Safe or Unsafe
Wormwood (Artemisia genus) is a woody perennial herb, originally native to Eurasia, Africa and Asia, but has now naturalized in many parts of the world. Most popular for its antiparasitic qualities, wormwood has been used for centuries as a deworming agent for both humans and livestock alike.
The most commonly used species for herbal preparations are Artemisia absinthium, which is known as wormwood and Artemisia annua, known as sweet wormwood.
Common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a shrubby plant that typically grows to be one to three feet tall. It has gray-green or white stems covered by fine hairs and yellowish-green leaves that are hairy and silky. The leaves of the plant have glands that contain resinous particles where the natural insecticide is stored.
Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), is also known as sweet annie, sweet sagewort or annual wormwood. Its leaves are aromatic, tender, and deeply dissected into light green leaflets, often with deep cuts and serrated edges and a strong, sweet aroma.
Both species offer antiparasitic qualities, but Artemisia absinthium is most popular for herbal preparations. This is due to the higher thujone content, which is also the chemical component responsible for its toxicity.
Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) naturally contains thujone, but in much lower quantities compared to its cousin, common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). However, this species is still packed with an antiparasitic punch. Artemisinin, the most powerful antimalarial on the market, is an extract isolated from the plant Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood).
Many are surprised to know that malaria is actually a parasitic infection. It’s caused by five different species of parasites, known as Plasmodium, which are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.
Both species of wormwood offer a variety of benefits, aside from their antiparasitic activities.
Wormwood Benefits
Anti-inflammatory: Wormwood contains compounds called flavonoids and terpenoids, which have anti-inflammatory effects. This makes it beneficial for conditions like arthritis and muscle pain.
Antioxidant: Wormwood is rich in antioxidants, which can help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. This may improve immune function and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Digestive aid: Wormwood stimulates the production of digestive juices and bile, which can improve digestion and relieve symptoms of indigestion, heartburn, and bloating. It has also shown in studies to improve the symptoms of crohn’s disease.
Antimicrobial: Wormwood may have antimicrobial effects, which could help fight bacterial and fungal infections.
Neuroprotective: Some studies suggest that wormwood may have neuroprotective properties, potentially benefiting conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
Anticancer: According to several studies, artemisinin can battle iron-enriched breast cancer cells similar to the way it eliminates malaria-causing parasites, making it a potential natural cancer treatment option for women with breast cancer.
Antiparasitic: wormwood is most famous for eliminating intestinal parasites, especially tapeworms, pinworms and roundworms.
Anthelmintic Activity of Wormwood
As the topic of parasites becomes more prevalent, so does the discussion of ways to get rid of them, and wormwood is usually always mentioned. There are not many herbs that compare to its deworming effects.
Wormwood gets its name because it, well, removes worms! Much of wormwoods antiparasitic qualities comes from its Thujone content—the key component in wormwood that is known to be toxic to parasites. Thujone kills them by acting as a neurotoxin, specifically by blocking GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors in the nervous system, which can paralyze or kill parasites.
Artemisinin, the main component of sweet wormwood, is effective against protozoan parasites, particularly malaria, by interfering with parasite processes like the digestion of hemoglobin.
An in vitro study from 2011 demonstrated that ethanolic extracts of both common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) effectively killed adult S. mansoni worms.
A 2017 study showed that Artemisia absinthium extracts paralyzed and killed H. nana (the most common human tapeworm) in both lab mice and test tubes. The study confirmed that the extract caused damage to the worm’s outer layer, leading to its death, though it was less potent than the drug praziquantel.
Another study from 2009 on sheep found that ethanolic and aqueous extracts of A. absinthium caused paralysis and death in adult H. contortus in vitro. It also significantly reduced fecal egg counts in infected sheep.
In 2018 a large clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo studied the effects of tea infusions from two wormwood species (Artemisia annua and Artemisia afra) in over 800 patients with schistosomiasis. The trial found that the wormwood teas cured the parasitic infection significantly faster than the standard drug praziquantel and with fewer adverse side effects.
Now, although human trials are limited, clearly there’s enough evidence that wormwood is effective at removing parasites. So what is the problem?
