Today we are talking about Artemisia annua, the annual mugwort. Artemisia annua has been known in traditional Chinese medicine for 5000 years. In 1968, Artemisia was rediscovered, in Vietnam. Some claim that the Vietnam War was decided by Artemisia, because: Artemisia is effective against malaria.
.The Bill Gates Foundation has already invested more than two billion dollars in the fight against malaria, especially in research into artesunates, which are chemically isolated from Artemisia annua and then administered as a drug.
Artemisia annua has become controversial especially since some studies concluded that effective anti-cancer drugs could possibly be developed from artesunates in the future (See the articles: "The anti-malarial artesunate is also active against cancer" in the International Journal of Oncology, April 2001 and "Molecular Modes of Action of Artesunate in Tumour Cell Lines", published in Molecular Pharmacology, August 2003).
Until then, Artemisia was mainly used in the tropics. Now more and more westerners began to take an interest in Artemisia annua. Until today, Artemisia is not a recognised therapy against cancer. Nevertheless, there are people who are gaining experience with it on their own as part of research.
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(See the press release of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz: "Medicine Nobel Prize for Natural Products: Boost for Phytomedicine").
Now, in my eyes, it would be absolutely irresponsible to want to give hope to people suffering from cancer with this. No plant in the world cures cancer. I believe that only we ourselves can heal ourselves. Through our attitude, our actions, our being in the world and by unlearning habits, etc. We can heal ourselves. Medicines or, for my part, herbal remedies can help us to create an environment in which self-healing can take place.
