Artemisia herba-alba is a short shrub usually found in Northern Africa and the Middle East. The parts that grow above the ground are used as medicine.
People use Artemisia herba-alba for conditions such as cough, stomach and intestinal upset, the common cold, parasitic infections, and many others, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Is It Effective?
There is interest in using Artemisia herba-alba for a number of purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.
Is it Safe?
Some chemicals contained in Artemisia herba-alba seem to kill parasites and bacteria. Some other chemicals might lower blood sugar levels.
When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if Artemisia herba-alba is safe. It might cause side effects such as low blood pressure and low heart rate.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if Artemisia herba-alba is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Diabetes: There is evidence that Artemisia herba-alba might lower blood sugar. Some experts worry that taking Artemisia herba-alba along with drugs used for controlling diabetes might lower blood sugar too much. If you take Artemisia herba-alba and have diabetes, monitor your blood sugar levels closely. The dose of medications you take for diabetes might need to be adjusted.
Surgery: Artemisia herba-alba might affect blood glucose levels. That has raised concern that it might interfere with blood glucose control during and after surgery. Stop taking Artemisia herba-alba at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Artemisia herba-alba might decrease blood sugar. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking Artemisia herba-alba along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.
Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (Diabeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
Herbs and supplements that might lower blood sugar: There is some evidence that Artemisia herba-alba might lower blood sugar levels. Using it along with other herbs or supplements that have this same effect might make blood sugar levels drop too low. Some of the natural products that lower blood sugar levels are bitter melon, cowhage, ginger, goat's rue, fenugreek, kudzu, willow bark, and others. Don't use Artemisia herba-alba with any of these.
There are no known interactions with foods.
The appropriate dose of Artemisia herba-alba depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for Artemisia herba-alba. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
Absinthe du Désert, AHAE, AHE, Armoise Herbe Blanche, Artemisia, Chih, Common Wormwood, Common Worm Wood, Desert Wormwood, Herba Alba, Shih, Thym des Steppes.
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