Health Benefits of Wormwood

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This is an article to give you the health benefits of wormwood.

Why am I Writing About Wormwood?

Wormwood is an ingredient that you’ll find in some of your gut-healing supplements. 

Here are 5 common wormwood products that contain the herb: 

1. >>> Digestive Bitters (BRAND NEW!)
2. Dysbiocide
3. Para-Gard
4. Gaia Herbs Wormwood Black Walnut Supreme
5. GI-Synergy

I have personally taken, used, and loved: Digestive Bitters, Dysbiocide, and GI-Synergy.

[More information on all 5 of these can be found below.]

What is Wormwood?

Wormwood is the common term for Artemisia absinthium L.; also sometimes called Absinth. 

It is a plant species (perennial shrubby medicinal plant) used in herbal medicine that’s native to North Africa and certain regions of Eurasia.

However, it is widely used in Canada and the United states as an ingredient in alcoholic beverages and as a medicinal herb.

Wormwood is:

• bitter
• pungent
• warming
• cleansing
• tonic

One distinction that is important to know is the difference between sweet wormwood and wormwood.

They are not the same, but they do both belong to the same genus (Artemisia) and are both use medicinally.

From a medicinal standpoint, sweet wormwood is generally considered safe for healthy adults when used in proper doses, whereas wormwood should be used with caution, as it can be toxic in large doses.

Health Benefits of Wormwood

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Wormwood has a long history of use, dating back to the 5th-4th cent. BCE.

Make note that it the traditional use for it was gynecologically, but now (due to the bitter compounds), is primarily used for digestive issues.

During my research, here were all the various ways I’ve found wormwood has been used and the possible health benefits associated with it:

1. Jaundice treatment
2. Gynecological conditions (hysteria, dysmenorrhea, sterility)
3. Treatment of digestive conditions:
   1. Stomach pain relief
   2. Liver ache
   3. Flatulence
   4. Bile excess
   5. Ascarids
   6. Roundworms
   7. Gastritis
   8. Dyspepsia
   9. Indigestion
   10. Gastric pain
   11. Esophageal bowel syndrome with irritation
4. Anorexia 
5. Nausea
6. Headache and earache relief
7. Sore throats
8. Alopecia
9. Dark circles under the eyes
10. Skin color improvement
11. Carminative
12. Hepatitis
13. Anemia
14. Hepatocyte enlargement
15. Weak memory tremors
16. Chronic fevers
17. Stiff muscles and joins
18. Bruise healing
19. Malaria (but make note that the World Health Organization does not support using this plant material in any form for the prevention or treatment of malaria)

Besides the medicinal properties, it’s also been shown as an effective moth and insect repellent. 

In the food industry, it’s used in aperitifs, spirits, and bitters.

Wormwood and the Gut

While there are many potential benefits of using wormwood for its potential health benefits, this is a gut-health focused website.

Therefore, I want to break down a couple key indications.

​Indications for Crohn’s Disease

There has been a lot of scientific evidence connecting wormwood and Crohn’s Disease.

In a study using Wormwood extract (Artemisia absinthium L.), the Thieme Group found,

The results strongly suggest that wormwood has a remarkable immune modulating effect on Crohn’s disease. The improvements in HAMD scores indicate that wormwood also has an effect on mood and quality of life of CD patients, which is not achieved by any other standard medication. 

Further research indicates the reason for this is because wormwood suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which appears to play an important role in Crohn’s Disease. Tumour necrosis factor alpha is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays a crucial role in inflammation. 

In fact, according to many the herb wormwood might be the most effective herb for Crohn’s disease. 

It is also for these same reasons (anti-inflammatory properties) that many will use Wormwood also for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (not to be confused with Inflammatory Bowel Disease).

Wormwood and Stomach Acid

Because wormwood has a bitter taste, it’s commonly used as a digestive stimulant.

A double-blind research trial reported that combining wormwood with caraway, fennel and peppermint helped lessen gas and cramping.

It is believed to stimulate the production of saliva, stomach mucus, and intestinal secretions, which could help reduce stomach acid and soothe digestive disorders. 

These benefits could have positive indications for things like acid reflux and peptic ulcers.

How to Take Wormwood

The most common ways people supplement with wormwood is via tea, tincture, or in a capsule.

Wormwood Tea

Wormwood tea contains dried wormwood leaves. 

As with other teas, you pour boiling water over the leaves, let it steep, and then strain the tea.

Mountain Rose has Organic Wormwood leaves, and you can find many other high-quality pure leaves as well.

