Sweet wormwood, also known as Artemisia annua, has medicinal uses including malaria, parasite and cancer treatments. It can also be used in food, such as in Chinese salads. Its effectiveness has prompted Ethiopia to switch to official malaria treatment options containing Artemisia annua.
Sweet wormwood is a wormwood that originates from temperate Asia and can be found all over the world. Its scientific name is Artemisia annua, but it is also known as sweet Annie, sweet sage, or annual wormwood. It has various medicinal uses, including malaria, parasite and cancer treatments, although it can also be incorporated into food to prepare delicacies.
One of the oldest applications for sweet wormwood is as a treatment for fevers. Chinese herbalists used the dried leaves of the plant to create a fever-reducing tea. Although this practice was done in ancient times, its application was rediscovered in the 20th century.
Wormwood tea is popularly believed to be a good malaria treatment. The active ingredient in sweet wormwood, artemisinin, along with other substances that contribute to the plant’s makeup, is said to be extremely effective against malaria. This relatively readily available and effective treatment makes it attractive to those facing the threat of malaria, such as those living in the tropics. Pharmaceutical companies have challenged the effectiveness of wormwood, but its success rate has prompted Ethiopia to switch its official malaria treatment options to those containing Artemisia annua.
Other popular uses for wormwood include anti-parasitic and anti-cancer treatments. Wormwood is often used by tropical nations along with other antimalarial treatments to ward off parasites. It is believed that the use of wormwood makes the body more resistant to parasites. Wormwood’s effect of making the body inhospitable to parasites is advantageous for those living in countries that suffer from parasite problems.
Sweet wormwood may also have an interesting effect on cancer cells. Research suggests that it targets breast cancer cells and cells of a certain form of prostate cancer, acting toxic to them and possibly killing them or hindering their growth. Other forms of cancer, including leukemia, have responded to the use of sweet wormwood, and further research could test wormwood’s effectiveness as a cancer treatment.
Wormwood is believed to help with hepatitis and jaundice, protect the liver, boost the immune system, and decrease inflammation of the gallbladder. It can also increase hunger and digestive enzyme production, relieve arthritis and food poisoning, heal skin problems, and encourage colds and flu to recede. Less common uses for wormwood include fly and insect deterrents and flea killers for pets.
Sweet wormwood can also be used culinary. The Chinese use it to build salads. The salad itself is bitter and tart due to a marinade containing spiced rice vinegar. Food is classified as a delicacy.
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