Rhizome calami

Calami rhizoma, also known as calamus rhizome, is a traditional medicinal plant used in Asian medicine. Calami rhizoma The drug, which contains extracts from the dried calamus root, is used in herbal medicines as a stomachic for the treatment of gastritis, loss of appetite or flatulence.

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Commission E: not processed

Empirical medicine: Loss of appetite, secretory and motility disorders in the digestive tract, irritable stomach, meteorism, feeling of fullness, adjuvant in anorexia nervosa and hypotension. Also for fever, colds, bronchitis, asthma.

Calami rhizoma contains 2 to 6 % essential oils with mono- and sesquiterpenes as well as phenylpropanes, the East Asian calamus especially beta-asarone. Furthermore, aromatic bitter substances such as acorin (bitter glycoside), choline, mucilage and tannins as well as starch and sugar.

Calami rhizoma stimulates secretion, is spasmolytic, tonic, astringent and soothing. It also has an appetite-stimulating and blood circulation-promoting effect. Beta-Anserone has an experimental carcinogenic effect (liver tumours).

see under Calamus - banned in USA and Canada!

Gastritis, loss of appetite or in motility disorders. In folk medicine the drug is used for rheumatic diseases. The root can also be candied and then eaten as "German ginger". The root is also said to have aphrodisiac properties.

To prepare tea before meals, pour 1 teaspoon of cut drug over 1 cup of boiling water or take 10 to 20 drops of the tincture before or immediately after meals. The drug should contain at least 3 to 4% essential oil.

s. under calamus: mutagenic, carcinogenic, chromosome damaging, depending on the origin of the calamus.

There are no known contraindications. note carcinogenic, mutagenic effect! see under Kalmus

There are no known interactions with other drugs.

e.g. in Bitter Elixir Wala

Particularly recommended in cases of loss of appetite in asthenic, neuropathic young girls or as a result of carcinoma. The targeted addition of beta-ancerone to foods is prohibited in the EU. Only drugs with a beta-ancerone content of < 0.5% may be sold.

1. Schilcher H (2016) in, Leitfaden Phytotherapie, Urban & Fischer Verlag (2016) Munich, p. 173 f.
2. Zhang X et al. (2015) Discrimination of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and Acori Calami Rhizoma based on quantitative gas chromatographic fingerprints and chemometric methods. J Sep Sci 38: 4078-4085.
3. Zhang W et al. (2015) Characterization of polysaccharides with antioxidant and immunological activities from Rhizoma Acori Tatarinowii. Carbohydr Polym 133:154-162.
4. Wenigmann M. (2017) Phytotherapy medicinal drugs, phytopharmaceuticals, application. Urban & Fischer, pp. 136-137
5. https://www.awl.ch/heilpflanzen/acorus_calamus/kalmus.htm

6. Blaschek W (2015) Wichtl tea drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. A handbook for practice. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Munich. S 133-135