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Herbal Remedy for ASD: Acorus calamus Herb Can Prevent Autism in Animals Exposed In Utero to Valproate

Posted By Jennifer Shipp | Jul 10, 2023

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How to Prevent Autism: Acorus calamus as an Herbal Remedy for Autism Development



Acorus calamus is an herb that treats autism according to scientific studies.
Acorus calamus is an herbal remedy for ASD that is sometimes colloquially referred to as Sweet Flag. It has been primarily studied in terms of its ability to prevent autism, but this herb also has the ability to restore normal function to the cerebellum in some patients. In Ayurvedic medicine, Acorus calamus is known by a number of different names such as Vacha, wada kaha, “calamus”, beewort, bitter pepper root, flag root, gladdon, myrtle flag, calamus root, myrtle sedge, pine root, sweet cane, sweet cinnamon, and more. Acorus calamus has been used for centuries in folk medicine as a general cure for mental illness. Herbalists have prescribed it to treat bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and more. But how can one herbal remedy work to cure such a broad spectrum of mental illnesses? To a lot of people, the idea that one herbal remedy could work to cure all of the above mental illnesses as well as autism, may seem hard to believe, but the believability of this autism prevention herb depends on the model of the brain and body that you’re using. So let’s expand on this idea and connect some dots.



There are a number of scientists today who believe that mental illness develops as a result of some form of trauma (emotional, physical, or biological). Trauma, in this context, might include anything from going to war and seeing good friends die on the battlefield to being awakened unexpectedly as a young infant or child during an REM sleep cycle. The type of trauma that a person experiences isn’t as important as whether or not the body and brain can respond appropriately to the trauma and process it. When a person experiences trauma, the mind can get stuck in a mostly left brain (or in some cases, right brain) state where the two hemispheres of the brain stop communicating fluently with each other. Restoring communication between the right brain and the left brain can resolve deep seated mental health issues like PTSD, schizophrenia, or autism sometimes through surprisingly simple treatments like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a waking eye movement treatment that mimics the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep cycle. The back and forth eye movements in EMDR help the right and left hemispheres of the brain begin conversing again to restore “peace” in the mind and body. This right brain-left brain communication can heal mental illnesses of all kinds including ASD.

Click here to do a free trial of EMDR online.

NOTE: Children who have developed ASD as a result of emotional trauma might be more likely to benefit straight-away from EMDR treatments and other trauma-informed therapies like craniosacral therapy. On the other hand, a child who has developed ASD as a result of vaccination or toxin exposure might need to rid the body of toxins first and then hyper-nourish the body using nutritional supplements for autism and an ASD diet.

Click here to learn more about psilocybin as a type of trauma therapy being studied for ASD.

Also note that parents and caregivers of ASD children who work with psilocybin become more "present" when working with their children. This energetic change that is manifested through better eye contact and enhanced understanding can reduce ASD behaviors to create a calmer, more peaceful environment in the home. Parents may wish to work with psilocybin microdosing or macrodosing (or both) to overcome their own trauma and become more present for their kids.

Click here to buy psilocybin online.

Acorus calamus Herbal Remedy for Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that impacts the brain and nervous system as well as the digestive system. Autism is a disease that impacts language development, motor development, and behavior. Currently, about 1 out of every 160 children in developed countries develops autism. Recently, researchers studied the use of Acorus calamus as an herbal remedy for autism because of its utility in treating other disorders caused by trauma. The study looked at the effects of Acorus calamus on developmental brain changes as well as tissue changes elicited by this herb in autism-induced rats. Valproate is an anti-epilepsy drug that is often used in autism studies to induce autism. Valproate reliably produces autism in the offspring of mothers who take this drug. This is significant because epilepsy belongs to the same disease-family tree as autism. Click here to read more about the relationship between epilepsy and autism as well as the relationship between autism and seizures to better understand the significance of this relationship.

Click here to buy The Origami of Autism: Transforming 2-Dimensional Thinking about ASD into 3-Dimensional Solutions.



Autism in rats is induced by giving pregnant mother rats a dose of sodium valproate on the 12th day of gestation. In the study, one group of rats, the control group, was given normal saline on the 12th day of gestation. The other group of rats was given sodium valproate. Neural reflexes were assessed after the rats were born to determine whether or not they did indeed have autism. 

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The rats that had autism were divided into two separate groups. One of these groups received an alcohol extract of Acorus calamus. The other group did not receive the herbal autism treatment. The ethanolic extract of Acorus calamus was administered on the 21st day after the rats’ birth and the treatment continued for 15 days. Then the rats were sacrificed and their brain tissue was examined.

The brain tissue examination showed that the rat pups with autism that were NOT treated with Acorus calamus on the 21st day after their birth had significantly fewer neurons in the frontal cortex and in the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. In contrast, the rat pups that DID receive the alcohol extract of Acorus calamus had a normal number of neurons and Purkinje cells in the cerebellum.

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How Acorus calamus Works to Prevent Autism Naturally

Autism is much more common in the developed world than in areas of the world that are less developed. This is a thought-provoking fact for a number of reasons. Our research into the relationship between glyphosate and organophosphate exposure and autism is important in this discussion. Organophosphates are a type of herbicide / insecticide used on GMO food products. Pregnant women who are located within 1 mile of a field that is sprayed with organophosphates have a 60% higher risk of having a baby born with autism according to scientific studies, for example.  

