Dricker du absint? Oroar du dig, likt personer runt förra sekelskiftet, för att drycken, genom sitt innehåll av malört, har negativ inverkan på din mentala hälsa? Studien ”Absinthism: A Fictitious 19th Century Syndrome with Present Impact”, publicerad i Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, torde kunna lugna dig.

Absinthe, a bitter spirit containing wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), was banned at the beginning of the 20th century as consequence of its supposed unique adverse effects…. The only consistent conclusion that can be drawn from those 19th century studies about absinthism is that wormwood oil but not absinthe is a potent agent to cause seizures. Neither can it be concluded that the beverage itself was epileptogenic nor that the so-called absinthism can exactly be distinguished as a distinct syndrome from chronic alcoholism.

Absint verkar alltså varken mer eller mindre farlig för välmåendet än andra alkoholhaltiga drycker. Ta gärna en titt på Musée Virtuel de l’Absinthe.