Artemisia absinthium, a key ingredient in PHYTO5’s Wood element Yogi Body Gel, (also known as absynthe, absinthe or wormwood [Asteraceae]) is a very important species in the history of medicine. All parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicinal practices for hundreds of years.
Absynthe has a colorful history* but only because of misuse, abuse and misunderstanding of the herb used to create the spirit of the same name. The herb gained notoriety because of its use in absinthe, the French liqueur that became a favorite of many nineteenth century artists like the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh. Medicinal extracts of wormwood have not been shown to cause adverse effects at usual doses. For purposes of this article, we are referring only to the herb itself and not the alcoholic concoction.
Typically utilized in extract or tea form, its extract assists to balance the organs of the Wood element which are liver and gall bladder according to traditional Chinese medicine. Wormwood’s strong bitter agents–absinthin and anabsinthin–stimulate digestive and gall bladder function.
In European medicine, wormwood is used in both allopathy and homeopathy. In traditional Asian and European medicine, it has been used as an effective agent in gastrointestinal ailments. It is beneficial in supporting healthy flora in the digestive tract.
Wormwood is effectively used in the treatment of the following conditions:
Crohn’s disease
IgA nephropathy**
indigestion
poor digestion
irritable bowel syndrome
heartburn
low stomach acidity
parasites
helminthiasis
anaemia
insomnia
bladder diseases
difficult-to-heal wounds
fever.
Wormwood can be used as a good and bitter tonic stimulating menstruation, and treating fever, liver disease, depression, muscle pain, memory loss and loss of libido.
But in addition to medicinal uses, Artemisia absinthium is also enjoying a successful career as a cosmetic plant. Its extract is used in skin care cosmetics because of its wound healing, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Scientific research points to many additional properties of Wormwood:
antiprotozoal(1)
antibacterial
antifungal
anti-ulcer
hepatoprotective(2)
anti-inflammatory
immunomodulatory(3)
analgesic
neuroprotective(4)
anti-depressant
procognitive
neurotrophic(5)
and cell membrane stabilizing and antioxidant activities.
Both absynthe’s flowers and leaves are used to create the extract. Artemisia absinthium grows naturally on uncultivated arid ground, on rocky slopes, and at the edge of footpaths and fields. With characteristic grayish white downy leaves and small yellow flower buds, the herb grows as a weed. The absinthe extract in Wood element Yogi Body Gel is actually grown and harvested very nearby to PHYTO5’s Swiss factory in Fleurier, Switzerland.
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Endnotes:
Fighting infections caused by protozoa (a single-celled microscopic animal)
Preventing damage to the liver
Cell-based immunotherapy
Serving to protect nerve cells against damage, degeneration, or impairment of function
Relating to the growth of nervous tissue
*It was once believed that the psychotropic activity and toxicity of absinthe were due to the thujone content, however modern analysis has demonstrated that only minor amounts of this compound were present, and the effects may have been due to the copper and antimony adulterants as well as the high ethanol content.
**Disease of the kidney and immune system
D.W.; Lachenmeier. “Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium L.)--a Curious Plant with Both Neurotoxic and Neuroprotective Properties?” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20542104/.
Szopa A;Pajor J;Klin P;Rzepiela A;Elansary HO;Al-Mana FA;Mattar MA;Ekiert H; “Artemisia Absinthium L.-Importance in the History of Medicine, the Latest Advances in Phytochemistry and Therapeutical, Cosmetological and Culinary Uses.” Plants (Basel, Switzerland), U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32825178/.