10 shocking health benefits of mugwort tea

Discover the 10 shocking health benefits of mugwort tea.

The main health benefits of mugwort tea include its ability to relieve menstrual pain, improve digestion, reduce anxiety and depression, promote dream retention, aid in weight loss, strengthen the immune system, detoxify the body, and aid in regulating diabetes.

This specialty tea also has some side effects, such as allergic reactions and pregnancy complications.

The active components in mugwort tea are also very powerful and can be toxic in excessive amounts.

With a spicy flavor, mugwort tea is a powerful herbal preparation that should be taken only with proper education or supervision. 

Mugwort – scientific name Artemisia vulgaris – is a member of the daisy family along with other herbs such as yarrow, ragweed, tansy, and arnica.

Native to Europe and Asia, mugwort now grows as an herb throughout North America.

Health benefits of Mugwort tea

Drinking mugwort tea is highly recommended for people suffering from insomnia, anxiety, painful periods, digestive problems, obesity, weak immunity, diabetes, depression, inflammation, colds, coughs, flu, respiratory infections, and kidney problems.

1.- Anxiety and depression

With its powerful nervine qualities, mugwort tea benefits are very good for treating anxiety, depression, and chronic stress levels.  

This can help relieve stress on your nervous and metabolic systems, and improve your quality of life if anxiety is something you experience daily.

Mugwort has been touted as a nervine to calm the central nervous system and treat insomnia, anxiety, and even seizures, according to the American Cancer Society, mugwort tea benefits promote mugwort tea used for nervousness and anxiety, as well as to improve dreams.

Mugwort’s dream-promoting effects have been reported since the Middle Ages in Europe – mugwort can help you remember or enhance your dreams, though reports of nightmares abound.

2.- Weight loss

With a range of B-family vitamins in this herbal tea, mugwort tea benefits can significantly boost your metabolism and increase passive fat burning.

This can help with weight loss efforts and help your body operate at a higher level of energy and efficiency.

3.-Indigestion

Mugwort tea benefits have been used to colonize the stomach and relieve indigestion for generations.

It can stimulate appetite, reduce bloating and cramps, and counteract unpleasant conditions like constipation and diarrhea, some of the active compounds can also stimulate bile production, which can speed up digestion.

Mugwort is also considered a strong digestive herb, which supports appetite and relieves bloating, gas, and other digestive ailments, many experts recommend using mugwort tea benefits for non-ulcer dyspepsia including heartburn, cramps, and lack of appetite.

Mugwort can also stimulate bile production due to its bitter principle, which can aid in the digestion of fats and proteins, and also alleviate bladder or liver stagnation.

4.- Menstrual pain

One of the main uses of mugwort tea is to treat dysmenorrhea, more commonly known as menstrual cramps.

It is also known to stimulate and regulate menstruation, and help the body as it changes through menopause, however, should be avoided by pregnant women, as stimulating menstruation can cause miscarriage and trigger premature labor.

5.-Diuretic properties

Mugwort tea’s diuretic properties mean that it stimulates urination, which is the body’s best means of eliminating toxins.

Mugwort tea’s benefits are also related to cleansing the kidneys and bladder, reducing the chances of infection, and improving function.

It can also stimulate sweating, which will further remove toxins from the body through the skin.

6.-Immune system

The high concentration of vitamin C and other active antioxidants make this tea an excellent choice for boosting the immune system.

Vitamin C can stimulate white blood cell production and also acts as an antioxidant, which can neutralize free radicals that cause inflammation and weaken the body’s defenses.

7.- Improved vision

Vitamin A is found in mugwort tea and acts as a strong antioxidant for healthy vision.

More specifically, this vitamin derived from beta carotene is capable of preventing macular degeneration and slowing down the development of cataracts.

The 8.-Mineral density of bone

Traditional beliefs hold that mugwort tea is an excellent mineralizer for bones, helping to increase bone mineral density and prevent age-related bone disorders such as osteoporosis.

The high levels of potassium, iron, and calcium found in this tea certainly help support this benefit.

9.- Vivid dreams

For centuries the benefits of mugwort tea were praised for its “psychic” and even “hallucinogenic” properties, and it has long been used to stimulate vivid dreams.

It is supposedly capable of helping you remember dreams as well, and experience those rare playful dreams that are very few and far between.

10.- Reproductive Problems

Mugwort has traditionally been considered a women’s herb, due to its ability to stimulate menstruation, relieve menstrual cramps, and support menopause, according to Burgess.

It is also considered an abortifacient, and although there is no evidence in the medical literature for its effect on pregnancy, it should be avoided if you are pregnant. 

This effect is likely to contain the content of essential oils such as thujone and cineole.

