Background

• Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is an active ingredient of absinthe, a liqueur, and, in the 18th and early 19th Centuries, it acquired a reputation for triggering psychotic events, called absinthism. Absinthe was banned throughout Western Europe. Modern analyses suggest that the hallucinogenic properties of absinthe are a myth and that the early studies confused the effects of drinking an excessive amount of absinthe from drinking absinthe. Absinthe has consequently returned to the market.
• Wormwood and several of its derivatives, including absinthinin, artemether, artesunate, and artemisinin, have been studied for their effects on various conditions. Artemisinin has been studied for treating malaria, including highly drug-resistant strains. Currently, preferred treatments for malaria are combination therapies that include artemisinin derivatives (artemisinin-combination therapies, or ACTs). Use of artemisinin alone is strongly discouraged by the World Health Organization (WHO), due to the potential for malarial parasites to develop resistance to the drug.
• At this time, there is insufficient available evidence on the use of Artemisia absinthium for any condition. More high-quality research is needed before firm conclusions can be made.

References

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