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Limited evidenceGut health

Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium)

A bitter herb whose only reasonable human trial is in Crohn's disease, not parasites. The traditional antiparasitic use has no controlled human evidence, and thujone sets a real ceiling on dose and duration.

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What the science says

  • Crohn's disease Limited evidence

    A double-blind placebo-controlled study in about 40 patients found wormwood added to steroids allowed steroid tapering with fewer symptoms. It is a single small trial from one group and has not been independently replicated.

  • Inflammatory bowel disease generally Limited evidence

    A systematic review of herbal therapy in inflammatory bowel disease included the wormwood trials and judged the overall evidence insufficient to recommend such treatments.

  • Intestinal parasites Limited evidence

    There is no controlled human trial of wormwood for intestinal parasites. The antimalarial artemisinin comes from a different species, Artemisia annua, and is a different compound.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseThe Crohn's trial used 750 mg of dried wormwood powder three times daily for six weeks. Thujone-free extracts are preferable for anything longer.
SafetyThujone is neurotoxic at high intake and can trigger seizures; a regulatory risk assessment concluded exposure from some wormwood products can approach levels of concern. Avoid in pregnancy, breastfeeding, epilepsy and kidney disease, and do not use continuously for more than a few weeks.

How to take it

TimingThree times daily, as the Crohn's trial dosed it.
With food?With food.
Worth knowingChoose a thujone-free extract for anything beyond a few weeks, and do not use it continuously — the thujone exposure is the limiting factor, not the plant.

Interactions

With medications

  • antiepileptic medication

    Thujone is neurotoxic and lowers the seizure threshold, working against seizure control. avoid wormwood entirely if you have epilepsy or take these drugs

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

Frequently asked questions

Does wormwood kill intestinal parasites?

There is no controlled human trial of wormwood for intestinal parasites, so that use has limited evidence. The antimalarial artemisinin comes from a different species, Artemisia annua.

Does wormwood help Crohn's disease?

One small double-blind placebo-controlled trial in about 40 patients found wormwood added to steroids allowed steroid tapering with fewer symptoms. It has not been independently replicated, so the evidence is limited.

How much wormwood is safe to take?

The Crohn's trial used 750 mg of dried wormwood powder three times daily for six weeks. Wormwood contains neurotoxic thujone, so do not use it continuously for more than a few weeks and choose a thujone-free extract for longer use.

Who should not take wormwood?

Avoid wormwood in pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney disease and epilepsy; its thujone lowers the seizure threshold and works against antiepileptic medication.

Scientific references

Related in Gut health

Herbal medicines: what the evidence says (335)