Wormwood

Materia Medica

Wormwood

Artemisia absinthium

Wormwood is an intensely bitter, silver-leaved perennial of the daisy family, used as a digestive bitter and a traditional remedy for intestinal worms. It flavours absinthe and vermouth, and its essential oil contains thujone, which limits use to short courses.

What Is Wormwood?

Wormwood is an intensely bitter, silver-leaved perennial of the daisy family, used as a digestive bitter and a traditional remedy for intestinal worms. Its English name records the second use.

Artemisia absinthium is native to Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia, and has naturalised widely in North America 39,41Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →Reference 41North Dakota Department of Agriculture · 2007Absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) — description, distribution, introduction history and weed status — noxious weed fact sheet. https://www.library.nd.gov/statedocs/AgDept/Absinthwormwood20070703.pdfView study →. Its medical use dates back at least to Roman times 16Reference 16Lachenmeier · 2010ReviewWormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) — a curious plant with both neurotoxic and neuroprotective properties? — review/commentaryView study →, and it is the classic bittering herb of aperitifs, vermouth and absinthe 17Reference 17Joshi · 2013In vitroVolatile composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium growing in the Western Ghats region of North West Karnataka, India — in vitroView study →.

Its bitterness comes from sesquiterpene lactones, chiefly absinthin, and its essential oil often contains thujone, a nerve toxin at high doses 15,37Reference 15Höld et al. · 2000Höld, K. M., Sirisoma, N. S., Ikeda, T., Narahashi, T., & Casida, J. E. (2000). α-Thujone (the active component of absinthe): gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10725394/View study →Reference 37Aberham et al. · 2010Analysis of sesquiterpene lactones, lignans, and flavonoids in wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) using HPLC-mass spectrometry, reversed phase HPLC, and HPLC-solid phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance. Two small controlled trials in Crohn’s disease reported that dried wormwood allowed steroid doses to be tapered; most other research is in the laboratory and in animals 1,2Reference 1Omer et al. · 2007RCTSteroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn’s disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 2Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn’s disease — controlled clinical trialView study →.

Wormwood is a different plant from sweet wormwood (A. annua), the source of the antimalarial artemisinin. The thujone in absinthe was long blamed for the drink’s reputation, but the levels in absinthe were too low to reach a toxic threshold 16Reference 16Lachenmeier · 2010ReviewWormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) — a curious plant with both neurotoxic and neuroprotective properties? — review/commentaryView study →.

How Is Wormwood Used?

Wormwood is used in short courses, usually of two to four weeks, because of its thujone content.

  • Bitter tea — the dried aerial parts infused and taken before meals to stimulate appetite and digestion.
  • Tincture or liquid extract — taken in drops before meals, or as part of a bitters formula.
  • Dried herb in capsules — the form used in the Crohn’s disease trials 1,2Reference 1Omer et al. · 2007RCTSteroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn’s disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 2Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn’s disease — controlled clinical trialView study →.
  • Ointment — applied to painful joints, as in a trial in knee osteoarthritis 4Reference 4Basiri et al. · 2017RCTTopical effects of Artemisia absinthium ointment and liniment in comparison with piroxicam gel in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomised double-blind controlled trialView study →.
  • Flavouring — the bittering agent of aperitifs, bitters, vermouth and absinthe 17Reference 17Joshi · 2013In vitroVolatile composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium growing in the Western Ghats region of North West Karnataka, India — in vitroView study →.

Traditional Uses

Western Herbal Medicine

The drug is the dried aerial part, and wormwood is among the most intensely bitter herbs in the Western materia medica. It is also an anthelmintic: Culpeper lists the seeds for expelling worms 35Reference 35Culpeper · 1995Culpeper’s complete herbal: A book of natural remedies for ancient ills.

As a bitter it is given for stomach ache, poor appetite and sluggish digestion, and for hepatitis and other liver complaints where a flow of bile is wanted. As a vermifuge it is given for intestinal worms, the use its common name preserves in English and German.

Other recorded uses include bacterial infection, fever, failing memory and cancer, and use as a cardiac stimulant and antispasmodic 30,17Reference 30Ghafoori et al. · 2014Study of effect of extraction conditions on the biochemical composition and antioxidant activity of Artemisia absinthium by HPLC and TLCReference 17Joshi · 2013In vitroVolatile composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium growing in the Western Ghats region of North West Karnataka, India — in vitroView study →.

It is taken as an infusion, a tincture or a bitters preparation, for a few weeks at a time.

In Europe wormwood is also a drink. It is the classic bittering agent of aperitifs, bitters and spirits, absinthe among them, taken before a meal to rouse the appetite 17Reference 17Joshi · 2013In vitroVolatile composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium growing in the Western Ghats region of North West Karnataka, India — in vitroView study →. EU rules cap the thujone content of wormwood-flavoured food and drink.

