Sweet Annie Herb

Other names for Sweet Annie herb are artemisia annua, Chinese fragrant fern, Qinghao and sweet wormwood.

Sweet Annie herb extract comes from a plant with featherlike green leaves. This herb originated in China where it was first discovered and has spread around the world to become quite a common weed.

Sweet Annie prefers to grow in sunny locations and can reach six feet in height. The parts of the plant that are above the ground are used in making medicinal extracts.

Sweet Annie is commonly used for decorative purposes as a dried flower filler in swags or wreaths. Another non-medicinal use for Sweet Annie herb is to plant it as a hedge to deter deer. Many people have found it to be excellent for that specific purpose. Strong and pleasingly aromatic, Sweet Annie extract is also known to be used in perfumes.

Chinese herbalists recorded from as far back as 150 BC advised using the plant’s extract to treat individuals with hemorrhoids. In 340 AD there was more documentation of Chinese herbalists using Sweet Annie extract to treat people with fevers.

Extensive research has been performed in China on Sweet Annie extract testing its effects in combating the organisms in malaria that is much like the amoebae.

A chemical called aretemisinin that has been found in Sweet Annie is believed to explain the anti-malarial action of the plant. This agent is a sesquiterpene lactone and is thought to impair the organisms that cause malaria inside affected red blood cells.

In other tests there have been positive results by using artemisinin or such like combinations to quickly and efficiently heal people who have come down with malaria.

A human testing also discovered that artemisinin lowered the fatality rate by half when compared to treatment using a basic quinoline anti-malarial drug.

It is important to note that while there has been success in treating malaria, atemisinin based medicines have not been examined for the prevention of malaria.

Other clinical studies have shed light on a component of Sweet Annie herb to be effective as an immunomodulator (a substance that influences the immune system) that can be good in helping with autoimmune related disorders.

Warnings and Cautions:

Large quantities of Sweet Annie are known to be toxic so supervision may be necessary.

Artemisinin based medicines are not readily useable in the United States or in Europe and are still considered to be in the early stages of studies and tests.

The tests that have been conducted are optimistic in the areas of helping cure malaria, eliminating other parasites and bacteria and quite possibly assisting against parasitic infections in the gastrointestinal tract.

Typical daily dosage advised from those who have used Sweet Annie extract are ½ to 1 dram of fluid extract and 1 ounce of the dried herb for tea infused in 1 pint of boiling water for 10-12 minutes.

Sweet Annie extract has the potential to help those suffering from a variety of ailments and infections.

One high quality product that the editors of this website take and recommend is Xtend-Life’s Total Balance. Our search for quality has found Total Balance to be a super high quality nutritional supplement. It also contains many of the most beneficial herbs on this entire website. We use Total Balance ourselves, along with their outstanding pure fish oil and we recommend these supplements to our friends.

As always, consult your physician and an experienced herbalist before taking any dietary or herbal supplement.