What is Qaisum?

Qaisum is a garden shrub with fine, grey-green leaves and a sharp, lemon-bitter smell. Its Latin name is Artemisia abrotanum. In English it is called southernwood.

It is a single drug in the Persian and Unani system. Unani healers use it as a bitter herb for a weak stomach and poor appetite.

It was also used for worms in the gut, for a late period, and as a hair and scalp wash. Most people take it as a weak tea or as a tincture (a liquid made by soaking the herb in alcohol).

The proof here is thin. We could not find any human trial of this herb. Long use in a tradition is not proof that a herb works, so read the rest of this page as history and as best-guess, not as fact.

How does Qaisum work?

No one has shown how Qaisum works in the body. What follows is a best-guess, not a proven path.

The leaf tastes very bitter. Bitter plants are thought to make the mouth and gut give off more juice. That may be why old texts used it for a poor appetite.

The oil in the leaf slows some germs and moulds in lab dishes. That is a test-tube result only. It does not show the herb clears an infection in a person.

The same oil holds thujone. Thujone acts on the brain. In large doses it can bring on a fit, so taking more is not better and is not safer.

What forms does Qaisum come in?

Dried leaf, used to make a weak tea, is the most common form.

You may also see a tincture (an alcohol extract), a dry powder in capsules, and a hair or scalp rinse.

The pure essential oil is sold for scent and for keeping moths away. It is far too strong to swallow.

Dried sprigs are still put in drawers and cupboards to keep moths off cloth.

Where it comes from:

Greek writers such as Dioscorides wrote about this plant nearly 2,000 years ago. Arabic and Persian doctors later took it up under the name qaysum.

In Unani books it is a warm, dry, bitter herb. It was given for the stomach, for worms, and to bring on a late period.

In Europe it was grown by doorways and carried into church. People crushed the leaves to keep moths and fleas away, which is how it earned the name lad's love.

What does Qaisum help with?

• Poor appetite and slow digestion: This is the main old use. A weak bitter tea was taken before meals to wake up the stomach. No human trial has tested it for this, so we cannot say if it beats a dummy drink.
• Worms in the gut: Unani and Greek texts both list it for worms in children and adults. Lab work shows the oil can harm some parasites in a dish. There is no human trial, and worms today are treated with proven medicine from a doctor.
• Late or painful periods: Old texts used it to bring on a period that had not come. This same action is why it is unsafe in pregnancy. No trial has tested it for period problems.
• Scalp and hair care: A cooled tea was used as a rinse for a flaky or itchy scalp. Support for this is folk use only. Stop at once if your skin turns red or itchy.
• Moth and insect repellent (household use): Dried sprigs in a drawer do seem to put moths off, and this is a household use, not a health claim. Keep the sprigs away from young children and pets.

Which foods are rich in Qaisum?

1. Bitter herbal liqueurs and some vermouths: the leaf is used in tiny amounts for flavour
2. A few regional Italian cakes and breads: a leaf or two is used as a flavouring

Practical Tips:

The amounts used for flavour are very small and are not a way to take the herb for health.

What are the side effects of Qaisum?

• Upset stomach, cramps or loose stools
• Nausea and a lingering bitter taste
• Headache or dizziness, more likely with large doses
• Red, itchy skin after touching the fresh plant
• Allergic reaction in people who react to daisy-family plants
• Fits (seizures) after very large doses or after swallowing the oil

Good to know:

At the small amounts used in a weak tea, most people report nothing worse than a bitter taste or a mild stomach ache. The serious effects come from large doses, long daily use, or swallowing the pure oil. Because good safety data in people is missing, treat any new symptom as a reason to stop.

How much Qaisum should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no proven dose for Qaisum. No trial has set a safe or useful amount. Old texts and modern herb books use about 1 to 2 grams of dried leaf, steeped in hot water, up to two or three times a day. For a tincture, 1 to 2 mL is a common amount, up to three times a day. Never swallow the essential oil. Even a small amount of the pure oil can cause harm.
• Best time of day: Bitter herbs were taken 15 to 30 minutes before a meal, most often before lunch and dinner.
• With or without food: Take it before food if you are using it for appetite. If it upsets your stomach, take it with food instead, or stop.
• Time to effect: Any bitter effect on appetite would be felt within an hour. Nothing here is proven, so do not count on it.
• How long to take it: Keep any course short. One to two weeks is the usual limit, then stop. If your appetite or your gut has not changed in two weeks, stop and see a doctor. Long daily use is not wise, because the thujone in the herb builds up.