BT-026 · Asteraceae

Wormwood

Artemisia absinthium, A. annua ve diğerleri
Evidence: LimitedCaution

Nobel laureate Tu Youyou found artemisinin by following a recipe in a 4th-century Chinese medical text: soak the plant in cold water instead of boiling it.

Other names
Mugwort, sweet wormwood, pelin (Turkish)
Part used
Leaves, flowering tops
Region
Anatolia and the Mediterranean
Asia and Siberia
Use
Healing, Incense and protection, Ritual and shamanic
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium): divided silvery leaves
Photo: Tournasol7 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In short

What is Wormwood?

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a plant of the Asteraceae family. Traditions that use it: Anatolia and the Mediterranean, Asia and Siberia. Part used: leaves, flowering tops.

What is Wormwood used for?

Traditional use: Known for its bitterness; brewed to stimulate appetite, for the stomach and to expel worms. Scientific evidence: limited. Artemisinin, extracted from sweet wormwood (A.

Is Wormwood safe?

Safety label: caution. Wormwood contains thujone; high doses or long use can cause seizures and kidney damage. Avoid in pregnancy and epilepsy. Wormwood tea is no substitute for malaria treatment.

Traditional use

Anatolia

Known for its bitterness; brewed to stimulate appetite, for the stomach and to expel worms. Steppe wormwood is burned as incense.

Central Asia and China

Mongol and Siberian peoples use Artemisia smoke for cleansing. In Chinese medicine, dried Artemisia (moxa) is burned on the skin to give heat.

In nature

Where it grows
Steppes, roadsides and abandoned land, especially in Central and Eastern Anatolia.
Harvest season
Picked in flower, July–September.
Local names
pelin, acı pelin, ak pelin, yavşan, yavşan otu

Mix-up risk

Many Artemisia species grow in Türkiye, and their thujone levels differ widely.

Preparation

Brewed in very small amounts; burned as incense.

What science says

Artemisinin, extracted from sweet wormwood (A. annua), is now the backbone of malaria treatment; the discovery won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine. The EMA recognises wormwood for lack of appetite and indigestion as traditional uses.

Safety

Caution

Wormwood contains thujone; high doses or long use can cause seizures and kidney damage. Avoid in pregnancy and epilepsy. Wormwood tea is no substitute for malaria treatment.

Drug interactions

Medicine or substanceWhy it matters
Seizure medicinesThujone lowers the seizure threshold.
Stomach acid reducersBitter compounds increase stomach acid and may weaken the effect.
Malaria medicinesWormwood tea is no substitute; delaying treatment is dangerous.

This list is not complete. If you take regular medication, ask your pharmacist or doctor before trying Wormwood.

Culture bridge

Two traditions that beat malaria. The Andes’ cinchona bark and Asia’s wormwood became the two cornerstones of modern malaria treatment. Read the comparison →

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Sources

  1. EMA monographAbsinthii herba: European Medicines Agency herbal assessment
  2. NCCIHUS National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: use and safety summary
  3. Official sourceNobel Fizyoloji veya Tıp Ödülü 2015 (Tu Youyou, artemisinin)
  4. BookBaytop T. Türkiye’de Bitkiler ile Tedavi: Geçmişte ve Bugün. 2. baskı. İstanbul: Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri; 1999.
  5. Botanical recordKew Plants of the World Online: Artemisia absinthium
  6. Titles of research sources are summarised in Turkish on the Turkish page; links open the original English publications.

Written by Edanaz Tınmazlar · Last reviewed: · Türkçe

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