Wormwood-Absente: Thujone

What is Thujone?

WHAT IS THUJONE?

Click on a topic below to read more:

Introduction and Description
Uses with Wormwood
History of Thujone and Absinthe
Side Effects, Warnings, Toxicity

Description:

Thujone is a natural chemical compound found in many different plants and flowers. It is especially known in many spices, herbs and essential oils.

Thujone has a similar chemical structure to Tetrahydrocannibinol (active ingredient found in marijuana or THC) and Menthol (peppermint odor found in many over-the-counter medicated creams).

Can be found in 24 direct food additives according to the FDA's PAFA database.

Dalmation sage oil and cedar leaf oil are stated as containing the highest concentration of thujone.

Absinthe, Absente, Vermouth, Benedictine, Elisir du D.R. and Chartreuse contain small amounts of Thujone.

This natural chemical is stated to make up 40-90% (by weight) of the essence of wormwood.

Popular Use with Wormwood:

Popular in wormwood's use as a flavoring in foods and some vodka brands.

Used with wormwood in tea as a remedy for liver problems, depression, jaundice, and stimulate menstruation.

Used with wormwood in alcohol for promoting digestion, increasing the appetite, strengthening the stomach and relief of gout.

Dried and powdered form of the herb wormwood is known to get rid of worms, repel fleas and moths.

Added form of the herb wormwood to herbal incense or burned in many rituals to open psychic reception, relieve anger and negativity, and aid in high spiritual energy.

Used with wormwood externally to relieve the pain of arthritic rheumatism and neuralgia, and as an antiseptic wash for skin irritations and wounds.

Caution in Doses!
Thujone use can easily be abused and may cause addiction.
Large doses of thujone can cause nausea, convulsions and death (Read 'Side Effects' below). Never take this chemical in any form for more than a few weeks at a time. Use thujone products at your own risk or under the guidance of a licensed medical doctor.

History with Absinthe:

Thujone in absinthe is derived from the wormwood leaves in the preparation of the liquor, Absinthe.

Absinthe was believed to enhance brain activity by expanding creativity through the imagination and acting as an aphrodisiac, leading to its popularity with artists, writers and poets.

Absinthe was banned in 1915 by many countries due to its toxicity. Because thujone has been shown to cause adverse effects, it is believed to be the compound responsible for the ban of this popular liquor, Absinthe.

Absinthe drinkers were reported to be effected by the combination of both alcohol and thujone. Absinthe is 75% alcohol. Alcohol produces a sedative effect and thujone is reported to cause hallucinations. However, thujone is only proven to cause toxicity in the brain that is similar to the active compound found in marijuana's tetrahydrocannibinol. Both chemicals have been used for centuries for medicinal purposes because of their therapeutic potentials when taken correctly, and known for adverse effects when taken in large doses over extended periods of time.

Absinthe with wormwood's thujone caused more adverse effects such as addictions, convulsions, and death than any other well-known alcoholic drink. (Read more at 'Wormwood page').

Side Effects and Warnings:

Reported side effects of thujone and wormwood are nausea, vomiting, insomnia, restlessness, vertigo, tremors and seizures.

Thujone has been suggested as causing addictions, hyperactivity, excitability, hallucinations and psychedelics with chronic use from the ingredient wormwood.

Large doses of thujone have been found to cause delirium, convulsions, seizures, paralysis, brain damage, renal failure and death.

Do not take during pregnancy and lactation.

A warning was issued by three Washington State Doctors about the purchase of wormwood oil used in a recipe for making the banned liquor absinthe. The victim unaware that the consumption of his homemade absinthe could cause adverse effects and resulted in poisoning.

We would like to thank the following Online References:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Priority-Based Assessment of Food Additives (PAFA) information, found at:
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/
[original article at objectid=03DB8C36-E7A1-9889-3BDF8436F2A8C51F]

La Fee Verte Absinthe House!
The Oldest, Largest, Most Visited Absinthe Site since 1997.
http://www.feeverte.net/

Whole Health Connection
http://www.wholehealthconnection.com/library/wormwood.htm

Mother Nature's Natural Products and Healthy Advice:
http://www.mothernature.com/ency/

Virginia Commonwealth University's Dept. of Medicinal Chemistry
http://www.phc.vcu.edu/ [originally found at Feature/oldfeature/thuj/thujone.html]

"Toxin in Absinthe Makes Neurons Run Wild", author C. Wu:
http://www.findarticles.com