Acorus

Acorus gramineus

Acorus is a grass like rhizome-forming perennial plant resembling an iris. It inhabits wet areas like the edges of streams and around ponds and lakes. The rhizomes have an aromatic, spicy fragrance, and are used in herbal medicine. Acorus is the Japanese relative of the American herb calamus, also known as sweet flag.

Other names

• Chang Pu
• Gramineus
• Shi Chang Pu
• Sweet Flag Rhizome

Uses

Acorus is an antioxidant that has special effects on the central nervous system. It is used by the Akha people of Thailand for stomachache. The Chinese use it for vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dysentery. This herb eliminates phlegm and tranquilizes the mind, and has been used to treat amnesia, heart palpitations, insomnia, tinnitus, chronic bronchitis, and bronchial asthma.

Benefits of acorus for specific health conditions include the following:

• Drug withdrawal. Acorus affects the brain during withdrawal from cocaine, heroin, and morphine. During the first one to ten days of withdrawal, addicts experience intense drug cravings, nausea, and vomiting. Acorus can blunt gastric upset during the acute phase of drug withdrawal (although it has no effect on the cravings themselves) through its ability to prevent the secretion of the inflammatory chemical histamine.
• Seizure disorders. Acorus is used to treat a broad range of brain conditions. It works by protecting brain tissue from toxic free radicals, which are released in the presence of excess oxygen. When the flow of oxygen is restored to previously oxygen-deprived brain cells, these cells are temporarily unable to use all the oxygen available to them. The oxygen escapes the biochemical pathways that usually control it and free-radical damage results. The resulting tissue damage in the brain can lead to memory loss, or seizures. Acorus helps prevent the formation of free radicals of oxygen and the resulting brain tissue damage. It is most effective when taken before circulation is restored, that is, in the first few days to a month after a head injury or stroke.

Considerations

Acorus is most commonly supplied by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is usually sold in the United States as chang pu or shi chang pu, in the form of powders, teas, and tinctures.

The herb's American relative calamus contains the potentially cancer-causing chemical beta-asarone, which has caused it to be banned for use in the United States. Although the form of acorus used in TCM is legal in the United States, it is restricted in Canada. Many other countries ban the use of both acorus and calamus in herbal medicine. Acorus should never be used without professional supervision.

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