Ai Ye
From Praxis101Wiki
Chinese Name
Ai Ye
Latin Name
Artemisia argyi, A. vulgaris, A. indica, A. integrifolia
Family
Asteraceae
Common Name
Mugwort
Energy
Warm, dry
Taste
Bitter, pungent, fragrant
Part Used
Herb
Category
Regulates qi, disperses cold
Western Classification
Antifungal
Antimalarial
Antiviral
Bitter tonic
Carminative
Cholagogue
Diaphoretic
Expectorant
Hemostatic
Nervine
Triune Classification
Female Reproductive 0
Digestion -
Blood/Xue -
Lung - mild
Nervous System 0
Ch. Stomach/Spleen -
Liver - mild
Major Constituents
Aesculetin (Hydrocoumarin)
Cadinene
Cineole (Essential Oil)
Pinene (Essential Oil)
Quercitin (Flavonoid)
Thujone (Essential Oil)
Vulgarin (Sesquiterpene Lactone)
Black Letter Symptoms
Warming bitter that disperses cold and damp in the GI tract and uterus.
Primary Uses
Mugwort is used for menstrual bleeding and dysmenorrhea caused by cold (dull pain with dull brownish blood; the patient feels cold). It is combined with White Peony, Cinnamon, and Yarrow. It can also be used for excess menstrual bleeding (use ashed leaves), post-abortion bleeding, epistaxis, and hemoptysis.
It relieves pain and dispels cold in the GI tract - stomach ache, gas, nausea, cold/damp in the stomach/spleen, bacterial diarrhea - use it with Ginger, Cinnamon, Cyperus, or Spicebush. Moxibustion is used as an external source of heat to bring blood and qi to the injured tissue. It can be used on a stiff neck, sprains, to warm the kidneys and expel cold [early stages of the flu, for blocked meridians caused by cold (arthralgias)], and to help turn breech babies. With an acute injury use ice first, then moxa to enhance recovery. Moxa comes in sticks or powder.
It is a nervine and can be used for bad dreams (with Zizyphus seed and Gou Teng) or to stimulate dreaming as a tea combined with Rosemary, Holy Basil, and Lavender.
Secondary Uses
Damp coughs and asthma (with mucus) may be helped by Mugwort.
The fresh leaves crushed on warts are an effective treatment.
The dry leaves are used as a wash for oozing, red skin conditions, and itching.
A vinegar liniment of Mugwort can be applied topically for bruises and fungal infections.
In animal studies, Mugwort was effective for treating trichinellosis (Caner, et al, 2005) and showed hepatoprotective activity (Gilani, et al, 2005).
Dosage
Tea (Infusion): 1 tsp. dried herb, 8 oz. water, steep, covered, 40 min., take 4 oz. 3x/day
Tincture (1:5, 1:2.5), 40% ETOH Dose: 1-1.5 ml (20-30 gtt.) TID
Triune: 1/9 part
Preparations
Vinegar extract 1:5, 30-40 gtt. 3x/day
Stir-fried with vinegar: relieves abdominal pain
Stir-fried black: stops bleeding
Contraindications & Drug Interactions
Avoid its use in pregnancy unless reduced to ash.
Fire poison heat, i.e., a boil (blood heat)
Overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, dizziness, and diarrhea.
Special Notes
Japanese name: Gaiyo
Korean name: Aeyop
Mugwort is used in dream pillows to stimulate dreaming.
Additional Resources & References
Caner, A., Doskaya, M., et al, Comparison of The Effects of Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia absinthium Growing in Western Anatolia Against Trichinellosis (Trichinella spiralis) in Rats, Exp Parasitol, 2008, May;119(1):173-9
Cardini, F., Weixin, H., Moxibustion For Correction of Breech Presentation: A Randomized Controlled Trial, JAMA, 1998, Nov. 11; 280(18): 1580-4
Gilani, A.H., Yaeesh, S., et al, Hepatoprotective Activity of Aqueous-Methanol Extract of Artemisia vulgaris, Phytother Res., 2005, Feb;19(2):170-2
