[Absinthe - history of dependence to thujone or to alcohol?].
The etiopathology of absinthe dependence was previously attributed to the effects of the wormwood constituent thujone. Current research proves otherwise. Foremost, it must be considered that the wormwood plant shows a very large variance in quantity of thujone (0 - 70 % in essential oil) dependent on chemo type and cultivation area. Thus, absinthe does not contain thujone in general. Experimental production of absinthes and analyses of vintage absinthes (1900 - 1930) consistently showed that they contained only relatively low concentrations of thujone below today's maximum limits. Scientific literature contains no proof that historic absinthes may have contained thujone in concentrations able to produce toxic effects. The current state of research considers absinthism to be a type of alcoholism with thujone playing none or only a secondary role.
Lachenmeier
D W
DW
Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt (CVUA) Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe. Lachenmeier@web.de
D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology*; D000081008:Bicyclic Monoterpenes; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D039821:Monoterpenes; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology*
D000081008:Bicyclic Monoterpenes; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D039821:Monoterpenes; D000431:Ethanol; C005790:beta-thujone