Iranian Folk Use

In northern Iran, where Artemisia absinthium grows wild, the aerial parts are used both as food and as medicine 30Reference 30Ghafoori et al. · 2014Study of effect of extraction conditions on the biochemical composition and antioxidant activity of Artemisia absinthium by HPLC and TLC.

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Yin Chen (Artemisia capillaris)

Yin Chen (also Yin Chen Hao or Mian Yin Chen) is classified as bitter, pungent and cool 36Reference 36Yang et al. · 2013Introduction to Chinese materia medica (3rd ed.). (Pg 217-220). Its actions are to clear heat, drain dampness, promote gallbladder function and relieve jaundice.

It is given above all for jaundice, with scanty urine, abdominal distension and a greasy tongue coating as the accompanying damp-heat signs. Eczema and itching extend the same use to the skin. Sources also record use in acute biliary dysentery, cancers and neurodegenerative disease 17,36Reference 17Joshi · 2013In vitroVolatile composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium growing in the Western Ghats region of North West Karnataka, India — in vitroView study →Reference 36Yang et al. · 2013Introduction to Chinese materia medica (3rd ed.). (Pg 217-220). Some of the best Yin Chen is said to come from Jiangxi province 36Reference 36Yang et al. · 2013Introduction to Chinese materia medica (3rd ed.). (Pg 217-220).

In the Flora of China, yin chen hao is the name of Artemisia capillaris, while A. absinthium is zhong ya ku hao 39,40Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →Reference 40Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia capillaris Thunberg (yin chen hao) — species description — floraView study →. Secondary sources sometimes file Yin Chen under wormwood.

Indications

  • Poor appetite and sluggish digestion [aerial parts, as a bitter; Western herbal medicine, Commission E]
  • Indigestion and bloating [aerial parts; Western herbal medicine]
  • Liver and gallbladder complaints, including hepatitis [aerial parts; Western herbal medicine]
  • Intestinal worms [aerial parts, seed; Western herbal medicine] Caution: No human trial has tested wormwood against worms. The support comes from laboratory and animal studies 19,20.
  • Crohn’s disease, alongside standard treatment [dried aerial parts]
  • Fever and bacterial infections [aerial parts; historical use]
  • Knee osteoarthritis [topical ointment]

Botany

Wormwood is an aromatic perennial herb in the daisy family (Asteraceae) 38,39Reference 38Shultz · 2006Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →. It grows 40–150 cm tall, and its grey-green stems are often woody near the base 38,39,41Reference 38Shultz · 2006Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →Reference 41North Dakota Department of Agriculture · 2007Absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) — description, distribution, introduction history and weed status — noxious weed fact sheet. https://www.library.nd.gov/statedocs/AgDept/Absinthwormwood20070703.pdfView study →.

The leaves are covered in fine, silky hairs that give the whole plant a silvery-grey look 39,41Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →Reference 41North Dakota Department of Agriculture · 2007Absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) — description, distribution, introduction history and weed status — noxious weed fact sheet. https://www.library.nd.gov/statedocs/AgDept/Absinthwormwood20070703.pdfView study →. The lower leaves are broadly ovate and divided two or three times into blunt lobes 38,39Reference 38Shultz · 2006Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →. They reach 8–12 cm long on the lower stem and become smaller and less divided toward the top 39Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →.

The flower heads are small, about 3–5 mm across, and nod on short stalks in a loose, branching panicle 38,39Reference 38Shultz · 2006Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →. Each head holds yellow florets 39Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →. The plant flowers from midsummer into autumn 38Reference 38Shultz · 2006Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →.

The seeds (achenes) are tiny, 0.5–1 mm long, smooth and shiny 38,39Reference 38Shultz · 2006Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →.

The genus Artemisia holds about 350–500 species, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere 38Reference 38Shultz · 2006Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →. Its members include mugwort (A. vulgaris), tarragon (A. dracunculus) and sweet wormwood (A. annua).

Distribution

Wormwood is native to Europe, North Africa and northern and central Asia 39,41Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →Reference 41North Dakota Department of Agriculture · 2007Absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) — description, distribution, introduction history and weed status — noxious weed fact sheet. https://www.library.nd.gov/statedocs/AgDept/Absinthwormwood20070703.pdfView study →. In China it grows wild in Xinjiang, on hillsides, steppes, scrub and forest margins, often in moist places 39Reference 39Lin et al. · 2011Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →.

