Wormwood is one of the most important medicinal herbs in Hildegard medicine. Abbess Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) called it “the master over all states of exhaustion in people”—and for good reason. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is rich in bitter substances, essential oils, flavonoids, and coumarins. These components make it one of the most versatile medicinal herbs in monastic medicine, still valued today.
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about wormwood: its effects on body and mind, how to prepare wormwood tea yourself, what makes the plant so special, what “red wormwood” is all about, and how to make the classic wormwood elixir according to Hildegard of Bingen.
Expert Opinion: What Does Modern Science Say?
“Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) has always been a significant medicinal plant for treating loss of appetite and digestive complaints. Scientific data confirm the digestive-supporting, choleretic, and anti-inflammatory properties of its bitter substances. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study from 2007, wormwood herb showed a significant steroid-sparing effect in Crohn’s disease patients—after 8 weeks, about half of the participants were free of symptoms.”
Source: Omer B. et al. (2007): “Steroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn's disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study.” Phytomedicine, 14(2–3), 87–95 – professionally reviewed by Prof. Dr. Michael Wink, medicinal plant expert and author of the standard reference “Handbuch der Arzneipflanzen” (Wiss. Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart, 2015).
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) officially recognizes wormwood herb (Absinthii herba) as a traditional herbal remedy for relieving digestive complaints (EU Herbal Monograph, Revision 1).
What Hildegard of Bingen described intuitively is confirmed by modern phytotherapy: The bitter substances in wormwood—especially absinthin—have proven effects on the stomach, gallbladder, and intestines. For anyone who wants to dive deeper into how it works: The Apotheken Umschau offers a clear summary of the clinical data.
Wormwood Effects: What’s Inside This Medicinal Plant?
Wormwood works mainly through its bitter substances—especially absinthin, which is responsible for its intensely bitter taste. In modern diets, bitter substances have largely disappeared: selective breeding has removed them from vegetables and salads to make flavors milder. Yet, bitter substances play an important role in metabolism.
The most important effects of wormwood at a glance:
Supports digestion: Wormwood stimulates the production of gastric juice, saliva, and bile. This makes it easier to digest fats and can help with feelings of fullness, bloating, and loss of appetite. Hildegard wrote: Wormwood “warms the stomach and cleanses the intestines and prepares good digestion.”
Supports liver function and detoxification: The bitter substances stimulate liver metabolism and help eliminate toxins. The chlorophyll in wormwood also binds free radicals, which contribute to aging processes. You can learn more about liver cleansing according to Hildegard of Bingen in our detailed blog post.
Antispasmodic: The essential oils in wormwood have a spasmolytic, or antispasmodic, effect. They relax the muscles of the digestive tract and can help with abdominal cramps and so-called Roemheld syndrome—a high diaphragm caused by severe bloating that puts pressure on the heart.
Circulation and heart: Thanks to its bitter substances and essential oils, wormwood stimulates blood flow in the mucous membranes of blood vessels and organs. This can support the performance of the cardiovascular system and is considered a preventive measure against arteriosclerosis.
Kidneys and elimination: Hildegard specifically named kidney weakness as an area for using wormwood tonic. Improved blood flow to the kidneys promotes the elimination of metabolic waste products.
Immune system: By strengthening the digestive organs and kidneys, wormwood also indirectly supports the immune system. Hildegard explicitly recommended it for preventing susceptibility to colds. You’ll find more tips for strengthening the immune system according to Hildegard of Bingen in our blog post.
Hormone regulation: Since the essential oils also improve blood flow to the adrenal glands, the supply of vital hormones—including cortisol and sex hormones—can be supported. This explains why Hildegard expressly recommended wormwood for exhaustion and burnout-like symptoms.
Note: Wormwood should not be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or if you have a known sensitivity to plants in the daisy family. Excessive intake can put strain on the body. Hildegard’s healing methods are based on tradition, writings, and experience; scientific evidence of efficacy does not exist for all uses.
Contraindications: Gastric or duodenal ulcers, gallstones (wormwood’s stimulating effect on bile can trigger biliary colic, which often requires emergency treatment), kidney stones, liver diseases. Pay attention to interactions with other medications, as wormwood can lower the seizure threshold.
Make Wormwood Tea Yourself According to Hildegard
With 3,100 monthly searches, “wormwood tea” is the most searched keyword around the topic of wormwood in Germany. The tea is the simplest way
Ingredients for Wormwood Tea
1 teaspoon dried wormwood herb (about 1–2 g) per 150–200 ml hot water (not boiling, about 85–90 °C).
Preparation
Place the dried wormwood herb in a teapot or tea strainer. Pour hot water over it and let it steep for 5–10 minutes. Then strain. The longer you let the herb steep, the more intense and bitter the tea will become.
Usage and Dosage
No more than 2 cups per day are recommended, ideally 15–30 minutes before meals. The bitterness of the tea stimulates the production of digestive juices through the bitter taste reflex already in the mouth. That's why it's important to drink the tea plain and without sugar – only then does it fully unfold its effect.
The regimen should not be continued for longer than 3–4 weeks at a time. After that, it's best to take a break before repeating the application.
The Wormwood Plant – Healing Power, Cultivation & Uses
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) belongs to the aster family and is a perennial, herbaceous plant. The plant grows between 40 cm and one meter tall (in rare cases up to 1.5 m), has silvery-gray, felt-like hairy leaves, and gives off an intensely aromatic scent. The round yellow flowers appear between July and September.
In nature, wormwood thrives on dry or sandy-clay soil, along paths, on fallow land, and near streams. It is an extremely hardy plant that grows even in very poor soil and can be found at altitudes up to 3,500 meters. Originally, wormwood comes from the warm regions of Eurasia, but it is also found in India, Morocco, and Algeria.
