Wormwood Purchase & Information
Alternative Names
Absinthe, Absinthe Suisse, Absinthii Herba, Absinthites, Ajenjo, Alvine, Armoise, Armoise Absinthe, Armoise Amère, Armoise Commune, Armoise Vulgaire, Artesian Absinthium, Artemisia, Common Wormwood, Grande Absinthe, Green Ginger, Herba Artemisae, Herbe aux Vers, Herbe d'Absinthe, Herbe Sainte, Indhana, Lapsent, Menu Alvine, Quing Hao, Vilayati Afsanteen, Wermut, Wermutkraut, Western Wormwood, Wurmkraut CAUTION: Please refer to separate listings for Artemisia herba-alba, Ginger, Mugwort, Sweet Annie, Wormseed
Scientific Name
Artemisia Absimthium
Why Do People Use Wormwood?
Oral preparations of Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood), like wormwood powder, are used for indigestion, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal complaints such as low acidity gastritis and for biliary dyskinesia. Wormwood is also consumed as an aphrodisiac, anthelmintic, general tonic, to stimulate sweating and as an antispasmodic. Wormwood powder is also used to provide relief from liver diseases and from fever as well. Wormwood oil is used orally as an aphrodisiac, for digestive disorders and to stimulate cognition.
Topically, wormwood powder is used to heal insect bites and wounds. Its oil is used as a counterirritant.
In Foods Items - In various food items such as alcoholic vermouth and bitters, wormwood is used as a flavoring agent.
In Manufacturing Activities - Wormwood oil is used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, soaps and perfumes and also as an insecticide.
Is It Safe To Use?
Likely Safe - Orally used wormwood along with food items is considered safe to use. Its extracts are included in vermouth, bitters and other drink or food items as well. Thujone-free wormwood products have attained Generally Recognized As Safe status (GRAS) in United States specifically for general food items but thujone containing products might not be safe to use.
Possibly Unsafe - Orally consumption of wormwood products, which contain thujone element, should be avoided. Thujone is a neurological toxin that is present in wormwood oil. Rhabdomyolysis, Seizures and acute renal failure can occur when 10 mL of wormwood oil is consumed.
Likely Unsafe During Pregnancy - Oral consumption of wormwood amounts greater than those found in food items is considered unsafe during pregnancy. There are some wormwood products that contain thujone, which has CNS stimulant effects. Thujone also has potential menstrual and uterine stimulant effects. However, about the topical safety level of wormwood during pregnancy, there is insufficient and unreliable information available.
Evade In Lactation - Breastfeeding mothers should avoid oral or topical usage of wormwood because yet there is unreliable and less data available in this regard.
How Effective Is Wormwood?
To rate the effectiveness of wormwood powder, there is scarce and unreliable information available.
How Wormwood Works?
The most effective part of Artemisia absinthium are the aerial parts. Wormwood is a sweet-smelling shrubbery. It consist of essential oil ranging between 0.2% - 1.7%. Wormwood oil contains monoterpene thujone between 40% - 90%, which may be to responsible for wormwood's potential risks. Around 70% to 90% of the thujone content exists as beta-thujone and 10% to 30% as alpha-thujone. Alpha-thujone is more lethal than beta-thujone.
Wormwood also contains anabsinthin, absinthin, tars, artabsin and different natural acids.
Wormwood oil has convulsant impacts, vermicidal and insecticidal effects. Different clinical experiments suggest that it has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifertility, antimalarial, antifungal and anti-amebic activities as well.
A watery methanolic concentrate appears to save against acetaminophen instigated hepatotoxicity, perhaps by keeping the breakdown of acetaminophen into responsive metabolites.
The thujone constituent is a CNS stimulant and can result in seizures. Thujone is basically same as detla-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the active ingredient in cannabis, yet it appears to have low affinity for the cannabinoid receptors. Initial experiments suggest that thujone is metabolized by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, but the particular human isozyme has not been distinguished.
What Are The Side Effects /Adverse Reactions of Wormwood?
The oil in wormwood leaves can result in vomiting, nausea, diffuse muscle aches, seizures, acute renal toxicity, acute renal failure and also rhabdomyolysis. Perpetual ingestion of absinthe, which is an alcoholic drink that contains wormwood extract has been related to absinthism. Absinthism was first reported in the 18th century when absinthe was excessively consumed. It has been characterized by gastrointestinal adverse effects, addiction, visual and auditory hallucinations, insomnia, paralysis, tremors, brain damage and epilepsy. There is also more chances of psychiatric suicide and illness. Be that as it may, there is theory that some of the side effects of absinthism initially reported may be ascribed to defilement with poisonous and metals plants, for example, tansy and calamus, rather than the fixings normally utilized as a part of absinthe beverages.. Indeed, some proof proposes that the poisonous thujone concentrations in the absinthe formulation from the 1800s were so low and could not be related to thujone-related toxicities.
Wormwood maybe responsible for hypersensitive response in individuals sensitive to the Compositae or Asteraceae family. Members of this family include chrysanthemums, ragweed, daisies, marigolds and some other herbs as well.
How Wormwood Interacts With Other Herbs and Supplements?
Herbs Containing Thujone - Consumption of wormwood powder may enhance the thujone toxicity potential risks. Herbs containing thujone include oak moss, mugwort, sage, oriental arborvitae, tansy, savin tops, tree moss, thuja (cedar) and yarrow, which should be avoided.
How Wormwood Interacts With Drugs?
Anticonvulsants - Interaction rating between Artemisia absinthium and anticonvulsants is moderate so be careful about this mixture.
Concomitant consumption of wormwood powder may influence with the productivity of anticonvulsant drugs. Constituent of wormwood called thujone has convulsant effects. Some anticonvulsant drugs include primidone (Mysoline), phenobarbital, gabapentin (Neurontin), valproic acid (Depakene), phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol) and others.
How Wormwood Interacts With Foods?
Not known.
How Wormwood Interacts With Lab Tests?
Not known.
How Wormwood Interacts With Diseases and Conditions?
Cross-Allergenicity - Wormwood oil can result in allergic reaction in individuals sensitive to the Compositae or Asteraceae family of plants. Family members include daisies, marigolds, chrysanthemums, ragweed and some other as well.
Porphyria - Alpha-thujone, which is a constituent of wormwood oil, may increase the porphyrins production, making it potentially more lethal to patients with underlying defects in hepatic heme synthesis.
Seizure Disorders - Wormwood contains thujone, which can result in seizures.
What Should Be the Dose/Administration of Wormwood?
There is no typical dosage of wormwood.
Comments
Wormwood is a basic ingredient in a number of well-known alcoholic beverages.
General Certificate of Analysis (COA)
Specification sheet links below are a standard copy of the COA less the batch or lot number and manufactures dates. Specification sheet can be dated and should only be considered as a general information. Please contact and request an up to date COA if needed for specific updated information before placing order by filling out the contact form with product name and SKU number. If ordering quantities of twenty five kilos or more contact for availability.