How toxic is wormwood?
When you research wormwood, the first thing you’re going to read is that it’s main component thujone is neurotoxic, and can cause seizures, convulsions, renal failure and more. For most people, this sounds scary enough not to ever want to try it!
Almost every source and website has extreme cautions surrounding its use, yet, if it’s so dangerous, why is it been used for thousands of years?
See, thujone is toxic, and in high amounts, can absolutely be harmful to the human body. But in the proper amounts, is only toxic to the parasites, and not the human body. Everything lies in the dose.
“All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison.”
—Paracelsus
Much of the fears surrounding wormwood is due to a handful of cases where individuals suffered acute renal failure after consuming products that contained wormwood.
One case of acute liver injury due to wormwood occurred in 2019 after a 51 man returned from Ethiopia. He developed cholestatic hepatitis, which was attributed to his daily intake of Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) tea, used for malaria prevention. It wasn’t until after six months of use, that he began experiencing negative symptoms.
Another case where a 49-year-old woman developed acute liver failure after 2 months of taking an herbal supplement for weight loss which contained artemisinin, a derivative of wormwood. She did have a prior medical history of a factor V mutation and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and had also experienced a similar episode of liver inflammation a year earlier. Her compromised health could have played a role in this experience.
One of the most famous cases took place in 1997 where a 31-year-old man drank 10 mL of steam-distilled pure volatile oil of wormwood, wrongly believing it was absinthe liqueur. Thankfully and surprisingly he did not die, and was released from the hospital 8 days later.
Other wormwood related “cases” involve Absinthe, a high-proof, anise-flavored spirit made from wormwood, anise, fennel, and other herbs. It is known for its high alcohol content, typically ranging from 45% to 74% ABV. Historically it was associated with hallucinogenic effects, and did indeed cause people to “go mad”.
The most famous story is that of Jean Lanfray, a French man working on a vineyard in the Swiss village of Commugny, who murdered his wife and their two children while under the influence of an evil spirit–absinthe. Modern absinthe however contains very low levels of thujone, and its effects are primarily from the high alcohol content, not thujone.
Many of these cases and stories of wormwood causing harm, are directly linked to high consumption and concentrated doses. To date, there are no cases of wormwood toxicity when consumed in moderate amounts, on a short term basis. There is also no documented cases of “death by wormwood.”
Using Wormwood
There is no proven safe dose for wormwood, however there is lots of anecdotal evidence of what is considered safe.
Below is a list of the main ways wormwood is used:
Tea: wormwood tea is the oldest form of administering this medicine. A basic tea is made using 1 tsp of dried wormwood, per one cup of boiling water. The herbs are steeped for about 15 minutes, then strained out. The tea is then consumed 1-3 times daily, typically for 2 weeks, but no longer than 4.
Tincture: tinctures are the most popular and efficient way to take herbal remedies. A recommended dose for a “pure” wormwood tincture at a 1:4 herb strength, would be 1 ml (30-40 drops), up to 3 times daily, for 2 weeks, but no longer than 4.
Keep in mind that alcohol concentrates the thujone content, so it is not safe to take a pure wormwood tincture long term or in high amounts.
If you want to learn more about making your own tinctures, visit here.
Supplements: pills and supplements of wormwood can also be purchased, but it’s recommended to take the dose that is on the bottle. Different companies use different measurements that require specific doses.
Essential Oil: An essential oil of wormwood highly concentrates the thujone and other components. This oil when diluted, can be used topically, but should never be ingested.
Topically: wormwood can be used topically as a poultice for joint and muscle pain, as well as sprains and bruises. You can also make salves and soaps with it.
Helpful tips to stay safe
• Reputable suppliers: purchase from reputable companies that are knowledgeable on working with wormwood, so that you know the formulas have been developed safely.
• Combined Tincture: wormwood as an ingredient, is safer than straight wormwood itself. Mixing it with other herbs helps to dilute the thujone content. Many people combine wormwood with black walnuts, cloves and other vermifuge herbs, to make a parasite cleanse extract. Here at HealthPrimitive, we also incorporate oregano and pumpkin seeds for added benefits in our antiparasitic Black Walnut Blend you can find here.