Growing Wormwood in Your Own Garden
In your own garden, wormwood is an easy-care addition. It prefers sunny to semi-shaded locations with well-drained, rather poor soil. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging. In spring, it can be easily propagated by seeds or by dividing older plants.
Harvest and Storage
The leaves and shoot tips can be harvested from April to August. For the Hildegard regimen, spring wormwood is especially valuable, as it contains the highest concentration of bitter substances at this time. To dry, bundle the herb and hang it in a well-ventilated place. Dried wormwood herb can be stored in airtight jars, in a dark and dry place, for up to one year.
Overview of Application Forms
Wormwood can be used in many ways: as tea, as freshly pressed juice for the classic elixir, as an oil extract (wormwood oil), as an ingredient in creams and ointments, as a spice in small amounts, and as a bitter in the production of spirits (absinthe, vermouth). A botanically sound overview of the plant can also be found in the medicinal plant lexicon of WALA Arzneimittel.
Red Wormwood: Difference & Healing Properties
The keyword “Red Wormwood” is searched for 1,600 times a month in Germany – but a look at the search results shows: Most people are looking for Vermouth Rosso, the aromatic, red wormwood wine from the cocktail world (known for example as Martini Rosso or Noilly Prat Rouge). This is a good starting point to explain the difference and clarify the medicinal significance.
Vermouth Rosso – Red Wormwood as a Beverage
Red wormwood in the culinary sense is a sweet white wine aromatized with wormwood herb and other herbs, with caramel sugar or other ingredients giving it the reddish color. It is an ingredient in classic cocktails like Negroni, Americano, or Manhattan. The alcohol content is usually between 15 and 18 percent.
Wormwood as a Medicinal Plant – No Color Distinction
In Hildegard medicine, the color of wormwood doesn't matter – botanically, there is only one main species, Artemisia absinthium, with silvery-green leaves. The healing properties come solely from the plant's own constituents: bitter substances, essential oils, flavonoids. If you're looking for a red wormwood as a remedy, you won't find a separate medicinal plant – but you may find wormwood products with red wine or red fruit juices, which, however, are not part of official Hildegard tradition.
Healing Properties of Classic Wormwood Herb
The healing properties of wormwood are not tied to its color, but to its bitter substances and essential oils – these are present in the fresh, gray-silvery plant in the highest concentration. Hildegard specifically recommended the freshly pressed juice from spring wormwood for her classic drink. More on this in the next section.
Wormwood Elixir according to Hildegard von Bingen – the May Regimen
The wormwood elixir, also known as wormwood drink, May regimen drink, wormwood wine, or Decoctum Absinthii, is the most well-known and traditional recipe in Hildegard medicine. Hildegard von Bingen described it in her Physica with the following words:
“Wormwood elixir eliminates kidney weakness and melancholy in you, clears the eyes and strengthens your heart, and prevents your lungs from becoming ill. It warms the stomach and intestines, cleanses the bowels, and supports good digestion.”
The Classic Hildegard Recipe for Wormwood Elixir
| Ingredient | Amount (for 1 liter) | Amount (for a regimen, approx. 3 liters) |
|---|---|---|
| White wine (dry) | 1 liter | 3 liters |
| Blossom honey | 150 g | 450 g |
| Fresh wormwood juice (spring wormwood) | 40 ml | 120 ml |
Preparation
First, chop the fresh wormwood leaves and press them through a cloth until you get the required amount of juice. Briefly bring the wine and honey to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the fresh wormwood juice to the still-hot honey wine, immediately strain through a fine sieve, and pour hot into sterile bottles. Store in a cool, dark place.
Intake and Regimen Planning
Hildegard recommends drinking the elixir from May to October – every 2nd day in the morning on an empty stomach before breakfast. The recommended amount is a liqueur glass (about 10–20 ml). Can be used as a regimen for 6 weeks. There should be breaks of at least
at least 2-3 months.It's important to take a one-day break between doses: Wormwood is a powerful medicinal herb, and taking it daily over a long period can put strain on the body. If you're trying this regimen for the first time, pay close attention to how your body responds.
Why wine and honey?
Hildegard von Bingen chose wine as a base for good reason: wine extracts the fat-soluble active compounds in wormwood—especially the essential oils—particularly well and makes them bioavailable for the body. Honey balances out the intense bitter taste and brings its own antimicrobial properties. The combination of these three ingredients is considered especially harmonious and effective in Hildegard medicine.
Ready-made products instead of making it yourself
If you don't want to make the elixir yourself, you can choose ready-bottled organic wormwood drinks. A high-quality organic wormwood drink should ideally contain at least 3.5% organic spring wormwood juice, organic white wine, and organic honey—with no chemical additives. In the shop you'll find our organic wormwood drink according to Hildegard von Bingen, made following the original recipe. For a complete spring regimen, we also recommend taking a look at our Hildegard regimen packages.
Conclusion: Wormwood—a treasure of Hildegard herbal medicine
Wormwood is much more than just a bitter agent. This medicinal plant brings together a unique combination of compounds that support digestion, liver, circulation, and nerves all at once. No wonder Hildegard von Bingen considered it her most important ally against exhaustion and weakness.
Whether as a tea, a classic elixir with wine and honey, or as an external oil application—wormwood fits into many life situations. The spring regimen from May to October is a time-honored tradition that has been passed down for centuries and still helps people actively transition out of winter today.
If you want to learn more about wormwood and the world of Hildegard herbal medicine, or if you're looking for the right product for your personal regimen, check out our herbal and medicinal drinks shop. We're happy to support you on your path to more vitality and well-being—with original recipes since 1984.
