Medicinal Properties of Acorus Calamus

Sweet flag has been known for its medicinal value. It originated in Europe but extensively used in Ayurveda, particularly to enhance memory. Vacha powder mixed with ghee is given ritually in India to improve the intellect and speech development. In china it is used in a similar way, to improve speech and aid recovery from stroke. When powdered, it can be of avail for depressed psychosis and dementia. Further indications include the loss of consciousness, confusion of the mind, forgetfulness, anorexia and epilepsy and as a traditional Ayurvedic medicine to treat memory loss (Howes and Houghton, 2003). 1 There are several polypoid varieties to be found, some of which do not contain the toxic constituents. Ayurveda has described Acorus calamus for prevention and treatment of a wide number of diseases.