Doctor: Mugwort is a medicinal herb that helps improve blood circulation.

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Duy, a lecturer in the Faculty of Traditional Medicine, University of Health Sciences , Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) is a very familiar herb in the kitchen, used in herbal steam treatments, and commonly found in home gardens. From the perspective of traditional medicine, it is a valuable herb with many uses in health maintenance and disease treatment.

Mugwort leaves are the dried leaves of the Artemisia plant, belonging to the Asteraceae family. This perennial plant has a stem with longitudinal grooves; the good quality leaves are thick, with the upper surface grayish-green and the underside covered in thick, grayish-white hairs. When crushed, they emit a very distinctive aroma. The leaves are usually harvested in the summer, before the flowers bloom.

Mugwort leaves have a bitter and pungent taste, a warm nature, and enter the liver, spleen, and kidney meridians. These three meridians are closely related to blood in traditional medicine; therefore, mugwort leaves have the ability to warm the meridians, stop bleeding, dispel cold and dampness, relieve pain, and especially regulate menstruation. It is a primary herb in the treatment of lower body deficiency and coldness or cold stagnation in the uterus (a condition where cold accumulates and causes blockage in the uterus), in gynecology, and is used by burning mugwort to stimulate acupuncture points.

Mugwort has the effect of warming and promoting blood circulation.

"Regarding the external appearance of mugwort leaves, dried leaves are usually wrinkled and shriveled. The leaf stalks are covered with soft hairs, and the aroma is pungent and fragrant, suggesting a wind-acting and pungent nature, meaning that while stopping bleeding, it also has the ability to promote qi circulation and blood flow. Although it is a herbaceous plant, hidden beneath that delicate exterior is a powerful, purely yang medicine with many uses," said Master of Science - Doctor Nguyen Van Duy.

Therefore, folk traditions and ancient texts favor using mugwort harvested around the Dragon Boat Festival (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month) - the time when yang energy is strongest in the year. Harvesting mugwort at this time is considered to yield the most potent medicinal properties. Thus, the mugwort is burned and applied to acupuncture points to warm and improve blood circulation.

Modern research notes that mugwort extract can shorten bleeding time, mugwort essential oil has antitussive, expectorant, bronchodilating, antibacterial and antiviral effects, and stimulates uterine smooth muscle.

"From the kitchen to the hospital room, mugwort is a common herb, but it's not 'easy to use.' If used at the right time, for the right ailment, and in the right way, under the guidance of a doctor, it's a powerful aid not only in treating diseases but also in maintaining health and preventing illness. However, it's important to note that people with heat-induced bleeding, blood stasis causing heat, or complex blood clotting disorders should not use it," shared Master's degree holder and doctor Nguyen Van Duy.