Calamus Root (Acorus calamus)

Calamus Root (Acorus calamus)

Calamus root (Acorus calamus) is valued as a potent aromatic bitter and carminative, traditionally used to stimulate digestion, relieve gas and bloating, and support nervous system function, while also serving as an expectorant for respiratory congestion.

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Traditional Uses: Used in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2,000 years as a digestive bitter, cognitive enhancer for memory and speech, expectorant for respiratory congestion, and emmenagogue to stimulate menstrual flow.

Potential Benefits: Laboratory studies show antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic activity, but no high-quality human clinical trials exist; due to the carcinogenic beta-asarone content, internal use cannot be recommended for any indication.

Warnings: The FDA prohibits use in food products (1968) due to beta-asarone’s carcinogenicity in animal studies; avoid during pregnancy/breastfeeding (emmenagogic and genotoxic effects reported); contains MAOI-like compounds with significant drug interactions.

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