Parts Used: Aerial parts
Constituents: volatile oil (mainly composed of thujone, but also other compounds including chamazulene), bitter principle (absinthum), carotene, vitamin c, tannins.
Wormwood is an herb. The above-ground plant parts and oil are used for medicine.
Wormwood is used for various digestion problems such as loss of appetite, upset stomach, gall bladder disease, and intestinal spasms. Wormwood is also used to treat fever, liver disease, and worm infections; to increase sexual desire; as a tonic; and to stimulate sweating.
Wormwood oil is also used for digestive disorders, to increase sexual desire, and to stimulate the imagination.
Some people apply wormwood directly to the skin for healing wounds and insect bites. Wormwood oil is used as a counterirritant to reduce pain.
Small doses of wormwood tea taken before meals can stimulate digestion and prevent heartburn and gas, and even boost energy.
As the name implies, wormwood is a powerful worming agent that has been used for hundreds of years to expel tapeworms, threadworms, and especially roundworms from dogs, cats, and their humans. Although wormwood makes like miserable for parasites, it is not kind to the host. Wormwood is a common ingredient in many herbal "cleansing" formulations. If you suspect you or you child has been infested with worms, it really is best to seek medical help rather that rely on home cures.
Wormwood oil contains the chemical thujone, which excites the central nervous system. However, it can also cause seizures and other adverse effects.