The Healing Properties Of Wormwood

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Bitters

Anyone who was born and lived in the village can recall cases when in the summer fresh milk, only recently milked from a cow, turned out to be bitter. The fact is that there are several herbs that animals eat, and the consequences of this are bitter milk. Among these herbs is bitter wormwood.

It is possible that the cow ate this milk for medicinal purposes for her, for example, to improve the functioning of the stomach or to fight parasites in the body. It turns out that we too, while drinking this milk, underwent a kind of unplanned course of treatment. But, not understanding this, they grumbled displeased, they say, ruined the product.

Of course, I think no one has investigated such milk in order to determine its healthfulness, although, apparently, it would be useful to do so. You see, even hospitals could appear, which would treat some diseases with bitter milk.

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But on the other hand, the medicinal properties of the bitter herb - wormwood - have been precisely researched and used. Moreover, our ancestors used this plant for a very long time. With the help of wormwood, they fought against fleas, bugs and cockroaches, fumigating huts with it. They also paid attention to the fact that it helps with many diseases. The Russians treated wounds, ulcers, fevers with decoctions, infusions and juice of wormwood, used this plant to stimulate appetite, as well as to eliminate bad breath.

By the way, it is wormwood, or rather, wormwood extract, that is one of the main components of a strong alcoholic drink called absinthe.

What is wormwood herb?

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a perennial herb of the Astrov family. It has a strong aroma and strong bitterness. It grows like a weed in wastelands, near houses, at the boundaries between plots, as well as along roads; You can also find this plant on forest edges.

Leaves, roots and seeds of wormwood have beneficial properties. But mainly wormwood herb is harvested for medicinal purposes. During the budding period, the lower basal leaves without petioles are stored, and during flowering - the leafy tops of the plant with flowers and a flexible part of the stem approximately 20-25 cm long.

The collected raw materials must be dried in the shade in a ventilated room or under a canopy, spreading the grass in a thin layer so that the wormwood does not become moldy. Turn the grass over regularly. Dried until the stems of the plant begin to crack when bent. The harvested raw material of wormwood can be stored and used for two years.

And now the medicinal properties of wormwood are used as an anti-inflammatory, blood-purifying, antipyretic, analgesic, anticonvulsant, choleretic and wound-healing agent. It turned out that it normalizes blood pressure, relaxes, has a hypnotic effect. Wormwood helps with epilepsy, and also cleanses the body of worms.

The bitterness of wormwood helps to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, improve digestion and urine waste. Wormwood finds bitter use in the treatment of diseases of the gallbladder - with its inflammation, with a violation of the normal outflow of bile, with stones in the gallbladder.

The action of wormwood is very peculiar. In various dosages, it can soothe with nervousness, increased excitability, insomnia. And at the same time, have a tonic effect in depression, weakness, fatigue.

The use of wormwood in official medicine

All the medicinal properties of wormwood are explained by the presence of many substances in this plant. The bitter taste of its leaves is determined by the bitter glycosides absintin and anabsintin, essential oil contained in it. It also contains organic acids (malic and succinic), phytoncides, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, carotene, ascorbic acid, vitamin C, and also potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, bromine, aluminum, bromine and boron.

Tincture, decoction, infusion and extract of wormwood are used as bitterness to stimulate appetite and improve the functioning of the digestive system. Wormwood is a part of stomach drops, stomach tablets, as well as appetizing and choleretic preparations, which are used in the form of teas. After the use of choleretic tea from wormwood in patients suffering from chronic diseases of the pancreas and biliary tract, pain decreases or even disappears, appetite improves, and stool normalizes.

Wormwood tincture

It is prepared from dry herb wormwood and 70% alcohol or vodka in a 1: 5 ratio. After infusion, it acquires a characteristic wormwood smell and a very bitter taste.

Take it 15-20 drops 20 minutes before meals, adding to a tablespoon of boiled water. You can prepare this tincture yourself or buy it at the pharmacy. It helps to stimulate the work of the gastrointestinal tract. With its help, you can cure diseases of the digestive system. It is also useful in the treatment of diseases of the gallbladder.

Wormwood infusion

To prepare it, you need to take 2 tablespoons of chopped dry herb of wormwood (10 g), place it in an enamel bowl, pour one glass (200 ml) of hot water, close the container with a lid and put it in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Then the liquid is cooled for about an hour and filtered, the remaining grass is squeezed out. The resulting infusion is topped up with boiled water to the original (200 ml). You can store such an infusion in a cold place for two days.

Take this infusion for 1/4 cup three times a day half an hour before meals.

If you have not prepared the herb of wormwood yourself, then it can be found in pharmacies, where it is sold in packs of 100 g.

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Bitter wormwood in folk medicine

In folk medicine, wormwood is used primarily as an effective anthelmintic. In some areas, this plant is even called so - "worm".

Wormwood tea for worms

For forcing round worms, folk healers recommend drinking tea from wormwood - 3 tablespoons in the morning and evening for 10 days in a row. Tea is prepared like this:

1 teaspoon of chopped dry wormwood herb should be poured with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for 10 minutes and take as indicated above.

Fighting worms with wormwood powder

It is necessary to grind 100 g of dry wormwood herb into powder. You need to take this powder one teaspoon at a time with water. First you need to do this every two hours. And so for three days. And then gradually the time from reception to reception should be increased. All powder (100 g) should be taken in a week.

It is recommended to use this method of treating wormwood from parasites twice a year.

Wormwood infusion in folk medicine

This infusion, prepared according to the recipe given above (10 g of wormwood per 200 ml of boiling water in a water bath), is used by folk healers in a much more diverse way. They recommend taking it in a quarter of a glass three times a day 30 minutes before meals for the treatment of gastritis, stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcer, enterocolitis, liver and kidney diseases, as well as for flatulence, heartburn and even obesity.

Wormwood juice

The juice of this plant is also used in folk medicine. It is obtained by squeezing the aerial part of wormwood (leaves, stems) before the plant begins to bloom.

When used, wormwood juice normalizes the work of the pancreas and also the stomach, eliminates spasm of the large intestine, relieves bloating, normalizes the acidity of gastric juice, and enhances bile secretion. Traditional healers are advised to take the juice along with honey - one tablespoon three times a day before meals.

Heals wormwood oil

You can make your own wormwood oil. It is necessary to collect fresh leaves of wormwood, fill a liter jar with them and then pour olive oil. Close the jar with a tight lid and leave for a week and a half, then strain. The finished oil will be dark green in color. It needs to be kept in the refrigerator. This oil is used to lubricate wounds, sores and sore skin.

Preparation and use of wormwood ointment

To obtain a medicinal ointment, you need to buy a condensed extract of wormwood at the pharmacy. 10 g of this extract must be mixed with 100 g of vegetable oil or the same amount of pork fat. This ointment can be used to heal wounds, skin ulcers, frostbite and burns.

Contraindications

As you know, many preparations from medicinal herbs are contraindicated for pregnant women, and they are categorically contraindicated to use preparations from wormwood!

Wormwood is not recommended for those people who have an individual intolerance to this plant.

Since the composition of wormwood contains a poisonous (!) Substance thujone (monoterpine), it should be taken with the obligatory observance of the indicated dosages and terms. If you use preparations of wormwood for a long time, then a slight poisoning of the body is possible, and in case of an overdose, there may be severe phenomena that are accompanied by strong excitement - hallucinations and convulsions. Therefore, the course of treatment with wormwood should be no longer than two weeks, then a break of one to two months is required.

And a consultation with a doctor is required before starting to take wormwood or its preparations and medical supervision during treatment.

E. Valentinov