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Limited evidenceImmunity

Artemisinin (Sweet Wormwood)

Artemisinin derivatives are among the great drugs of modern medicine — for malaria, given as prescription medicines. The oral supplement sold for 'parasite cleanses', cancer and Lyme has no controlled human evidence, and the WHO actively discourages herbal Artemisia use because it breeds resistance.

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What the science says

  • Severe malaria (prescription artesunate, not the supplement) Strong evidence

    A Cochrane review of 8 trials covering 1,664 adults and 5,765 children found parenteral artesunate cut mortality in severe malaria versus quinine — risk ratio 0.61 (95% CI 0.50-0.75) in adults and 0.76 (95% CI 0.65-0.90) in children. This is a landmark result and the reason artesunate is now WHO first-line. It is also irrelevant to a capsule taken at home: the trials used intravenous or intramuscular semi-synthetic derivatives under hospital care.

  • Cancer Limited evidence

    The human oncology data amount to small early-phase and compassionate-use series. A 2019 report gave oral artesunate as long-term add-on therapy to patients with metastatic breast cancer following a phase I study; it was uncontrolled compassionate use and can establish neither efficacy nor a safe long-term dose. The striking 'artemisinin kills cancer cells' findings come from cell culture, where the iron-mediated peroxide-bridge mechanism operates at concentrations and iron loading not reproducible in patients.

  • 'Parasite cleanses', Lyme and general antimicrobial use Limited evidence

    Artemisia annua extract appeared as an active hit against stationary-phase Borrelia burgdorferi in a 2020 in-vitro screen, and artemisinin has broad in-vitro antimicrobial activity. No human trial supports any of these uses. The WHO explicitly advises against Artemisia annua herbal preparations and against artemisinin monotherapy, because subtherapeutic exposure is the main driver of the artemisinin resistance now spreading in Southeast Asia and East Africa — casual supplement use is a public-health problem, not only a personal one.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseSupplements typically supply 100-200 mg artemisinin per day, often cycled. Medical dosing is entirely different: artesunate for severe malaria is given intravenously at 2.4 mg/kg on a fixed schedule, and uncomplicated malaria is treated with fixed-dose artemisinin combination therapy such as artemether-lumefantrine. Dried Artemisia annua leaf tea delivers highly variable and generally subtherapeutic artemisinin. No supplement dose is established for any non-malarial use.
SafetyTake this one seriously. Case reports document hepatitis and drug-induced liver injury with oral artemisinin supplements, sometimes at commonly sold doses. Post-artesunate delayed haemolysis is a recognised complication after treatment. High-dose or prolonged parenteral artemisinins are neurotoxic in animals, and the Cochrane review found more transient neurological sequelae in treated children at discharge. Contraindicated in pregnancy, particularly the first trimester (embryotoxic in animal studies). Artemisinin induces CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 and autoinduces its own metabolism, so it can lower levels of antiretrovirals, hormonal contraceptives and other drugs. Artemisia is an Asteraceae genus — allergy risk. Never self-treat suspected malaria with a supplement. Artemisinin is not on the WADA prohibited list.

How to take it

TimingTiming does not matter, and supplements are often cycled with breaks — a convention, not an evidence-based schedule.
With food?With a fat-containing meal; artemisinin absorption improves substantially with dietary fat.
Worth knowingGet liver enzymes checked if you take it for more than a few weeks — hepatitis case reports exist at ordinary supplement doses.

Interactions

With medications

  • hormonal contraceptives

    Artemisinin induces CYP3A4 and CYP2B6, which can lower contraceptive hormone levels. use a backup method of contraception

  • antiretrovirals and other CYP3A4 or CYP2B6 substrates

    Enzyme induction lowers drug levels and can cause treatment failure. do not combine without your prescribing clinician

  • prescribed antimalarial therapy

    Supplemental artemisinin exposes parasites to sub-therapeutic drug and encourages resistance. never self-treat suspected malaria — get tested and treated properly

Well-established interactions only — this is not a complete list. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist what you take.

Frequently asked questions

Does artemisinin work for malaria?

Prescription artemisinin derivatives are among the best malaria drugs: intravenous artesunate cut deaths from severe malaria versus quinine in a Cochrane review. That evidence does not apply to artemisinin supplements, and you should never self-treat suspected malaria with one.

Does artemisinin cure cancer?

No. The human evidence for artemisinin in cancer consists of small, uncontrolled early-phase and compassionate-use reports, and the dramatic 'kills cancer cells' findings come from cell culture. Artemisinin has not been shown to treat any cancer.

Does artemisinin work as a parasite cleanse or for Lyme?

No human trial supports artemisinin supplements for parasite cleanses, Lyme or general antimicrobial use; the evidence is limited to test-tube work. The WHO advises against herbal Artemisia and artemisinin monotherapy because under-dosing drives malaria drug resistance.

What are the side effects of artemisinin supplements?

Case reports document hepatitis and liver injury with oral artemisinin supplements at commonly sold doses, so get liver enzymes checked if you take it for more than a few weeks. Artemisinin is contraindicated in pregnancy and can lower levels of hormonal contraceptives and antiretrovirals.

Scientific references

Where to buy

Double Wood Supplements, Artemisinin, 120 Capsules (100 mg per Capsule)

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