Wormwood in Type 2 Diabetes: Dangerous Self-Treatment Disguised as Folk Medicine
In the search for alternative treatments, people often turn to folk medicine. Among many herbs, wormwood holds a special place—a plant with a strong, distinctive aroma and a bitter taste. On the internet, one can find claims about its miraculous properties against diabetes. However, the reality is that the use of wormwood carries serious risks and has no scientific basis.
What Is Wormwood and Where Do the Myths About Its Benefits Come From?
Wormwood is a bitter plant traditionally used in folk medicine mainly for:
Stimulating appetite and improving digestion.
Fighting parasites (anthelmintic action).
Treating certain gastrointestinal conditions.
Myths about its benefits in diabetes likely arise from the general belief that “bitter herbs lower blood sugar.” However, this idea is not supported by reliable clinical research.
Potential Risks and Absolute Contraindications
Using wormwood in type 2 diabetes is not only useless but also extremely dangerous. Here’s why:
Toxicity and poisonous effects. Wormwood contains thujone, a neurotoxin that, in high doses or with prolonged use, can cause seizures, nervous system damage, hallucinations, and kidney dysfunction. For a body already weakened by diabetes, this burden can be critical.
Lack of proven efficacy. There are no authoritative scientific studies demonstrating that wormwood can consistently lower blood glucose levels or improve insulin sensitivity in humans.
Risk of hypoglycemia. If a person believes the myths and takes wormwood alongside glucose-lowering medications (such as insulin or metformin), there is a risk of triggering a sharp drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia). This condition is no less dangerous than hyperglycemia and can lead to coma.
Negative effects on the gastrointestinal tract. The intense bitterness of wormwood can exacerbate gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, pancreatitis, or colitis—conditions that often accompany diabetes.
Unpredictable drug interactions. Wormwood may alter the metabolism of other medications taken by the patient, making their effects unpredictable.
Absolute contraindications to taking wormwood include:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding (high risk of miscarriage and toxic effects on the child).
Epilepsy and seizure disorders.
Kidney and liver diseases.
Mental disorders.
Diabetes (due to unpredictable effects on glycemia and a high risk of complications).
What If You Want to Use Herbal Therapy?
The desire to find natural supportive remedies is understandable. However, instead of dangerous wormwood, there are plants whose milder effects have been studied better—though their use also requires mandatory consultation with a doctor. These include, for example:
Bilberry leaves (contain glycoside-like substances and may have a mild glucose-lowering effect).
Galega (goat’s rue).
Bean pods.
It is important to understand that even these relatively safer herbs are only adjunctive measures and can never replace diet, physical activity, and medications prescribed by an endocrinologist.
Conclusion
Wormwood is not a treatment for type 2 diabetes. Its use poses a direct threat to health due to its toxicity, unpredictable effects on blood glucose, and the risk of severe side effects.
Diabetes treatment is a complex process based on the principles of evidence-based medicine. Trust your health to qualified professionals, not questionable recipes from the internet. Any herbal therapy should be considered only after discussion with your treating physician.