Dosage
The following dosage is derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been used in most studies.
Concerns semi-immune subjects living in malaria-endemic areas.
No clinical studies as yet on non-immune subjects (travellers, diaspora etc).
HERBAL TEA WITH DRY LEAVES AND STEMS (Artemisia annua or afra)
How to make Artemisia herbal tea
Bring 1 L water to the boil.
Add about 5 g (one small handful) of dried leaves and stems to 1 L boiling water (100°C).
OR 20 g (4 handfuls) of freshly cut plant to 1 L boiling water (100°C).
Remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Filter.
Drink on the same day.
Do not reboil.
Add sugar, honey, milk (unless otherwise indicated for babies) or lemon juice to taste.
Infant formula milk powder can be used if bottle feeding a child.
To cure medically diagnosed malaria in semi-immune subjects or medically diagnosed bilharzia (schistosomiasis)
- Drink 1 L a day of herbal tea (1 x 330 ml cup morning, midday and evening) for 7 days. Continue the treatment for a full 7 days even if symptoms disappear.
- For children under 5 (under 15 kg), reduce dose by half : 500 ml of herbal tea every day for 7 days. Use either 5 g (one small handful) in 1 L boiling water OR 2.5 g (one large pinch) in 500 ml boiling water.
To prevent malaria in semi-immune subjects
- Drink 1 cup (330 ml) of herbal tea every 2 days (adults and children).
To help to treat pulmonary tuberculosis and Buruli ulcer (with Artemisia afra only – clinical studies not published)
- Drink 1 L of Artemisia afra herbal tea (1 x 330 ml cup morning, midday and evening) for 3 weeks. Apply Artemisia afra -based creme to lesions in case of Buruli ulcer.
Product expiry: the duration of action for leaves and stems cut in 2 cm segment is at least 3 years.
LEAF AND STEM POWDER (Artemisia annua or afra)
1 g = 1 level teaspoon = 4 X 250 mg capsules
To cure medically diagnosed malaria in semi-immune subjetcs or bilharzia/schistosomiasis
Take 3 g of powder a day (1 g morning, 1 g midday, 1 g evening) for 7 days.
Continuing the treatment for a full 7 days even if symptoms disappear.
For children under 5 (under 15 kg), reduce dose by half : 1.5 g a day for 7 days.
To prevent malaria in semi-immune subjects
Take 1 g of powder every 2 days (adults and children).
Product expiry: the duration of action for powder is short. Keep no longer than 6 months.
Additional information
- Herbal tea and leaf & stem powder are suitable for babies, small children and pregnant women. However, avoid during the first trimester of pregnancy.
- Avoid taking large doses of paracetamol, aspirin and iron during Artemisia treatment.
- Anti-oxidants can be antagonistic for active molecules in Artemisia.
Avoid taking vitamin C tablets during curative malaria treatment.
To improve taste, a few drops of lemon juice can be added to boiling herbal tea. Vitamin C in lemon juice is destroyed at temperatures over 60°C.
For the same reason, it is advised to avoid consuming uncooked, freshly-cut Artemisia
(eg. in a salad) as this contains vitamin C, but to prefer herbal tea or dried Artemisia powder.
Important information
Preparation
It is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to leave the herbal tea to infuse in boiling water (100°C bubbling water) and not use barely simmering water taken off the heat !
A decoction (boiling the herbal tea) for one minute is possible
Always remove herbal tea from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes before filtering.
Dosage
Studies inidcate a recommended dosage of 5 g dried leaves and stems to 1 L. Effective results are obtained beetween 3 g/L and 12 g/L.
As grain size varies considerably from one place to another, we prefer to use handfuls as an easy and practical measure rather than spoonfuls.
For children under 5 (under 15 kg), reduce curative treatment dose by half to 500 ml of herbal tea every day for 7 days: use 5 g (one small handful) of dried leaves and stems in 1 L boiling water OR 2.5 g (one large pinch) of dried leaves and stems in 500 ml boiling water. The preventive dosage for children is the same as that for adults as the immune system in children is not yet totally developed.
Hygiene
Herbal tea is by nature hygienic and the preferred choice as it is made using boiling water. At 100°C, water is bacteria-free and virus-free (except for prions which are destroyed at 113°C).
Stem & leaf powder is second choice for treatment as it is less hygienic and therefore often contaminated.
Important information concerning stem & leaf powder
If powder is heated during the grinding process, it will lose its active ingredients.
Powder is sensitive to contamination and can rapidly oxidise. Keep no longer than 6 months.
Powder is useful and effective in capsule and tablet form, mixed into food (eg. porridge or cereals for young children who are not bottle-fed) or taken as a suppository.
Note that pork-gelatine capsules should be avoided.
We only recommend Artemisia HERBAL TEA, a QUALITY product which favours the AUTONOMY of local populations!
Watch out for COUNTERFEIT Artemisia herbal tea packages. Read our call for vigilance.