Wormwood, wormwood, absinthe: everything you need to know about this mystical herb

Wormwood is also known as wormwood or absinthe. This is a rather nondescript plant that falls under herbs. Wormwood can make you trip, but it has also been a medicine for a long time. You can still use it for various ailments. Find out how to use it if you want to use it as a stimulant and exactly how healthy it is.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is an herb found in Africa and parts of Europe and Asia. Fun fact: the name is found in the drink vermouth, in which wormwood is a flavoring. You can also find the plant in absinthe , one of the strongest alcoholic drinks under the sun. Absinthe is popular today mainly because you can get terribly drunk from it, but it used to be the drink of choice for many artists. Even our national pride Vincent van Gogh was a fan of it. But its use goes back well before then. Already in the Bible, wormwood is mentioned. And before then, the herb appears to have been used in body burnings.

By the way, the Romans called wormwood absinthium, which means bitter. Therefore, it tastes quite bitter by itself. The shrub looks like a weed, with green leaves and yellow flowers.

As far back as centuries ago, wormwood was used for medical purposes. The drink absinthe -so based on wormwood- was invented in the 18th century, but was soon used recreationally. As a medicine, it is said to help with everything from gout to Crohn’s to parasites. Not all of these claims have been proven, but it is clear that wormwood has an effect on your stomach and intestines. Thus, it stimulates your appetite. In Ancient Egypt, it was already used to rid people of pesky parasites.

Below is an overview of the proven effects of wormwood on your health:

• more appetite
• analgesic
• counters depressive symptoms
• can fight cancer
• works against parasites
• antibacterial
• promotes mental clarity
• antifungal
• works against peptic ulcer
• positive effect on your immune system
• protective effect against nerve cell damage
• combats inflammation
• contains antioxidants

So potentially wormwood can be quite healthy, as you read!

If you use wormwood in the right amounts, you will feel high, calm and sedated. Users also regularly combine it with alcohol; then it can make you hallucinate. That can also happen when you take a lot of it. Another effect may be insomnia. Another effect you can expect is an extra boost to your creativity.

This is how you use wormwood to make absinthe

Making the favo drink of Vincent van Gogh and other hip artists of his time? You can with this recipe! Making your own absinthe is very easy. All you need is a serving of wormwood plus a bottle of vodka. Add it together and wait for two weeks. Take a small portion and wait about an hour before refilling. In fact, it may take some time before you feel the effects. Rather do something healthier? You can also omit the alcohol and make it into a tea.

Wormwood poisonous? It is really that dangerous

You may have heard that absinthe or wormwood is poisonous. And that’s right. This is because it contains the substance thujone, and that can be toxic. For that reason, it was even banned in the United States until 2007. Currently it is just legal again, by the way. The interesting thing about thujone is that it is quite healthy in small amounts. But if you take too much of it, it is indeed toxic. After ingesting large amounts, you can have seizures. And in the most serious case, you can die from it.

It is important to note that you cannot use this herb if you are taking certain medications. Wormwood affects your GABA receptors, which also act on drugs, for example. Be especially careful with medications that fall under MAOIs, such as some antidepressants.

Our advice: use it with caution and follow our safety advice. Then you will surely experience the pleasurable effects of wormwood!