Medical texts that are more than 2,000 years old suggest that sweet annie was used to treat hemorrhoids. Other writings mention sweet annie as a treatment for fevers. A compound found in sweet annie, artemisinin, is believed to contain anti-malarial properties. Numerous randomized clinical trials have shown that artemisinin injections can cure people with malaria. Test tube studies suggest artemisinin can kill other parasites and bacteria, lending credence to the belief that it can fight gastrointestinal infections and parasites.
Many herbal practitioners recommend three grams of sweet annie powder a day.
However, sweet annie cannot be substituted for artemisinin. Sweet annie is available as a powder, as well as in capsule and tablet forms. No adverse effects or serious drug interactions have been reported in people taking sweet annie. However, patients who take artemisinin as a prescription drug may experience a variety of side-effects, including upset stomach, loose stools, abdominal pain, and occasional fever. Bringing Chinese Herbs to the West.