Nine Properties of Wormwood to Help Keep Your Liver Healthy
Wormwood is a little-known medicinal plant. However, you should definitely consider using it if you’re looking for a treatment to keep your liver healthy.
Taking care of your liver is essential to guarantee a good quality of life and prevent diseases.
In this article, we’ll share nine of the properties of wormwood to help keep your liver healthy and also improve your health overall.
The liver
The liver is an organ located in the upper right part of the abdominal cavity, below the diaphragm, and above the stomach and intestines. It fulfills the following essential functions for your body:
- Detoxification and toxin filter. Collects and eliminates toxins that enter your body through food, pollution, medications, tobacco, etc.
- Digestion. Metabolizes carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids through the secretion of bile.
- Vitamin storage. Stores vitamins A, D, E, and K and glycogen.
Next to the liver is the gallbladder, which is the reservoir for bile. In fact, the liver and gallbladder work together.
Take a look at this article: Fight Fatty Liver With These Incredible Natural Remedies
Wormwood
Wormwood or mugwort (Artemisia Absinthium) is a medicinal plant native to Latin America that also grows today in Africa and Europe. There’s little scientific evidence to support its properties. However, its benefits have been recognized since ancient times, when it was used to treat cases of poisoning, like lead.
Wormwood can be drunk as a tea made from its leaves and flowers. It’s also found in powder or tincture form.
Its main characteristic is its strong bitter taste. This corresponds to the meaning of its name, ‘without sweetness’.
Curiously, moxa sticks are made with wormwood. They’re like huge cigarettes that are used in traditional Chinese medicine to apply heat to the body.
The well-known alcoholic drink of absinthe is also made from wormwood.
Hepatic properties of wormwood
1. It increases the secretion of bile juices
Taking wormwood reduces gallbladder inflammation and increases the secretion of bile juices.
This has a positive impact on all of your liver’s functions.
2. It cleanses the liver
Drinking wormwood tea for short periods of time cleanses both your liver and gallbladder and helps them function.
3. It eliminates toxins
Since wormwood cleanses your liver, it also helps rid your body of toxins more easily.
Your liver keeps your blood clean of toxic substances that come from external sources, as well as those your body makes, like waste.
If this isn’t done properly, many disorders and chronic and degenerative diseases can occur.
4. It improves digestion
Your liver participates in digestion and the metabolism of nutrients.
If it doesn’t work properly, you can suffer from digestive disorders such as heartburn, flatulence, appetite disorders, etc.
5. It reduces blood sugar levels
High blood sugar levels can harm your pancreas, liver, and your overall health. This plant is extremely effective in preventing diabetes and also insulin resistance, a really common but not widely known disorder.
Glucose control is essential to prevent obesity, cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels.
6. It treats liver failure
To treat liver failure with wormwood, you must do it under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
You might also like to read: 7 Medicinal Infusions to Treat Diabetes Naturally
7. It relieves biliary colic
This plant is really useful for fighting painful biliary colic, which occurs when gallstones obstruct the pancreatic ducts.
8. It fights jaundice
Wormwood is a good remedy for treating jaundice. This disorder is characterized by a yellowing of the skin and the mucous membranes due to an increase in bilirubin in the blood.
This problem is always caused by a liver deficiency.
9. It helps fight other disorders
In addition, taking wormwood can also relieve and improve other liver-related health problems, including:
- Vision problems.
- Itchy skin.
- Halitosis or bad breath.
- Lack of appetite.
- Some types of migraine.
Warnings
Wormwood is a plant with extremely powerful healing properties. For this reason, you shouldn’t overdo it and must only take it for a maximum of three months.
If you take too much wormwood, it can affect your brain or liver and cause muscle spasms.
Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers shouldn’t take it.
Finally, remember that this is an extremely powerful plant. You must use it with care and always consult a specialist before taking it.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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Lachenmeier, D. W. (2010). Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.)-A curious plant with both neurotoxic and neuroprotective properties? Journal of Ethnopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2010.05.062
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Judžentiene, A. (2015). Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) oils. In Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00097-3
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Gilani, A. U. H., & Janbaz, K. H. (1995). Preventive and curative effects of Artemisia absinthium on acetaminophen and CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity. General Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-3623(94)00194-R