It was brought to North America as a garden herb in the early 19th century and had escaped cultivation by 1841 41Reference 41North Dakota Department of Agriculture · 2007Absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) — description, distribution, introduction history and weed status — noxious weed fact sheet. https://www.library.nd.gov/statedocs/AgDept/Absinthwormwood20070703.pdfView study →. It is now naturalised across much of Canada and the northern and western United States, on roadsides, pastures and other disturbed ground 38,41Reference 38Shultz · 2006Artemisia absinthium Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 41North Dakota Department of Agriculture · 2007Absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) — description, distribution, introduction history and weed status — noxious weed fact sheet. https://www.library.nd.gov/statedocs/AgDept/Absinthwormwood20070703.pdfView study →.

In farming country it is known as absinth wormwood, and it is a weed. It crowds out forage in overgrazed pastures, has been reported to taint the milk of cattle that graze it, and is a listed noxious weed in North Dakota 41Reference 41North Dakota Department of Agriculture · 2007Absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) — description, distribution, introduction history and weed status — noxious weed fact sheet. https://www.library.nd.gov/statedocs/AgDept/Absinthwormwood20070703.pdfView study →.

Sourcing: wormwood has no conservation concern. Where it grows as a weed, gathering it helps keep it in check.

Growing Conditions

Cultivation snapshot for Wormwood

ZoneUSDA 4–9Sunfull sun

Lifehardy herbaceous perennial with a woody base, USDA zones 4–9.

Waterdrought-tolerant; wants poor-to-moderate, dry, sharply-drained soil.

Habitvigorous self-seeder — deadhead to limit spread where it is a listed weed.

Grow it yourself

Farm Wiki is our cultivation-focused sister site, also run by Justin Cooke.

How to growComing soon
Find seedsComing soon

Harvesting, Collection & Preparation

In a study of extraction conditions, a 75% methanol extract made at 45 °C gave the highest yield, and a plain water extract the lowest 30Reference 30Ghafoori et al. · 2014Study of effect of extraction conditions on the biochemical composition and antioxidant activity of Artemisia absinthium by HPLC and TLC.

Pharmacology & Research

Wormwood has dozens of preclinical studies — antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiparasitic assays, and rodent liver and memory models — and four small human trials.

Two controlled trials in Crohn’s disease, one double-blind and placebo-controlled, reported steroid-sparing and TNF-α-lowering effects from dried whole herb 1,2Reference 1Omer et al. · 2007RCTSteroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn’s disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 2Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn’s disease — controlled clinical trialView study →. The other two are an uncontrolled pilot in IgA nephropathy 3Reference 3Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for poorly responsive early-stage IgA nephropathy: a pilot uncontrolled clinical trialView study → and a topical trial in knee osteoarthritis 4Reference 4Basiri et al. · 2017RCTTopical effects of Artemisia absinthium ointment and liniment in comparison with piroxicam gel in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomised double-blind controlled trialView study →. None has been independently replicated.

What the Evidence Supports
  • Best-supported: adjunctive symptom relief and steroid-sparing in Crohn’s disease, via TNF-α suppression, in two small controlled trials of dried whole herb 1,2Reference 1Omer et al. · 2007RCTSteroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn’s disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 2Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn’s disease — controlled clinical trialView study →; long-standing use as a bitter digestive/appetite stimulant backed by pharmacopoeial monographs 13Reference 13Blumenthal et al. · 1998ReviewThe Complete German Commission E Monographs — Wormwood (Absinthii herba): appetite loss, dyspeptic and biliary complaints — pharmacopoeial monograph.
  • Emerging, worth watching: hepatoprotective and antifibrotic activity in rodent liver-injury models 5,6,7Reference 5Amat et al. · 2010AnimalIn vivo hepatoprotective activity of the aqueous extract of Artemisia absinthium L. against chemically and immunologically induced liver injuries in mice — animal modelView study →Reference 6Saxena et al. · 2012AnimalReversal of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury by aqueous extract of Artemisia absinthium in Sprague-Dawley rats — animal modelView study →Reference 7Manzoor et al. · 2026AnimalArtemisia absinthium attenuates hepatic fibrosis in mice by suppressing hepatic stellate cell activation and modulating inflammatory chemokine signalling — animal modelView study →; a TNF-α–driven signal extending to IgA nephropathy 3Reference 3Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for poorly responsive early-stage IgA nephropathy: a pilot uncontrolled clinical trialView study →.
  • Mechanistically thin: antioxidant, neuroprotective/pro-cognitive, antidiabetic and anticancer claims rest on in vitro assays and rodent models, with no human confirmation 8,9,10,11Reference 8Țicolea et al. · 2025In vitroFlowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia annua: phytochemical characterization, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities — in vitro and rat modelView study →Reference 9Rahimi et al. · 2023AnimalThe effects of Artemisia absinthium L. on scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairment and brain tissue oxidative damage in adult rats — animal modelView study →Reference 10Batiha et al. · 2020ReviewBioactive compounds, pharmacological actions, and pharmacokinetics of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) — reviewView study →Reference 11Bagheri et al. · 2020AnimalEffect of Artemisia absinthium ethanolic extract on oxidative stress markers and TLR4, S100A4, Bax and Bcl-2 gene expression in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats — animal modelView study →.
  • The caveat: there is no standardised marketed dose, and every human trial is small. Thujone, which limits how long wormwood is used, is concentrated in the essential oil 15,16Reference 15Höld et al. · 2000Höld, K. M., Sirisoma, N. S., Ikeda, T., Narahashi, T., & Casida, J. E. (2000). α-Thujone (the active component of absinthe): gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10725394/View study →Reference 16Lachenmeier · 2010ReviewWormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) — a curious plant with both neurotoxic and neuroprotective properties? — review/commentaryView study →.

