is made by mixing 50 g of ground root with 150 ml of rye or fruit alcohol with an alcohol concentration of over 70%. The preparation is left to macerate for 15 days and then must be strained and stored in a cool place. It should be consumed immediately after main meals, one tablespoon per day.
Freshly picked leaves are finely chopped and applied directly to the affected area. They have an immediate effect in relieving pain. A sterile dressing is recommended to be used over wounds. The poultice should be kept on the area for an hour and then removed.