• Glycerite: an extract made with glycerin is going to contain lower amounts of thujone, lessening its potential toxicity.
• Tea: Thujone is not well preserved in water, thus water extractions are safer than alcohol extractions.
• Dilution: diluting your tincture with water will dilute the thujone content. In fact, some herbalists use this method when making a tincture of wormwood. By adding water to a finished tincture, you diluting the potential toxicity.
• Sweet wormwood: sweet wormwood contains lower amounts of thujone, making it a potentially safer option to consume or use in remedies. However, long term use is still not advised.
• Do not use long term or in high amounts: most toxicity cases happened after high amounts of wormwood were consumed, for long periods of time. It is recommended not to take wormwood for longer than 4 weeks.
• Use for parasite cleansing only: although wormwood offers a wide range of benefits, it’s not safe to take on a daily basis for a long time duration. Use only as an antiparasitic for cleansing of parasites for no longer than 4 weeks.
• Alternate use: in cases of severe parasitic infections, wormwood can be alternated, one month on and one month off, for several months. During this time, it’s important for the person using it to pay attention and listen to their body.
• Thujone free producs: As of now, the FDA in the united states requires many wormwood products to be thujone free—contain less than 10mg of thujone.
However, this requirement is usually only followed by large commercial companies. Many small herbal companies do not have the ability to remove thujone, nor can preform Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to measure the concentration. They can however estimate the amount of thujone by using lower concentrations of wormwood in their formulas.
Above this, most trained herbalist and botanical companies know that the “thujone” is actually required in order to kill parasites. To offer a thujone free product, would defeat the entire purpose. But, if thujone free is what you’re looking for, there are plenty of reputable companies online offering it.
Safety Considerations
Artemisia (primarily thujone isolated and in high doses) is very toxic to the CNS, causing paralysis, decreased coordination, and (euphoric) hallucinations. These effects are said to be reversible.
Do NOT ever ingest volatile oil of wormwood (wormwood essential oil).
Long-term or high dosing may irritate stomach and dangerously affect the heart, arteries, liver and kidneys. If you have liver or kidney issues, it’s best to avoid using wormwood. People who are allergic to plants in Asteraceae family, should use with caution.
People with epilepsy and other seizure disorders should use caution when using wormwood or avoid altogether. Thujone can stimulate the brain, lower the seizure threshold, and reduce the effectiveness of anti-seizure medications.
If you take medications it’s best to speak to your doctor or pharmacist prior to using wormwood.
Due to the lack of reliable information, children, pregnant and nursing women, should avoid using wormwood.
Here at HealthPrimitive, we recommend that every individual do their own research to make the best informed decision for their own health. This information is for educational purposes only. View our disclaimer here.
Final Thought
Wormwood is not a plant that we should fear, but rather respect instead. It’s been helping mankind for centuries as an antiparasitic, digestive aid and more. The time-tested use of wormwood is a testament to its effectiveness. Using it simply requires respect and understanding for its potent nature, and adhering to recommended dosages.
Remember,
“All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison.”
—Paracelsus
Stay Wild
Sources Below
https://consensus.app/search/wormwood-neurotoxic-effects-risks/QRlMFqWdSZaRBMNDBB8KyA/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8901041_Thirteen-week_repeated_dose_toxicity_study_of_wormwood_Artemisia_absinthium_extract_in_rats
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S088723332300187X
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2019.00221/full
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7070545/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNaf4ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtqW046wS83HyYkI_o-_n7_al0IQVrI-KGsL3l0MXKZIAdiJxLJbYNbUq61U_aem_jj-FLP8yUNOIcx4mJDTtvQ
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874123003562?fbclid=IwY2xjawNaf5BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHm3ErSX4Ke_vYLhmqdSzFcq2-y776zIKku8bNRsNqCTs_zeWqmbk295FiG2c_aem_DwO-DnV9Ai0D3zZ6u7HIlA
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7487009/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNaf5pleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHs93_cn9nsfNuY8pSgy6_dI90-keRZzgcNqqTxmXYu3fNM0WMGUd6uPFHVtf_aem_9bCMp4b63qgcb40UKauEFQ