Results depend on the preparation and the plant. The human trials used dried whole herb or a thujone-free preparation, not the essential oil. Thujone content varies widely between plants of different chemotype and origin, so a finding does not carry between a tea, a tincture and an oil 16,34Reference 16Lachenmeier · 2010ReviewWormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) — a curious plant with both neurotoxic and neuroprotective properties? — review/commentaryView study →Reference 34Orav et al. · 2006Composition of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium L. of different geographical origin.

Evidence by IndicationStrength of support
62%
AntioxidantPromising
58%
AntimicrobialPromising
52%
34%
30%
1. Anti-Inflammatory (Crohn’s / IBD)

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study in Germany (n=40 Crohn’s patients), a herbal blend delivering dried wormwood (3×500 mg/day) alongside a tapering steroid dose produced steady clinical improvement in 90% of the wormwood group as steroids were withdrawn, versus worsening in the placebo group. After eight weeks, 65% of the wormwood group were almost free of symptoms, against none on placebo 1Reference 1Omer et al. · 2007RCTSteroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn’s disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →.

A second controlled trial (n=20) using dried powdered wormwood (3×750 mg/day for 6 weeks) alongside standard treatment found average serum TNF-α fell from ~24.5 to ~8.0 pg/mL, with remission in 8 of 10 treated patients versus 2 of 10 controls 2Reference 2Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn’s disease — controlled clinical trialView study →.

Both trials are small, come from overlapping investigators, and used dried whole herb rather than a standardised extract. Systematic reviews and a meta-analysis of herbal therapy in IBD include these results while cautioning that the evidence base remains limited 27Reference 27Rahimi et al. · 2013Meta-analysisInduction of clinical response and remission of inflammatory bowel disease by use of herbal medicines: a meta-analysisView study →.

Gap: No large, independent, adequately powered replication; the positive trials are small and share investigators, and durability beyond a few weeks is untested.

2. Digestive Bitter / Appetite

Wormwood is one of the classic intensely bitter herbs, and its digestive use is the best-documented traditional indication. The bitter sesquiterpene lactone absinthin activates bitter (TAS2R) taste receptors, which reflexively stimulate salivary, gastric and biliary secretion. The EMA/HMPC monograph lists Absinthii herba for temporary loss of appetite and mild digestive complaints, and the German Commission E also includes biliary complaints 13,14Reference 13Blumenthal et al. · 1998ReviewThe Complete German Commission E Monographs — Wormwood (Absinthii herba): appetite loss, dyspeptic and biliary complaints — pharmacopoeial monographReference 14European Medicines Agency · 2020ReviewEuropean Union herbal monograph on Artemisia absinthium L., herba (RevView study →. A small controlled study of a multi-herb bitter preparation containing wormwood reported relief of functional upper-abdominal symptoms, but the effect cannot be attributed to wormwood alone 28Reference 28Westphal et al. · 1996RCTPhytotherapy in functional upper abdominal complaints: results of a clinical study with a preparation of several plants (inclView study →.

Gap: Almost no modern monotherapy trials; the human evidence is pharmacopoeial and traditional, and the one supportive clinical study used a multi-herb formula.

3. Hepatoprotective

Rodent models are consistent. An aqueous extract protected mouse liver against chemically and immunologically induced injury 5Reference 5Amat et al. · 2010AnimalIn vivo hepatoprotective activity of the aqueous extract of Artemisia absinthium L. against chemically and immunologically induced liver injuries in mice — animal modelView study →, and an aqueous extract reversed carbon-tetrachloride–induced hepatic damage in rats, normalizing raised transaminases and lipid peroxidation 6Reference 6Saxena et al. · 2012AnimalReversal of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury by aqueous extract of Artemisia absinthium in Sprague-Dawley rats — animal modelView study →.

