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Wormwood is a bitter herb, Artemisia absinthium, known mainly as the flavoring in absinthe and as a traditional European remedy for poor appetite and indigestion. Its oil contains thujone, a compound that can cause seizures, which is why U.S. food rules allow wormwood only in thujone-free form. The research behind popular wormwood benefits, from digestion to parasites, is thin: European regulators accept it only as a traditional remedy, and a widely used database rates the evidence for every use as insufficient. Wormwood is also easy to confuse with sweet wormwood, a different plant that gave the world a malaria medicine. Here is what each plant is, what the studies show, and who should avoid it.
Peptide Labs sells supplements that list wormwood, but this article does not recommend any of them. It is general information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a bitter herb in the daisy family, used to flavor absinthe and bitter drinks.
- Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) is a different plant; it is the source of the malaria drug artemisinin.
- Thujone in wormwood oil can cause seizures; U.S. food and drink rules require finished products to be thujone free.
- Europe recognizes wormwood tea only as a traditional remedy for poor appetite and mild indigestion.
- Avoid wormwood during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and never drink wormwood essential oil.
What is wormwood?
Wormwood, or Artemisia absinthium, is a strongly bitter plant in the daisy family (Asteraceae). Its medical use dates back at least to Roman times, according to a review by German food chemist Dirk Lachenmeier, and its leaves and flowering tops are still used in bitter liqueurs and absinthe. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) lists the dried herb, powdered herb, fresh juice and alcohol tincture as traditional preparations, alongside wormwood tea.
The plant’s essential oil contains thujone, a compound that blocks a calming brain receptor called GABA-A, as University of California, Berkeley researchers showed in 2000. Above certain levels, thujone causes convulsions in animals. How much thujone a plant holds depends on its variety, which is why the EMA says low-thujone types should be preferred.
Two different plants called wormwood
| Plant | Botanical name | Key compound | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wormwood | Artemisia absinthium | Thujone (in the oil), bitter compounds | Absinthe and bitter liqueur flavoring; traditional bitter for appetite |
| Sweet wormwood | Artemisia annua | Artemisinin | Source of the malaria drug artemisinin; plant material is not a substitute for medicine |
Sweet wormwood, Artemisia annua, is a cousin from the same genus. Chinese scientist Youyou Tu isolated artemisinin from it, work that earned a share of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. That does not make sweet wormwood tea a malaria remedy: the World Health Organization does not support the use of Artemisia plant material in any form for malaria, because its content varies, is often too low and could encourage drug resistance. Labels matter here, because many “wormwood” supplements actually contain sweet wormwood.
Thujone, absinthe and the law
Absinthe is the reason wormwood has a dramatic reputation. In 1912 the U.S. Department of Agriculture barred absinthe because it contained wormwood, which it called a deleterious ingredient, and bans in Europe followed. Nineteenth-century doctors blamed thujone for “absinthism”, a supposed syndrome of hallucinations and fits. Modern analysis tells a different story: when Lachenmeier’s team tested 13 bottles of absinthe made before the ban, thujone levels were lower than long believed, and nothing besides alcohol explained the syndrome.
| Rule | Who sets it | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Food flavoring (21 CFR 172.510) | FDA | Artemisia (wormwood) may be used if the finished food is thujone free |
| Absinthe labels (Industry Circular 2007-5) | TTB | Thujone free means less than 10 parts per million; "absinthe" cannot stand alone as the brand name |
| Traditional herbal medicine | European Medicines Agency | Thujone content must be stated and kept under a daily limit |
Today, the FDA allows wormwood as a natural flavoring only when the finished food is thujone free, and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) considers a drink thujone free when it contains less than 10 parts per million. That is why absinthe returned to U.S. shelves in 2007, with label rules against implying mind-altering effects. Dietary supplements are a separate category, and supplement labels rarely state thujone content.
Wormwood benefits: what the research shows
| Use | What the evidence shows | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Poor appetite, mild indigestion | Accepted in Europe as a traditional use only | Based on long-standing use, not clinical trials |
| Intestinal worms | Strong effect on worm eggs in a lab dish; no effect in 24 infected lambs | No good human trials; rated insufficient |
| Crohn's disease | Two small trials reported symptom improvement with wormwood added to usual care | 40 and 20 patients; same research group; not confirmed by others |
| Malaria | Not applicable to Artemisia absinthium | WHO does not support Artemisia plant material |
The most established use is the oldest one. The EMA recognizes wormwood as a traditional herbal medicine for temporary loss of appetite and mild digestive complaints, a status based on long-standing use rather than clinical trials. Bitter herbs like wormwood have long been taken before meals for this reason. The Natural Medicines database, as republished by RxList, still rates the evidence for loss of appetite as insufficient.
