Healthy Herb Focus: Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris) and Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium)
Whenever I am out and about, I love to do wide sourcing of plants to see them in their raw element in nature. It brings me great joy so I share my knowledge with my children. On a recent trip to Mammoth Lakes to a secluded spot, we stopped by Mono Lake which I had never had the pleasure of seeing. I saw the famous Dead Lake and all around the lake as we walked down to it was Artemisia (wormwood type) and you can see me with the plant in this picture.
Here is what Artemisia is used for in my practice and what many people all over the globe use it for:
Mugwort:
Part used: Aerial Part (anything above the ground): Digestive issues
Root Part: to boost energy
Key Indications: Digestive Weakness, nervous stomach, constipation, intestinal worms, dis-regulated periods
Not Safe: Pregnancy, Breast-feeding or Allergy.
Wormwood:
Part Used: Aerial Parts
Key Indications: Fever, intestinal worms and parasite, digestive weakness, stimulate sweating, abdominal bloating, food allergies/sensitivities, and autoimmune disease.
Commonly used in cold and flu when a fever is present. (Helpful in most virus cases as well)
Not safe: Pregnancy, Breast-feeding or allergy. Excess Dosage will cause headaches.
These herbs are one of my first Focus herbs since they have the same first name but are definitely not the same when you are using them to treat patients. I also wanted to highlight the Wormwood since viruses can produce fevers and it can be a helpful remedy. Please contact your functional medicine doctor for dosing based on your symptoms.