A 2026 mouse study found that a methanol extract (400 mg/kg) reduced CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis by suppressing hepatic stellate-cell activation and downregulating TGF-β/PDGF-D and fibrotic markers (COL1A1, αSMA) via TGF-β/SMAD, NF-κB and MAPK pathways, with a benefit comparable to silymarin 7Reference 7Manzoor et al. · 2026AnimalArtemisia absinthium attenuates hepatic fibrosis in mice by suppressing hepatic stellate cell activation and modulating inflammatory chemokine signalling — animal modelView study →.

All of it is preclinical, and the rodent doses — hundreds of mg/kg — do not map onto documented human dosing.

4. Antioxidant

Wormwood extracts are reliably active in cell-free antioxidant assays (DPPH, FRAP, hydroxyl- and NO-radical scavenging), an activity attributed to flavonol glycosides of quercetin and isorhamnetin plus phenolic acids 8,10Reference 8Țicolea et al. · 2025In vitroFlowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia annua: phytochemical characterization, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities — in vitro and rat modelView study →Reference 10Batiha et al. · 2020ReviewBioactive compounds, pharmacological actions, and pharmacokinetics of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) — reviewView study →.

A 2025 study characterized flowers and leaves and found rich polyphenol content with moderate in vitro antioxidant activity, and confirmed in vivo shifts in oxidative-status markers in a rat inflammation model 8Reference 8Țicolea et al. · 2025In vitroFlowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia annua: phytochemical characterization, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities — in vitro and rat modelView study →.

Methanolic and ethanolic extracts outperform water extracts, and content varies with chemotype and plant organ.

There is no human antioxidant-endpoint data.

5. Antimicrobial

The essential oil shows in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity, most pronounced against gram-positive bacteria — gram-negative species are relatively protected by their hydrophilic outer membrane, which blocks the oil’s lipophilic terpenoids 17Reference 17Joshi · 2013In vitroVolatile composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium growing in the Western Ghats region of North West Karnataka, India — in vitroView study →.

Broader Artemisia essential-oil screening confirms activity that tracks with oil composition, including 1,8-cineole and other monoterpenes 18Reference 18Lopes-Lutz et al. · 2008In vitroScreening of chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Artemisia essential oils — in vitroView study →.

Activity is a property of the volatile oil, not the water-based preparations used in the Crohn’s trials.

Gap: In vitro only, with the effect residing in the essential oil rather than the herb as commonly used; no clinical infection data.

6. Antiparasitic / Anthelmintic

In vitro, A. absinthium extract inhibited embryogenesis and egg hatching of the roundworm Ascaris suum 19Reference 19Băieş et al. · 2022In vitroThe effects of Allium sativum, Artemisia absinthium, Cucurbita pepo, Coriandrum sativum, Satureja hortensis and Calendula officinalis on the embryogenesis of Ascaris suum eggs — in vitroView study →, and a rat study compared A. absinthium against Trichinella spiralis infection 20Reference 20Caner et al. · 2008AnimalComparison of the effects of Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia absinthium growing in western Anatolia against trichinellosis (Trichinella spiralis) in rats — animal modelView study →.

Extracts also show strong larvicidal activity against mosquito vectors 21Reference 21Ali et al. · 2018In vitroChicory (Cichorium intybus) and wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) extracts exhibit strong larvicidal activity against mosquito vectors of malaria, dengue fever and filariasis — in vitroView study → and, formulated as an essential-oil nanocochleate, antileishmanial activity in vitro and in vivo 22Reference 22Tamargo et al. · 2017In vitroIn vitro and in vivo evaluation of essential oil from Artemisia absinthium L. formulated in nanocochleates against cutaneous leishmaniasis — animal modelView study →.

The signal is broad across parasite types but preparation-varied and untested in humans for helminth clearance.

Gap: No human anthelmintic efficacy or safety trials; evidence is in vitro/animal and spread across many different parasite species and formulations.

7. Neuroprotective / Cognitive

In a rat model, hydroalcoholic extract improved scopolamine-impaired learning and memory (Morris water maze, passive avoidance) and reduced brain oxidative damage while raising SOD and catalase 9Reference 9Rahimi et al. · 2023AnimalThe effects of Artemisia absinthium L. on scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairment and brain tissue oxidative damage in adult rats — animal modelView study →.

Extract also protected OLN-93 glial cells against quinolinic-acid neurotoxicity in vitro 12Reference 12Rashidi et al. · 2023In vitroArtemisia absinthium extract attenuates quinolinic acid-induced cell injury in OLN-93 cells — in vitroView study →, and older work found wormwood displaced ligand at CNS nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, a target relevant to failing memory 23Reference 23Wake et al. · 2000In vitroCNS acetylcholine receptor activity in European medicinal plants traditionally used to improve failing memory — in vitroView study →.