Parasites are where marketing runs furthest ahead of the science. In a 2020 Slovak study, wormwood extract strongly affected the eggs of a sheep stomach worm in a lab dish, yet feeding dried wormwood to 24 infected lambs did not reduce their egg counts compared with untreated animals. There are no good human trials. Our parasite cleanse guide explains how real infections are diagnosed and why doctors advise against relying on herbal kits.
Two small German trials reported that people with Crohn’s disease did better when wormwood was added to their usual care, with 40 and 20 participants. Both came from the same research group and have not been confirmed by independent teams, so they show only that the question may be worth studying. Never stop or change prescribed medicine for a gut condition without your doctor.
Wormwood tea
Wormwood tea is an infusion of the dried herb and is intensely bitter. It is the form the EMA lists for traditional use in adults, and the EMA advises seeing a doctor if symptoms last longer than two weeks. A German risk assessment of thujone concluded that short-term use of wormwood or sage tea can be regarded as safe for adults, unlike drinking concentrated wormwood oil. Tea is still not suitable for children, teenagers, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or anyone with the conditions listed below.
Wormwood side effects and who should avoid it
Thujone-free wormwood in food and drink is generally considered safe. Products that contain thujone are a different matter: Natural Medicines rates them possibly unsafe by mouth, with reported seizures, muscle breakdown, kidney failure, vomiting and tremors. In a 1997 case in the New England Journal of Medicine, a 31-year-old man who had read about absinthe online drank wormwood essential oil bought from an aromatherapy seller, believing he was making the drink. He was found agitated and disoriented, developed kidney failure linked to muscle breakdown, and recovered.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the EMA does not recommend wormwood, and thujone is known to stimulate the uterus. Natural Medicines rates it likely unsafe in pregnancy above food amounts.
- Children and teenagers: the EMA does not recommend wormwood under age 18.
- Allergy: avoid it if you react to ragweed or other daisy-family (Asteraceae) plants.
- Liver, gallbladder or bile duct disease: listed as reasons not to use wormwood, along with gallstones, which call for a doctor’s advice first.
- Seizure disorders: thujone can trigger seizures, and wormwood may weaken seizure medicines.
- Kidney problems or porphyria: wormwood oil may worsen both, according to Natural Medicines.
- Essential oil: never drink it or add it to homemade drinks.
Get emergency care for a seizure, confusion, severe vomiting, muscle pain with dark urine, or passing much less urine after taking any wormwood product.
Wormwood in supplements: reading the label
Wormwood usually appears in herbal cleanse formulas, so check which species the Supplement Facts panel names. Three products we carry show the range:
- VINATURA Wormwood Black Walnut Clove Capsules list sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) leaf with black walnut hull and clove, with no proprietary blend. The label says it is for healthy adults and not for use during pregnancy or nursing. It also says tree-nut free, but black walnut is a tree nut, so people with nut allergies should ask an allergist first.
- MIDDKUOO 18-in-1 Wormwood Black Walnut Clove softgels name their wormwood as Artemisia annua as well, alongside black walnut, clove, garlic, oregano and a 12-herb proprietary blend that includes berberine-containing Coptis.
- The Cleaner Detox Women’s 7 Day Formula is a senna-based laxative blend that lists wormwood among many botanicals without naming the species. Its label warns against use for more than seven days in a row unless a doctor directs, and carries a California Prop 65 lead warning.
None of these labels states a thujone content, and none can claim to remove parasites or toxins. Our guides to colon cleanse supplements and liver cleanse supplements cover what such formulas can and cannot do, and our guide to third-party tested supplements explains what a lab seal does and does not prove.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is wormwood used for?
Mainly as a bitter flavoring in drinks such as absinthe and bitter liqueurs. In Europe, wormwood tea is recognized as a traditional remedy for poor appetite and mild indigestion, based on long use rather than trials.
What are the proven wormwood benefits?
None are proven. Natural Medicines rates the evidence for every use, including appetite, worms and Crohn’s disease, as insufficient.
Is wormwood the same as sweet wormwood?
No. Wormwood is Artemisia absinthium, which contains thujone. Sweet wormwood is Artemisia annua, the plant artemisinin comes from. Check which one a label names.
Does wormwood get rid of parasites?
There is no good human evidence that it does. Suspected parasites need testing and prescription medicine from a clinician.
Is wormwood tea safe?
Short-term use by healthy adults is considered low risk, but it is not recommended for children, teenagers, or during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Does absinthe make you hallucinate?
Research on old and modern absinthe found thujone levels too low to explain such effects; the alcohol content is the main hazard.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting any supplement, especially if you take medicines. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Parasite Cleanse: What Doctors Say About Wormwood, Black Walnut and Clove, Colon Cleanse & Detox Supplements: What’s on the Label, Liver Cleanse Supplements: What Is Inside, What Research Measured and Safety Risks.