Sweet Flag: Best Herb for Brain and Stomach Health Problems (Acorus Calamus)

Table of Contents

“Sweet flag is one of the oldest herbs used in mental disorders and improves the power of speech since ages.”

1. Introduction

The plant is designed the name Vacha because of its ability to improve the power of speech. It is widely used in other medical systems like Chinese, European, and Greek for many ailments. The native American tribes used it as an anesthetic drug for toothache and headache. The ancient Chinese used it in swelling and constipation.

This plant is native to Asia and Europe and is well-known for its numerous health benefits. From improving digestion to reducing anxiety, Sweet Flag has a lot to offer. In addition, it is also used for its stimulating effects on the mind, making it a popular ingredient in teas and other herbal remedies.

Sweet flag is well known for its distinctive spicy, sweet aroma and has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat various ailments such as digestive problems, fever, and respiratory issues. Apart from its medicinal properties, Acorus calamus is also used as a flavoring agent in the food and beverage industry, as well as in perfumes and cosmetics.

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2. Common Names

• Family – Araceae
• Hindi Name – Bach
• English Name – Sweet Flag

3. Vernacular Names

• Assamese - Bach
• Bengali – Vach
• Gujrati – Vaj
• Kannada – Baje, Narru
• Malayalam – Vayambu
• Marathi – Vaca
• Kashmiri – Vahi, Mazar posh
• Tamil – Vasambu
• Telugu – Vasa, Vadaje
• Urdu – Waja-e-Turki

4. Synonyms

• Jatila – Its rhizomes are dense and hairy.
• Kshudrapatra – The plant has linear-shaped leaves.
• Mangalya – The rhizomes is regarded as auspicious.
• Shataparvika – It has numerous nodes and internodes.
• Ugragandha – It has strong odor or intense smell.

5. Classical Categorization

• Charaka Samhita – Lekhaniya
• Sushrut Samhita – Pippalyadi 
• Ashtanga Samhita - Vachsadi
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Shatpushpadi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Sunthyadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Pippalyadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Haritakyadi varga

6. Distribution

The plant is native to North America and Northern, Eastern Asia, naturalized in Southern Asia and Europe from ancient cultivation. It is found throughout India under cultivation as well as in the wild state, ascending to an altitude of 2,200 m. It grows vigorously at the waterside in dumpy marshy places such as meadows, edges of lakes, and banks of streams and rivers.

7. Types

• Dhanvantari Nighantu: Two types: Vacha and Shweta Vacha.
• Raj Nighantu: Three types: Vacha, Shweta Vacha and Kulanjana.
• Bhavaprakash Nighantu: Four types: Hemavati, Mahabhari vacha (kulanjan), Divpantra Vacha(Chopchini)

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8. Morphology

The plant is a strongly aromatic gregarious perennial herb of about 2 to 4 feet, arising from a partially underground creeping and branched rhizome. When the older portion of the rhizome decays the branches which get separated becomes independent plant.

Leaves – Strongly aromatic, simple, alternate, distichous, closely arranged, vertically oriented linear to narrowly ensiform, 2 to 3 feet long and ½ to 1 inch broad, occasionally longer and broader, glossy bright green acute tip with a thick and stout midrib.

Flowering Stem – Scape are one to two in number, arises from the axils of the outer leaves compressed triangular, solid and spongy, flowering upwards. Inflorescence in a short stumpy spadix, 2 to 3 inch long and 0.5 to 0.75 inch in diameter.

Flower – Small, sessile, bisexual, densely packed so as to form a solid cylindrical tapering blunt spike 2 to 4 inch long, often curved.

Rhizomes – Branched, horizontal, flat, 0.5 to 1 inch thick, aromatic, creeping, with nodes and internodes, upper surface light to dark brown, marked with remnants of leaves, studded with lenticels, lower surface with many rootlets, internally creamy white.

9. Ayurvedic Properties

• Rasa (Taste): It has Tikta, Katu taste.
• Virya (Potency): It is ushna in nature (hot).
• Vipaka (Post-digestive taste): The post-digestive taste is katu (bitter).