The same plant contains thujone, a GABA-A receptor antagonist and dose-dependent convulsant 15Reference 15Höld et al. · 2000Höld, K. M., Sirisoma, N. S., Ikeda, T., Narahashi, T., & Casida, J. E. (2000). α-Thujone (the active component of absinthe): gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10725394/View study →.

Gap: Rodent and cell-line only, mechanistically mixed (protective flavonoids vs. neurotoxic thujone), and no human cognitive data.

8. Antidiabetic

Extracts inhibit α-amylase and other carbohydrate-handling enzymes in vitro 24Reference 24Mladenović et al. · 2026In vitroNatural α-amylase inhibitors from medicinal herbs: in vitro evaluation of extracts prepared with food-compatible solvents — in vitroView study →, and an ethanolic extract improved oxidative-stress and apoptosis markers in the kidneys of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats 11Reference 11Bagheri et al. · 2020AnimalEffect of Artemisia absinthium ethanolic extract on oxidative stress markers and TLR4, S100A4, Bax and Bcl-2 gene expression in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats — animal modelView study →. Comparative in vitro work also reports antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory potential for membrane-processed extracts 29Reference 29Neagu et al. · 2023In vitroIn vitro assessment of the antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory potential of Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris and Trigonella foenum-graecum extracts processed using membrane technologies — in vitroView study →.

There is no human glucose-lowering trial for wormwood.

9. Anticancer

Wormwood extracts trigger apoptosis in cultured cancer cells — reported via multiple apoptotic pathways in human breast cancer lines 25Reference 25Shafi et al. · 2012In vitroArtemisia absinthium (AA): a novel potential complementary and alternative medicine for breast cancer — in vitroView study → and, for the constituent thujone, metabolic disruption of placental choriocarcinoma cells 26Reference 26Lee et al. · 2020In vitroLee, J. Y., et al. (2020). α,β-Thujone suppresses human placental choriocarcinoma cells via metabolic disruption — in vitro. Reproduction. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32240978/View study →.

A 2025 study also showed antiproliferative activity against ovarian tumor lines linked to apoptosis and multidrug-resistance modulation 8Reference 8Țicolea et al. · 2025In vitroFlowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia annua: phytochemical characterization, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities — in vitro and rat modelView study →.

Gap: Confined to cell lines; no animal efficacy or human trials, and apoptotic activity in vitro does not establish anticancer use.

Mechanisms

The bitter sesquiterpene lactones, led by absinthin, and the flavonoids have been studied for TNF-α and NF-κB suppression, TGF-β/SMAD inhibition in liver fibrosis, and activation of bitter (TAS2R) taste receptors, which triggers gastric and bile secretion by reflex. These constituents are present in dried-herb bitters and in thujone-free extracts.

Thujone belongs to the essential oil. It blocks the GABA-A receptor, and at high doses it causes convulsions 15Reference 15Höld et al. · 2000Höld, K. M., Sirisoma, N. S., Ikeda, T., Narahashi, T., & Casida, J. E. (2000). α-Thujone (the active component of absinthe): gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10725394/View study →.

MechanismDrivesKey compounds
TNF-α ↓, NF-κB ↓, NLRP3 inflammasome ↓
anti-inflammatory (Crohn’s/IBD)hepatoprotective
absinthin, flavonoids (quercetin, isorhamnetin)
TGF-β/SMAD ↓, hepatic stellate-cell quiescence, ↓ PDGF-D
hepatoprotective (antifibrotic)
polyphenol-rich extract fraction
Free-radical scavenging (DPPH/FRAP), ↑ SOD/catalase/thiols
antioxidantneuroprotective
quercetin, isorhamnetin, phenolic acids
GABA-A receptor antagonism (convulsant, dose-dependent)
neurotoxicity
α-thujone, β-thujone
Membrane disruption, selective for gram-positive bacteria
antimicrobial
essential-oil terpenoids (1,8-cineole, sabinene, thujone)
Bitter TAS2R receptor activation → reflex gastric/biliary secretion
digestive bittercholeretic
absinthin, sesquiterpene lactones

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov lists no active wormwood-specific trial.

CompletedPlannedTerminatedPreclinical
400~50+

Last checked: July 2026.

Phytochemistry

The aerial parts carry two main groups of constituents: bitter sesquiterpene lactones and an essential oil. The main bitter principle is absinthin, at about 0.20–0.28% of the dried herb 37Reference 37Aberham et al. · 2010Analysis of sesquiterpene lactones, lignans, and flavonoids in wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) using HPLC-mass spectrometry, reversed phase HPLC, and HPLC-solid phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance. The essential oil makes up roughly 0.2–1.3% of the dried herb 30,17Reference 30Ghafoori et al. · 2014Study of effect of extraction conditions on the biochemical composition and antioxidant activity of Artemisia absinthium by HPLC and TLCReference 17Joshi · 2013In vitroVolatile composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium growing in the Western Ghats region of North West Karnataka, India — in vitroView study →.

