Wormwood essential oil has many health benefits which can be attributed to its properties as tonic, vermifuge, narcotic, insecticide, febrifuge, emenagogue, digestive, deodorant, cholagogue and anti – helmitic substance. Wormwood is also known as Absinthium and Green Ginger. In the past, this herb has been used in alcoholic drinks such as Absinthe to add its intoxication and taste because this herb has narcotic effects. The botanical name of wormwood is Artemisia Annua or Artemisia Absinthium. Wormwood essential oil is extracted through steam distillation of its flowering tops, twigs and leaves. Trans sabinyl acetate, trans sabinol, sabinene, myrcene, linalyl acetate, geranyl propionate, beta thujone and alpha thujone are the main components of wormwood essential oil.
Wormwood essential oil is a potent poison because it is high in thujone. Also this essential oil is neurotoxin. You should be extreme careful when you are using it for its health benefits and you should avoid prolonged use of it. Wormwood essential oil blends well with orange, oak moss, lavender and jasmine essential oils. This essential oil is poisonous and it is basically a neurotoxin. When you use large doses of this essential oil, then it can cause impulse behavior, restlessness, convulsions, nervous afflictions and even death. When you are using it in prolonged periods, then it can cause permanent damage to the nervous system and brain and this can also result in insanity. This essential oil has narcotic effects and it is highly addictive.
Wormwood essential oil benefits
Relieves nervous afflictions: When someone says narcotic, then this can have negative impressions in the most countries of the world. But this essential oil can be beneficial for some symptoms, just as some of the deadliest poisons have their uses in the medicine. The narcotic effect of wormwood essential oil can be used to calm down or pacify the insomnia, tensions, stress, convulsions, epileptic and hysteric attacks and nervous afflictions.
Effective insecticide: This essential oil is highly poisonous to mammals and higher animals and it can be poisonous to some animals and insects. This essential oil serves as an insect repellent and insecticide. Also this essential oil can be used in fumigants, vaporizers and sprays to have this effect.
Prevent microbial infections: Wormwood essential oil has some components that have toxic property such as beta thujone and alpha thujone which can fight against infections because they can kill microbes and they can inhibit their growth. They are also fatal for bacteria and viruses which could lead to fevers. This essential oil can aid in the reduction of fever which is making it a febrifuge.
Wormwood essential oil uses
Acts as emenagogue: Wormwood essential oil has a property of stimulating discharges which are making it an emenagogue. It can stimulate menstrual discharges and it can help to open obstructed menstruation. This is very important from the point of view of health because the obstructed menstruation can give rise to some critical health problems in women such as uterine cancer and tumors. Wormwood essential oil has emenagogue property which can help to rid of the problems such as lack of appetite, fatigue, nausea, abdominal cramps and ache and headaches.
Promotes digestion: Wormwood essential oil is cholagogue which can stimulate the production and secretion of bile and other digestive juices into the stomach. This property can facilitate the digestion which means that you can use this essential oil for digestive purposes but you should use it in extremely low doses.
Eliminates odor: Wormwood essential oil is high in thujone which means that it has characteristic smell of this constituent and it has aroma which is similar to the aroma of Thuja. This component justifies its use as a deodorant. But you should be careful when you are using it a very high degree of dilution because this can help to avoid excess inhalation.