Medicinal herb
Sweet flag
Acorus calamus L
Sweet flag (Acorus calamus) is a marsh perennial with sword-shaped leaves, growing beside still water and in the mud of the bank. The rhizome is used, peeled and dried. Traditionally used for poor appetite and a feeling of fullness.
About the herb
What sweet flag is
the rhizome of sweet flag (Acori calami rhizoma)
Sweet flag (Acorus calamus) is a marsh perennial with sword-shaped leaves which, when crushed, smell sweet and bitter at once. It grows beside still water, in the fringes of ponds and oxbows; in parts of Slovenia it is rare and protected as part of the wetland community.
The rhizome is dug in autumn or early spring, out of muddy ground; it is washed, peeled, cut lengthways and dried at a low temperature. The dried rhizome is white to yellowish, markedly bitter and fragrant.
Different forms of sweet flag contain different amounts of beta-asarone, so a verified origin of the drug matters; gathering it in the wild for one's own use is not advised. In Ašič's collection the rhizome of sweet flag appears in Sweet Flag Drops and in the VetroviSIT blend.
Use and evidence
Because of the genotoxic and carcinogenic concerns about beta-asarone, it is not appropriate to recommend medicinal use without a precise chemical characterisation. The original claims about cancer, stroke and the nervous system are removed.
Safety and precautions
Internal use of home-made preparations is not advised; safety depends on the chemotype and on the asarone content, which a user cannot judge.
These notes are general and do not replace advice from a doctor or a pharmacist, above all in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, in children and alongside medicines.
Products containing this herb
Where you will find it in the range
3 products from Ašič's pharmacy contain sweet flag. The composition is listed with every product.
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ZlatažilaSIT
Digestion · Metabolism and cholesterol
Ten herbs a tenth each, among them white mistletoe
€4.90
Frequently asked questions
What people ask about Sweet flag
Which products is sweet flag in?
Sweet flag is an ingredient of these products: VetroviSIT, ZgaSIT, ZlatažilaSIT.
How is a tea from this plant made?
The instructions differ from blend to blend. For VetroviSIT they are: Pour 3 decilitres of boiling water over two teaspoons of the blend. Leave it covered for 10 minutes, then strain. Drink it freshly made, several times a day, enriched if you like with a spoonful of apple cider vinegar.
Are there any warnings about its use?
The product is no substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy way of life. Its use is no substitute for treatment with prescribed medicines. Ask a doctor about use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
How do I find out which blend is the right one for me?
Ring the pharmacist on +386 1 78 77 065 (Mon, Wed, Fri 8.00–14.00). Tell him what is troubling you and he will tell you what is traditionally used for it.
Related herbs
Often in the same blend
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Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla L
Digestion · Metabolism and cholesterol · Stress and sleep
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Common mallow
Malva sylvestris L
Digestion · Metabolism and cholesterol · Colds and coughs
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