In many plants the oil is dominated by thujone, a monoterpene ketone present as α- and β-isomers. In an analysis of wormwood oils from different geographical origins, thujone made up about 10–36% of the oil and β-pinene up to about 24% 34Reference 34Orav et al. · 2006Composition of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium L. of different geographical origin. The oil also contains sabinene, trans-sabinyl acetate, myrcene, 1,8-cineole and fenchone 17,18,34Reference 17Joshi · 2013In vitroVolatile composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium growing in the Western Ghats region of North West Karnataka, India — in vitroView study →Reference 18Lopes-Lutz et al. · 2008In vitroScreening of chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Artemisia essential oils — in vitroView study →Reference 34Orav et al. · 2006Composition of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium L. of different geographical origin.

Wormwood occurs in distinct chemotypes, including sabinyl-acetate, cis-epoxyocimene and thujone types, so two samples can differ widely in thujone content. Distillation also produces the deep-blue chamazulene, which forms from precursor compounds under heat and is not present in the fresh plant.

The herb also contains flavonol glycosides of quercetin and isorhamnetin 32Reference 32Hoffmann et al. · 1982Phenolic Species, and the coumarin scoparone.

Because oil composition differs so much between chemotypes and origins, a single oil analysis does not describe wormwood in general 34Reference 34Orav et al. · 2006Composition of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium L. of different geographical origin.

Constituent Summary

Share of the essential oil unless noted. † = chemotype-defining marker.

Grouped by class · 15 compounds
Monoterpene10 compounds4 with data
MonoterpeneThujone (α + β) †~10–36% (chemotype-dependent) of oil 34Reference 34Orav et al. · 2006Composition of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium L. of different geographical origin
Monoterpenetrans-Sabinyl acetate †major in sabinyl-acetate chemotype 34Reference 34Orav et al. · 2006Composition of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium L. of different geographical origin
Monoterpeneβ-Pineneup to ~24% of oil 34Reference 34Orav et al. · 2006Composition of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium L. of different geographical origin
MonoterpeneSabineneNo data
MonoterpeneMyrceneNo data
Monoterpenetrans-SabinolNo data
MonoterpeneLinalyl acetateNo data
MonoterpeneGeranyl propionateNo data
Monoterpene1,8-Cineole<~3.4% of oil 34Reference 34Orav et al. · 2006Composition of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium L. of different geographical origin
MonoterpeneBorneolNo data
Sesquiterpene Lactone1 compound1 with data
Sesquiterpene LactoneAbsinthin~0.20–0.28% of herb 37Reference 37Aberham et al. · 2010Analysis of sesquiterpene lactones, lignans, and flavonoids in wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) using HPLC-mass spectrometry, reversed phase HPLC, and HPLC-solid phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance
Flavonoid4 compoundsno data
FlavonoidQuercetinNo data
FlavonoidIsorhamnetinNo data
FlavonoidPatuletinNo data
FlavonoidSpinacetin derivativesNo data

Dosage

The trials used whole dried herb, or a whole-herb preparation with the thujone removed, so their doses are herb weights. The essential oil is a separate preparation and is not taken internally.

IndicationPreparationDoseEst. dried-herb equivalentSource
Crohn’s disease (steroid-sparing)Dried wormwood herb in a herbal blend, oral3 × 500 mg/day (1.5 g/day) for 10 weeks~1.5 g/day (already whole dried herb)1Reference 1Omer et al. · 2007RCTSteroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn’s disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →
Crohn’s disease (TNF-α ↓)Dried powdered wormwood, oral3 × 750 mg/day (2.25 g/day) for 6 weeks~2.25 g/day (already whole dried herb)2Reference 2Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn’s disease — controlled clinical trialView study →
IgA nephropathy (pilot)Thujone-free wormwood preparation, oral1.8 g/day for 6 months~1.8 g/day (whole-herb basis; thujone removed)3Reference 3Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for poorly responsive early-stage IgA nephropathy: a pilot uncontrolled clinical trialView study →
Knee osteoarthritisTopical 3% ointment/liniment (aerial parts)3% formulation, applied TID for 4 weeks— (topical)4Reference 4Basiri et al. · 2017RCTTopical effects of Artemisia absinthium ointment and liniment in comparison with piroxicam gel in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomised double-blind controlled trialView study →

Research doses, not recommendations.

