你從來沒有聽說過艾草嗎

If you have never heard of wormwood, it is likely you might have been introduced to the perennial herb's other aliases. According to Verywell Health, wormwood also goes by the names: absinthe, absinthium, green ginger, madderwort, and mugwort. The name we are using stems from the herb's ability to remove unwanted parasites. Pam Weathers, a biologist at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, has spent a good part of her career studying the effects the wormwood shrub has on patients diagnosed with malaria and schistosomiasis. The latter is a parasite-inflicted disease that runs rampant in many third world countries but has been "neglected" by modern medicine, according to NPR. Weathers' research suggests that wormwood may one day be effective in combatting schistosomiasis, but more research needs to be conducted.

如果你從來沒有聽說過艾草，那么很可能你已經(jīng)知道了這種多年生草本植物的其他別名。根據(jù)Verywell Health的說法，艾草也被命名為：苦艾酒、苦艾、生姜、茜草和艾蒿。我們之所以使用這個名字，是因為這種草本植物有去除多余寄生蟲的能力。伍斯特理工學院的生物學家帕姆·韋瑟斯(Pam Weathers)在其職業(yè)生涯的大部分時間里都在研究艾草灌木對被診斷為瘧疾和血吸蟲病患者的影響。據(jù)NPR報道，后者是一種寄生蟲引起的疾病，在許多第三世界國家肆虐，但被現(xiàn)代醫(yī)學所“忽視”。韋瑟斯的研究表明，艾草也許有一天能有效地對抗血吸蟲病，但還需要進行更多的研究。

In addition to the plant's ability to kill off potentially deadly parasites, wormwood has been used as a medicine to help treat a slew of other conditions as well.

除了能殺死潛在的致命寄生蟲，艾草還被用于治療其他疾病。

According to Verywell Health, studies have shown that patients with Crohn's disease — a painful condition that causes the digestive system to swell — have benefited from taking wormwood as an herbal supplement. Patients in a 2007 study published in Planta Medica who were given 1,500 milligrams of wormwood a day for 8 weeks reported more mild symptoms. They also had to take fewer steroids than the patients who did not receive wormwood. Additionally, the herbal drug has been shown to increase appetite and aid with pain management. It can also help with common digestive issues, such as heartburn, stomach pain, and diarrhea.

據(jù)Verywell Health報道，研究表明，克羅恩病(一種導致消化系統(tǒng)腫脹的痛苦疾病)患者從服用艾草作為草藥補充劑中獲益良多。2007年發(fā)表在《植物醫(yī)學》上的一項研究顯示，連續(xù)8周每天服用1500毫克艾草的患者癥狀更為輕微。與未服用艾草的患者相比，他們還必須服用更少的類固醇。此外，艾草已被證明能增加食欲，并有助于疼痛管理。它還可以幫助解決常見的消化問題，如胃灼熱、胃痛和腹瀉。

We know this herb can be medically beneficial when made into tea and in capsule form. WebMD also states wormwood oil can be used topically and help with bug bites and osteoarthritis. However, like most other medicines, there are side effects to be aware of. Long-term use of wormwood may cause adverse side effects, such as nausea, seizures, and hallucinations, according to Veryeell Health.

我們知道這種草藥制成茶和膠囊后在醫(yī)學上是有益的。WebMD還指出，艾草油可以局部使用，有助于治療蟲咬和骨關(guān)節(jié)炎。然而，像大多數(shù)其他藥物一樣，也有副作用需要注意。據(jù)Veryell Health稱，長期使用艾草可能會引起不良副作用，如惡心、癲癇和幻覺。