Medicinal Uses of Grand Wormwood

Grand wormwood, Artemisia absinthum, has been used since ancient times as a multi-purpose medicinal. It is cultivated primarily in southern France and Switzerland. It is also sometimes called absinthe wormwood because it is an important ingredient in the French liqueur absinthe, giving the drink its characteristic bitter quality. Its main active ingredient, thujone, is related to menthol and shares many of menthol's antiseptic quaIities. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used wormwood for a myriad of medical uses, such as a tonic, antiseptic and fever reducer and pain reliever.

Tonic and Stimulant Uses

• Wormwood can improve liver function.

  Grand wormwood is often used in the form of an infusion as a tonic or stimulant. The ancient Greeks used it as a remedy for drunkenness. It is also used to stimulate the liver and gallbladder to function better. Wormwood is sometimes taken to invigorate a poor appetite, too. If used with medical supervision, wormwood oil can be an effective cardiac stimulant and may be helpful with regard to the circulatory system. It has also been used as an antidepressant.

Other Internal Uses

• Wormwood can be used to soothe indigestion.

  When grand wormwood is taken in powdered capsule form, it is often used as an antithelmintic; in other words, it helps to expel intestinal and other parasitic worms such as roundworm and pinworm, from the body. Wormwood is also used to cure gastrointestinal ills, such as indigestion, gastric pain and flatulence.

  Wormwood tea is sometimes given to pregnant women to give relief from labor pains. You can make an infusion by boiling one cup of water and pouring it over 1 or 2 teaspoons of dried wormwood. Let the mixture steep for 10 to 15 minutes and take 1 to 4 mL three times a day.

External Uses

• Wormwood can soothe aching muscles and joints.

  Apply grand wormwood in oil or liniment form as an antiseptic or to obtain relief for aching joints and muscles due to rheumatism, neuralgia and arthritis. Grand wormwood has also been used as a local anesthetic. The ancient Greeks used the herb as an insect repellent, and you can too: either plant wormwood in your garden, or use wormwood oil topically on your skin.

Cautions for Use

• Use wormwood under the direction of a medical professional.

  Grand wormwood, used in either extract or caplet form, must be taken with caution and under the direction of a medical professional, since higher levels of the herb can be toxic. It should be avoided altogether by people suffering from stomach acidity or from intestinal ulcers. In addition, some sources indicate that wormwood should not be taken by pregnant women, although the dried herb is low in essential oil, which is the source of thujone, which is the potentially toxic element of the herb.