Re: Pumpkin seeds... [wormwood, anbsinthe]

[Guest guest]

> Date: Sat, 04 Dec 2004 05:36:37 -0000

> From: " Will Winter " <holistic@...>

> Subject: Re: Pumpkin seeds and liver cleansing

>

> I would recommend readers think twice about using the strong

> herbal wormers (herbal pesticides) such as WORMWOOD and BLACK

> WALNUT HULLS. These are two of the most poisonous and toxic

> herbs in the business. The liver is just one of the many

> organs they can destroy, the brain is another one. Wormwood is

> the herb used to make absinthe, for example.

It is not perfectly clear whether or not wormwood is actually

toxic in amounts that one might actually consume in e.g.

absinthe (the drink). It probably isn't.

Of course it is possible to tox-out on anything when taken in

high concentration in pills or capsules. But palatal ingestion

of the stuff has a built-in limitation: EXTREME bitterness. By

that mode, no one could tolerate amounts that would be toxic,

or so it seems to me.

See:

http://bob.bob.bofh.org/absinthe/bibliography/absfaq.html

Absinthe FAQ

by Baggott (bagg@...)

February 3, 1993

Also:

http://web109.net/herbs/detail.cfm/natural/27026/

Absinthe Herb Cut & Sifted (Artemisia absinthium) 1 lb: K

This is Frontier's nitrogen-flushed double wall silverfoil

pack. Some Frontier packs are double wall wax-lined paper.

Absinthe is traditionally used as a tea, a strong decoction, a

smoke or as an alcoholic extract, a liqueur. The 1997

Commission E on Phytotherapy and Herbal Substances of the

German Federal Institute for Drugs recommends absinthe for

'Loss of appetite, dyspepsia, biliary dyskinesia. Daily

dosage: 2 - 3 g of herb as water infusion. Mode of

Administration: Cut herb for infusions and decoctions, herb

powder, also extracts and tinctures as liquid or solid forms

of medication for oral administration.' Yes, absinthe is an

inebriating pipeful - its psychoactive thujones seem to bind

to the same receptor as THC. Several species of Artemisia are

also smoked for visionary effect by some Indian tribes. Edgar

Poe loved it, and lookit what he did. A user writes:

'The effect was extremely pleasant, although I would not list

absinthe as a psychedelic. It definitely belongs in terms of

subjective effects to the solvent/nitrous oxide category,

although pharmacologically very different. The following day I

felt very lethargic, but it is hard to say if it was due to

the absinthe since we stayed up pretty late that night. My

conclusion: I give it two thumbs up, but would not drink it

more than occasionally since it is reported as neurotoxic.'

Although the oil destroys various types of worms, long-term

use, due to the mildly toxic thujones, is not recommended.

Ordinary wormwood teas or tinctures, however, contain very

little thujone, and are considered safe for short-term use.

Wormwood is safe enough to be recommended by the German

Commission E (see below). Also present in the plant are strong

bitter agents known as absinthin and anabsinthin. These

stimulate digestive function, including gall bladder function.

Grieve's classic 'A Modern Herbal': 'The chief constituent is

a volatile oil, of which the herb yields in distillation from

0.5 to 1.0 per cent. It is usually dark green, or sometimes

blue in colour, and has a strong odour and bitter, acrid

taste. The oil contains thujone (absinthol or tenacetone),

thujyl alcohol (both free and combined with acetic,

isovalerianic, succine and malic acids), cadinene,

phellandrene and pinene. The herb also contains the bitter

glucoside absinthin, absinthic acid, together with tannin,

resin, starch, nitrate of potash and other salts.' Medicinal

Action and Uses: Tonic, stomachic, febrifuge, anthelmintic. 'A

nervine tonic, particularly helpful against the falling

sickness and for flatulence. It is a good remedy for enfeebled

digestion and debility.' .....

...... I wonder if the health benefits have more to do with

tonifying the liver than with any putative vermifuge effects.

(?)

Wormwood may be the best single hepatic/tonic bitter herb --

powerful stuff, to be used in great moderation (which the

revolting taste will strongly re-inforce!). Read the FAQ

sited above for a complete, critical examination of the

(probably largely non-existent) " toxicity " issue.

It appears to have the added benefit of giving a pleasant

buzz. :-)

Alan

_____________________________________________________________________