Mugwort kills parasites
Mugwort (which sounds like something out of Harry Potter), Artemisia vulgaris, is also known by the name Moxa; fresh leaves are pressed to make moxibustion sticks and used in acupuncture. Although you’d probably never guess by looking at the flowers, it’s a member of the same family as the daisy and the dandelion. It is only distantly related to tansy, which is also sometimes called mugwort.
Mugwort is a hardy perennial and can grow to a height of almost 6 feet (180cm). It doesn’t like acid soil, and is happiest in poor, slightly alkaline soil, in full sun. Not often used in the kitchen nowadays, although it was once used in stuffings for fatty meats. If you decide to use them for this, be a bit sparing, because it is flagged by the Plants for A Future database as possibly poisonous in large amounts.
Because of its toxicity in quantity, Mugwort should not be used by pregnant women or to treat children. Take great care when using this plant for any of the purposes listed, in fact, if possible use some other herb. Please read this site’s disclaimer if you do decide to use Mugwort, and don’t use it for extended periods, as it can seriously damage your nervous system.
There are many uses to which this herb has been put in the past, but really the only one worth the risk (where the toxicity is a positive benefit) is to treat parasitic worms, for which you make a standard infusion by adding 1-2 teaspoonfuls of fresh or 2-3 teaspoonfuls of dried herb to a cup of boiling water. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, strain and drink the whole cupful. Do not repeat. If this does not work, move on to some other remedy.
Another trick which is most likely safe enough is to put fresh leaves into your shoes to soothe sore feet, but not every day, for sure.
Mugwort must be grown organically for use in herbal medicine, to avoid adding additional toxins to the mix. To find out more about growing organic mugwort, visit the Gardenzone.
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