Traditional Dosage

SystemPreparationDose
Western herbalDried herb infusion (bitter, before meals)~1–2 g as a bitter tea, short-term
Western herbal1:5 liquid extract5–20 mL/week
German Commission EDried herb / preparations~2–3 g herb daily; extracts correspondingly 13Reference 13Blumenthal et al. · 1998ReviewThe Complete German Commission E Monographs — Wormwood (Absinthii herba): appetite loss, dyspeptic and biliary complaints — pharmacopoeial monograph

Safety & Pregnancy

Wormwood is taken in short courses because of thujone, a convulsant at high doses that is concentrated in the essential oil. It is avoided in pregnancy.

Safety at a Glance
Moderate toxicityDaisy-family allergyNeurotoxicity
  • Thujone. A GABA-A antagonist and dose-dependent convulsant. Keep use to two to four weeks, and do not take the essential oil or high-thujone material internally.
  • Avoid in pregnancy. Traditionally an emmenagogue and abortifacient.
  • Daisy-family allergy. Can cause allergic and contact reactions in people sensitive to the Asteraceae.
  • Not with a blocked bile duct or liver disease. As a bitter it stimulates stomach acid and bile 14Reference 14European Medicines Agency · 2020ReviewEuropean Union herbal monograph on Artemisia absinthium L., herba (RevView study →.
  • Drug interactions unstudied. No human drug-interaction study has been done.
  • Dried-herb bitters are milder. Thujone is concentrated in the essential oil.
Full Safety & Interactions Detail

Thujone. Wormwood’s essential oil contains thujone, a monoterpene ketone that blocks the GABA-A receptor. Above a threshold dose it causes tonic-clonic seizures in animals 15,16Reference 15Höld et al. · 2000Höld, K. M., Sirisoma, N. S., Ikeda, T., Narahashi, T., & Casida, J. E. (2000). α-Thujone (the active component of absinthe): gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10725394/View study →Reference 16Lachenmeier · 2010ReviewWormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) — a curious plant with both neurotoxic and neuroprotective properties? — review/commentaryView study →. Heavy or prolonged use in people has caused agitation, insomnia and hallucinations. For this reason wormwood is traditionally used for no more than two to four weeks at a time. The risk is highest with the essential oil and high-thujone plants. The IgA-nephropathy trial used a thujone-free preparation 3Reference 3Krebs et al. · 2010Clinical trialWormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for poorly responsive early-stage IgA nephropathy: a pilot uncontrolled clinical trialView study →.

Allergy. As a member of the daisy family, wormwood can cause allergic and contact reactions in people sensitive to that family.

Stomach and bile. Wormwood stimulates stomach acid and bile. The EU monograph rules it out with a blocked bile duct, cholangitis or liver disease, and advises seeing a doctor first with gallstones 14Reference 14European Medicines Agency · 2020ReviewEuropean Union herbal monograph on Artemisia absinthium L., herba (RevView study →. Take care with an active stomach or duodenal ulcer.

Regulation. EU regulations cap the thujone content of food and drink.

Drug interactions. No human drug-interaction study has been done. In human liver preparations, thujone is broken down mainly by CYP2A6, with smaller roles for CYP3A4 and CYP2B6, and it inhibits CYP2A6 and CYP2B6 in the test tube 42Reference 42Abass et al. · 2011In vitroMetabolism of α-thujone in human hepatic preparations in vitroView study →.

In mouse liver, its main breakdown product is 7-hydroxythujone, which is less toxic than thujone itself 15Reference 15Höld et al. · 2000Höld, K. M., Sirisoma, N. S., Ikeda, T., Narahashi, T., & Casida, J. E. (2000). α-Thujone (the active component of absinthe): gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10725394/View study →.

Pregnancy & Lactation
Avoid in pregnancy Avoid while breastfeeding

Avoid. Wormwood is traditionally an emmenagogue and abortifacient, and it is contraindicated in pregnancy in the standard safety literature. Thujone adds a concern for the nervous system, and in vitro thujone disrupts placental (choriocarcinoma) cells 26Reference 26Lee et al. · 2020In vitroLee, J. Y., et al. (2020). α,β-Thujone suppresses human placental choriocarcinoma cells via metabolic disruption — in vitro. Reproduction. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32240978/View study →.

There are no human data on pregnancy or breastfeeding. It is best avoided while breastfeeding as well.

References

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  2. Krebs, S., Omer, T. N., & Omer, B. (2010). Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn’s disease — controlled clinical trial. Phytomedicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19962291/
  3. Krebs, S., Omer, T. N., & Omer, B. (2010). Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for poorly responsive early-stage IgA nephropathy: a pilot uncontrolled clinical trial. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20843592/
  4. Basiri, Z., et al. (2017). Topical effects of Artemisia absinthium ointment and liniment in comparison with piroxicam gel in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomised double-blind controlled trial. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29184260/
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