Wormwood Extracts, Artemisia Absinthium

Wormwoods are members of the great family of Compositae and belong to the genus Artemisia, a group consisting of 180 species; its commonly called Absinthium, absinth, madderwort, mingwort, old woman, warmot. The whole family is remarkable for the extreme bitterness of all parts of the plant: 'as bitter as Wormwood' is a very Ancient proverb. According to Ancients text, Wormwood counteracted the effects of poisoning by hemlock, toadstools and the biting of the sea dragon.

The plant was of some importance among the Mexicans, who celebrated their great festival of the Goddess of Salt by a ceremonial dance of women, who wore on their heads garlands of Wormwood. With the exception of Syrian Rue, Wormwood is the bitterest herb known, but it is very wholesome and used to be in much request by brewers of beer for use instead of hops. The leaves resist putrefaction, and have been on that account a principal ingredient in antiseptic fomentations.

Its documented uses include, worm-expelling properties, especially roundworm and threadworm. Stimulates and restores a poor appetite it helps a wide range of digestive problems, used as a mild sedative to treat anxieties and known to be used to hasten childbirth and expel afterbirth.

The bitter component of wormwood is an alkaloid, absinthin, this is different from the essential oil, thujone. Thujone is structurally similar to the THC molecule but does not bind to the same receptor in the brain as THC does.

Thujone is psychoactive and has a long history of use with artists. The infamous drink Absinthe or The green goddess is made from this plant.