Uses and side effects

Mugwort tea is used all over the world, and it has become naturalized in most countries due to its popularity, but there are also side effects to be aware of.

Mugwort contains traces of thujone, a toxic substance that can be very dangerous in high concentrations, but only extremely high concentrations could be a problem when drinking mugwort tea.

That being said, other side effects do occur in certain people.

• Allergies:  One of the most common triggers for hay fever is mugwort pollen, so allergic reactions to the consumption of this tea are not uncommon.

If you are normally susceptible to allergies, use this tea in moderation, and if you experience skin irritation, gastrointestinal upset, or swelling of the throat, lips, or tongue, stop using it immediately.

• Pregnancy:  While the level of thujone found in mugwort tea is low and tends to be safe for most tea drinkers, pregnant women should avoid this tea, as thujone is known to stimulate menstruation.

Therefore, it can cause miscarriages and pregnancy complications.

Breastfeeding women should also avoid taking this tea, as some of the active components, including thujone, can pass into breast milk and adversely affect the baby. 

Mugwort is a strong herbal tea that must be drunk with care.

As already mentioned, it should not be taken during pregnancy, while breastfeeding or by women who have problems with heavy menstrual periods, when mugwort is taken in high doses or for a long time, it can cause toxicity symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.

Mugwort can cause reactions in people allergic to the Asteraceae family(daisies, chamomile, calendula, and ragweed) and should be avoided if you are allergic to any of the other plants in this family.

Research published in “Dermatology” in September 2012 revealed that sensitivity to mugwort pollen was found in several people suffering from chronic hives, a form of an ongoing rash.

Questions about mugwort tea

What is mugwort tea?

Mugwort tea has been in use for thousands of years in some different cultures, from Europe to China, and has long been praised for its medicinal benefits.

It was also the key ingredient in brewing for centuries before hops were used.

Scientifically known as  Artemisia vulgaris, the mugwort plant is a tall shrub that is closely related to sunflowers, and its leaves, flowers, and roots are used for their nutrient content.

What parts of the plant can be used?

Both the aerial parts and the root of mugwort have been used in medicine.

The most common, in both Western and Chinese herbal medicine, is to use the leaves.

The leaves and flower tops are picked and dried just before the plant blooms, usually in August. Later in the fall, the roots can be harvested and dried whole.

What does a mugwort plant look like?

It is a perennial plant of the sunflower family, similar to a shrub. It has angular purple stems and can grow up to 5 feet tall.

The leaves are dark green on top and have a smooth texture, the underside is covered with dense white tomentose hairs (flattened and tangled plant hairs).

The flowers are small and reddish-brown or yellow with a hint of green. This plant blooms from July to October.

Are mugwort tea for therapeutic purposes?

Mugwort contains volatile oil, flavonoids, a sesquiterpene lactone, coumarin derivatives, and triterpenes; It is most often used to treat digestive tract disorders and aids in all digestive functions, and is said to have anti-fungal, antibacterial, expectorative, and anti-asthmatic properties.

It is considered a good herb for gastric disorders, stomach pain, and intestinal problems. It is used for poor appetite, indigestion, travel sickness, and heartburn.

Mugwort is believed to be effective in treating a wide range of parasitic infections, such as had worm, roundworm, and threadworm. It is also considered effective against parasites such as ringworms that infect the skin.

Is mugwort tea effective in curing some ailments?

Mugwort is used as folk and herbal remedy for various ailments, including colds, epilepsy,   colic, fevers,   asthma,   bronchitis, sciatica, and kidney problems, and there are some scientific indications that it can lower blood sugar levels.

Mugwort has also been used as a herbal remedy for nervousness, exhaustion,   gout, bruises, chilblains (foot condition), and depression, especially when associated with loss of appetite.

This herb is said to have mild narcotic and sedative properties, which explains its use to promote sleep in cases of insomnia.

How Is Mugwort Tea Made?

Mugwort tea is easy to make at home, requiring only dried and crushed mugwort and hot water, as well as sweeteners or other herbal additions, if desired.

The leaves are the most common source of mugwort tea, although some people also make mugwort root tea, or even combine both parts of the plant for an even more beneficial drink.

If you are growing your mugwort, cut off only the top 1/3 of the plant when you harvest the leaves and place them upside down in bundles.

Dosage and administration of mugwort tea

There is no established, safe, or effective dose of mugwort. Traditionally used primarily as a tea, some herbalists recommend 2 cups of mugwort tea with fresh leaves infused for 5-10 minutes in boiling water daily for six days.

As a commercial supplement, one or two capsules twice daily with water is considered a standard dosage, but always follow the manufacturer’s instructions