10. Chemical Constituent

The rhizome contains asrone, calamenol, calamine, eugenol, camphene, various fatty acids, calamol, acordin, azulene and isoacolamone.

11. Identity, Purity, and Strength

For Rhizome

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 1%
• Total Ash – Not more than 7%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 1%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 9%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 16%
• Volatile oil – Not less than 2%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 1999)

12. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Action

Ayurvedic classics described sweet flag as brain tonic, emetic, voice promoter, purifies stool urine, analgesic, pacify cough and bronchitis, digestive, diuretic and rejuvenator.

• Dohakarma - Kapha vatashamaka
• Dhatukarma – Medhya, rasayana
• Malakarma – Mala, mutra vishodhna.

Pharmacological Action

The rhizome is reported as intellect promoting, vamak, sedative, tranquilizer, anticonvulsant, expectorant, carminative, stomachic, antioxidant, anthelminthic, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, antimicrobial and insecticidal.

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13. Health Benefits

Sweet flag is widely used in the treatment of constipation, flatulence, colic, insanity, epilepsy, heart disease, cystic swelling, edema, worm infestation, diarrhea, thirst, disease of oral cavity, paralysis, hysteria, loss of appetite, piles, indigestion, cold, cough, tonsilitis, urinary calculus, microbial infections, difficult labor, obesity.

Powdered rhizomes are also used for inducing vomiting in bronchitis, asthma, insomnia, convulsions, hysteria, loss of memory, neurosis, dyspepsia, skin disease, swollen joints, toothache and filariasis.

14. Therapeutic Uses

Asthma - Take 5-10 grams of root powder of sweet flag thrice a day, gives relief from asthma.

Common Cold - A small piece of root is roasted and powdered; a pinch of powder taken with honey gives relief from the common cold.

Mouth Ulcers - Take 5 grams root powder of Acorus Calamus and mix with honey, apply gently it on tongue and mouth skin, gives relief from mouth ulcers.

Stomach Disorder - The brunt root powder mixed with refined coconut oil, apply over the abdomen, gives relief from stomach disorder.

Whooping Cough - Take 5-6 grams of roasted powder of Acorus Calamus root and mix with honey, gives relief from whooping cough.

Belly And Thigh - Take 3 grams of each, Acorus Calamus root and Triphala powder, mix them and take with water, reduces fat on the belly and thigh.

Skin Infections - Take 5 grams powder of Acorus Calamus root and mix with rose water, apply it on the face. Give you glowing skin and control various skin infections.

Wound Cleansing – Decoction of Vacha mixed with camphor is used for cleansing of wounds and ulcers.

Obesity – The dry powder massage is beneficial in reducing excessive fat.

Acne Vulgaris – Local application of Lodhra, Dhanyaka, and Vacha paste removes acne.

Inflammatory Disease – Application of Vacha sarsapa paste remove edema.

To Induce Emesis – One to two grams Vacha powder with Lukewarm salt water induces vomiting, relieves phlegm and eases cough and asthma.

Memory Enhancer – Regular licking of Vacha powder with honey twice a day for 6 months enhances memory in newborn.

Asthma and Cough – Decoction of Vacha powder with honey is useful in cough, asthma, bronchitis, dyspepsia and tertian fever.

15. Official Part Used

Rhizome

16. Doses

• Powder – 125 to 500mg
• For inducing vaman – 1 to 2 gm

17. Side Effects

There are some adverse effects like disturbed digestion, gastroenteritis, persistent constipation followed by bleeding diarrhea are observed in some cases.

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18. Acorus Calamus Root Tea

Ingredients

• Acorus Calamus Root Powder - 1 tsp
• Green Tea – 1 tsp
• Honey – ½ tsp
• Water – 1 ½ cup
• Clove – 1
• Dry Ginger Powder – ¼ tsp

Method

Take a pan and boil the water.

Add all the ingredients except honey, and boil for 2 minutes.

Pour the tea into a cup with the help of a tea strainer.

Mix the honey and drink hot.