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Botanical illustration of Wormwood
MedicinalSourced entry

Wormwood

Artemisia absinthium

A bitter herb recognized in Europe as a traditional medicine for temporary loss of appetite and mild heartburn and stomach and gut complaints.

Safety at a glance

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Wormwood?

Plant family
Asteraceae, the daisy family
Parts used
The above-ground parts (herb)
Genus
Artemisia
Species
absinthium

Traditionally used for

  • Loss of appetite
  • Indigestion
  • Heartburn

Traditionally described as

  • Bitter

Health topics

Where Wormwood appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

  • Indigestion

    Recognized in Europe as a traditional medicine for mild heartburn and stomach complaints.

  • Loss of Appetite

    Recognized in Europe as a traditional medicine for temporary loss of appetite.

Traditions that use it

  • European Folk Medicine

    Recognized in Europe as a traditional herbal medicine for loss of appetite and mild stomach and gut complaints.

How it's prepared

Common ways Wormwood is prepared or sold. This isn't advice on how to take it; see Safety below.

Safety

Who should avoid it

  • Don't use wormwood if you have liver disease, a blocked or inflamed bile duct, or an allergy to wormwood or other daisy-family plants. Ask a doctor first if you have gallstones or other bile problems.[1]Health agency

Side effects

Pregnancy

  • There's little or no data on use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so it isn't recommended at these times.[1]Health agency

How much to use

  • Wormwood medicines are for adults only. See a doctor if symptoms get worse or last longer than 2 weeks.[2]Health agency

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Based on long-standing use, the European Medicines Agency recognizes wormwood herb as a traditional herbal medicine for adults:

    • Temporary loss of appetite
    • Mild heartburn and stomach and gut complaints

    It is taken as a tea, powder, juice or tincture.[2]Health agency

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • In rats, wormwood preparations protected against stomach ulcers. Its bitter compounds may stimulate the gut, which makes its use for poor appetite plausible. There are no studies in patients with these conditions.[2]Health agency

Research in people

  • In a small trial, 20 people with active Crohn's disease added 750 mg of powdered wormwood 3 times a day, or nothing, to their usual treatment for 6 weeks. Symptoms went into remission in 8 of 10 people taking wormwood versus 2 of 10 without it, and an inflammation marker (TNF-alpha) fell.[3]Study

  • In a 2024 Iranian trial, 112 women after menopause used a wormwood vaginal cream or a dummy cream 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Sexual satisfaction scores rose slightly with wormwood.[4]Study

In short

For adults only; don't use it with liver disease, a blocked bile duct, or during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Sources

  1. [1] European Union herbal monograph on Artemisia absinthium L., herba — European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC)Government health agency
  2. [2] Wormwood herb (Artemisia absinthium L., herba): summary of the HMPC conclusions (EMA/366468/2017) — European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC)Government health agency
  3. [3] Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) suppresses tumour necrosis factor alpha and accelerates healing in patients with Crohn's disease - A controlled clinical trial · DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2009.10.013Peer-reviewed study
  4. [4] Evaluating the safety and efficacy of wormwood vaginal cream on sexual satisfaction and quality of sexual life of postmenopausal women: a randomized, triple-blinds, placebo-controlled clinical trial · DOI: 10.1186/s12905-024-03515-zPeer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.