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.
Evidence last reviewed: August 2026
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
Scientific references
- Steroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn's disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study
- Systematic review: the efficacy of herbal therapy in inflammatory bowel disease
- Risk assessment of thujone in foods and medicines containing sage and wormwood--evidence for a need of regulatory changes?
Where to buy
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- Inulin (Prebiotic Fiber) Moderate evidence