Artemisia

Artemisia capillaris

Artemisia, known in literature as wormwood, is a bushy perennial that grows from two to four feet (60 to 120 centimeters) high. It bears tiny yellow-green flowers from July to October. It is native to Japan, Taiwan, and northern China.

Herbalists use broken pieces taken from the top of the softly aromatic plant. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding about wormwood's chemical properties have led some to condemn artemisia as a dangerous medication.

Other names

• Capillaris
• Chinese Wormwood
• Yen Chen Hao

Uses

Artemisia has several useful antimicrobial properties. It is also a cholagogue, a substance that stimulates the production of bile. Benefits of artemisia for specific health conditions include the following:

• Bladder and parasitic infections. Artemisia is a powerful parasite exterminator that is compatible with intestinal flora and cleanses the intestines. It treats urinary tract infections caused by Klebsiella bacteria. It is an important treatment for malaria as well. Artemisia contains a chemical, artemisine, that acts against Plasmodium falciparum, which causes a serious form of malaria. Artemisine is one of very few treatments for that illness. Artemisine is also effective against the organisms that cause river blindness.
• Constipation and diarrhea. Artemisia soothes inflamed intestinal tissues, aids digestion, and promotes the circulation of nutrients to the cells, and alleviates abdominal cramping.
• Hepatitis and jaundice. Artemisia increases the secretion of bile into the gastrointestinal tract, thus aiding the liver in draining its waste products. Used with gardenia (Gardenia jasminoidis), it has been shown to increase the rate of liver cell regeneration. It works on the liver, stomach, spleen, and gallbladder to clear jaundice and fever, and to treat hepatitis.

Considerations

Artemisia is used in teas or tinctures. The practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) who supply artemisia usually refer to this herb and the products made from it as yen chen hao.

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