​Tinctured Wormwood

Another common way to take the herb is by way of a tincture.

Gaia Herbs Wormwood Black Walnut Supreme

This tincture from Gaia Herbs has been used for supporting a healthy intestinal environment while also supporting the GI Tract.

In addition to the sweet wormwood, the tincture also contains:

• Black Walnut fresh green hulls (Juglans Nigra)
• Pomegranate freeze-dried arils (Punica
  granatum)
• Coptis root (Coptis chinensis)
• Wormwood herb (Artemisia absinthium)
• Clove buds (Syzygium aromaticum)
• Gentian root (Gentiana lutea)
• Ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale)

​If you prefer the tincture form of wormwood, here are a few other brands to consider:

1. Herb Pharm (Wormwood)
2. NOW Foods (Fresh Green Black Walnut Wormwood Complex Liquid)
3. Herb Pharm (Artemisia Annua)

All three of these can also be found within my Fullscript Online Dispensary.

​

Capsule (Supplement Products)

And finally, probably the most common way people incorporate wormwood is in capsule form.

Digestive Bitters

The Just Thrive Digestive Bitters contain sweet wormwood (also known as sweet annie), which they say helps optimize blood flow throughout your digestive system while supporting enzyme and bile secretion.

It’s also known for promoting gut barrier integrity and microbiome balance.

According to Just Thrive, the research regarding sweet wormwood contains a compound called artemisinin, which has been shown to stimulate bile flow, improve digestion and reduce issues like occasional nausea, bloating, and diarrhea.

Traditional medicine systems have long relied on this herb for its gut-soothing and detoxifying properties.

Dysbiocide

Dysbiocide is a supplement I have taken on and off for years to help with SIBO.

It contains wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) (shoot & leaf) (extract), and the combination of Eastern and Western herbs in this formula provides a broad anti-dysbiotic effect, even with low dosing.

Para-Guard

Para-Gard® is a combination of berberine sulfate, garlic, gentian, goldenseal, and sweet wormwood. 

It contains 150mg** of Artemisia annua.

GI-Synergy™

GI-Synergy is on my Master List of SIBO Healing Tools. It’s a compounded herbal supplement I took early on in my SIBO healing phase(s).

This supplement actually comes in packets which combine three complementary formulas that are each designed to support the intestinal terrain. You take one packet per day.

These dietary supplements include Wormwood Extract (Artemisia annua) (aerial parts) PLUS the following:

• Black Walnut Extract (Juglans nigra) (hull)  
• Undecylenic Acid (as calcium undecylenate)  
• Caprylic Acid (as magnesium caprylate)  
• Barberry Extract (Berberis aristata, Berberis vulgaris) (root & bark)  
• Olive Extract (Olea europaea) (leaf) (standardized to 18% oleuropein)  
• Garlic Extract (Allium sativum) (bulb) (standardized to 1% allicin)  
• Goldenseal Extract (Hydrastis canadensis) (root)  
• Oregano Extract (Origanum vulgare) (leaf)
• Uva Ursi Extract (Arctostaphylos uva ursi) (leaf) (standardized to 20% arbutin)  
• Cats Claw Extract (Uncaria tomentosa) (bark) (standardized to 3% oxindole alkaloids)  
• Pau DArco Extract (Tabebuia impetiginosa) (bark)    
• Oregon Grape Extract (Mahonia aquifolium) (root)  
• Chinese Goldthread Extract (Coptis chinensis) (root)  

[Again, all of the above can be found via my Fullscript Online Dispensary.]

Side Effects 

Like everything else, there are some who should not consider the use of wormwood.

Some cautions include (not a definitive list):

1. Long-term use of A. absinthium essential wormwood oil may cause toxic and mental disorders in humans with clinical manifestations including convulsions, sleeplessness, and hallucinations.
2. Pregnant women should not take wormwood. If you are breastfeeding, you’ll also want to work closely with your healthcare provider, since there is a lack of safety information for the herb.
3. If you have kidney disease or any kidney disorder problems in general, wormwood may increase your risk of kidney failure.

Also to note that many sites say there is insufficient research to determine the long-term benefits and risks of taking wormwood as a whole. 

Sources: HERE, and HERE, and HERE

What are your thoughts on wormwood? Have you used it? Feel free to share your experiences with it and/or questions about it in the comments below.

If you liked this article on the health benefits of wormwood, you might also enjoy:

1. Herbal Remedies for SIBO
2. Castor Oil for Gut Health Care
3. Essential Oil DIY Body Scrub Recipe

Xox,

SKH