Click here to read more about Glyphosate and Autism. 

Click here to buy Root Cause: Common Environmental Toxins and How to Protect Yourself from Them.

Organophosphates disrupt the normal structure of bone tissues by the pairing of organic phosphates (from the organophosphate chemicals) with calcium. Normal, healthy bones contain pairings of inorganic phosphates with calcium. Research has shown that bone marrow cells may either fuse with the Purkinje cells in the cerebellum or play a role in the production of Purkinje cells. Because bone marrow and bone tissues are some of the most saliently affected by organophosphate exposure, and because bone marrow stem cells in turn impact Purkinje neurons in the cerebellum (a brain structure that is heavily involved in autism symptoms) it stands to reason that organophosphates may impact autism development through bone stem cells.    Click here to read more about how to protect and repair bone marrow cells from organophosphate exposure through vitamin K2 supplementation.

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In addition though, to the toxic impact of organic phosphates / organophosphates on the Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, we also have to acknowledge that phosphates play a vital role in the ADP-ATP energy production cycle that occurs in the mitochondria of the brain and body. As we’ve discussed earlier at this link, the mitochondria play a role in determining whether a cell is alive and well or going into a dormant state called The Cell Danger Response. Dr. Robert Naviaux has worked with The Cell Danger Response as a model for how and why autism develops as well as why health issues like Resignation Syndrome develop. According to his studies into Suramin for autism, cellular dormancy occurs in response to some form of trauma, be it physical, biological, or emotional. Dr. Naviaux has used suramin for autism to temporarily snap cells out of their state of dormancy which demonstrates how trauma that causes autism can be treated using physical treatments, emotional or psychological treatments, or a combination of treatments. As an herbal remedy for ASD, Acorus calamus works to heal the brain and protect it from organophosphate poisoning.

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The Connection Between Epilepsy and Autism

How does Acorus calamus play into this discussion about bone marrow cells, Purkinje fibers, and autism? Let me explain… 

Valproate is a drug that’s used to treat epilepsy. Recently, it was discovered that Valproate is a teratogen that causes the development of autism when it is administered during pregnancy. So scientists began using valproate to cause autism reliably in animal models of the disease so that autism could be studied more easily in a lab.

During gestation, a fetus spends most of its time in a theta brain wave state, like a very deep sleep. But Valproate disrupts the normal sleep structure in people who take this drug. And because Valproate crosses the placental barrier, we can assume that it disrupts the normal sleep structure in the fetus as well as in the mother. Valproate has this effect on sleep structure in part through the inhibition of GABA transaminase (which increases the concentration of GABA in the body). Additionally, Valproate acts on the GABA receptors to strengthen its postsynaptic effects. At the same time, this drug also reduces the neural expression of glutamate receptors. This creates an imbalance between excitatory (glutamate) and inhibitory (GABA) neurotransmitters during fetal development which ultimately causes symptoms of autism.

Click here to read about how some doctors are using Dimethyl Sulfoxide and GABA together as to cure Down’s syndrome or reduce symptoms by restoring normal functioning to the glutamatergic system.

We know that disruptions in REM sleep can be used as a form of torture. Indeed, such sleep disruptions can cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder / PTSD to develop. These facts demonstrate the importance of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) in terms of processing experiences. During fetal development, a lack of REM and deep sleep states could have devastating effects on the brain. Apparently, however, the herb Acorus calamus can fix some of the brain damage that occurs as a result of Valproate exposure during pregnancy. In theory, it could also repair brain damage caused during pregnancy due to other causes too. Presumably, Acorus calamus may also be able to mitigate the damages caused by exposure to other toxins or other causes of sleep disruption during the fetal period. 

Essentially, exposure to toxins can disrupt sleep structure, which in turn, can cause negative changes in brain hemisphere communication. Restoring proper communication between hemispheres is an important part of the autism healing process. Healing the Purkinje fibers in the cerebellum is also essential.  

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing / EMDR is a system that uses repetitive back-and-forth eye movements during wakeful periods to release trauma. This system has been in use for decades and it is extremely effective at releasing trauma that can be reached and acknowledged by the conscious mind.

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Acorus calamus Medicinal Effects

Acorus calamus is an herbal anticonvulsant medicine that has been used to treat schizophrenia as well as dementia. It has the following medicinal effects on the body:

  • Neuroprotective
  • Nootropic / Prevents and treats memory loss
  • Anti-anxiety
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-diabetic
  • Cardioprotective
  • Anticonvulsant / Prevents seizures


Alpha-Asarone: Natural Autism Treatment

Acorus calamus contains the substance known as alpha-asarone. This substance is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and protect brain function by inhibiting Acetylcholinesterase, Interleukin 1-beta, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Alpha-asarone works as an herbal anticonvulsant through its action as a GABA antagonist and an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist.   Acorus calamus should not be administered during pregnancy. However, after a baby is born, if parents are concerned about toxic exposures that occurred during pregnancy, Acorus calamus could be given prophylactically to prevent autism naturally through the first few years of life. Note that the study we talk about above only observed behavioral and brain tissue changes that took shape over the course of the 15 day treatment. Some children may need a longer course of treatment with Acorus calamus to prevent autism or treat ASD naturally. Though this study didn’t examine whether Acorus calamus would work as a natural cure for autism or not, it’s possible that this herb would support the regrowth of damaged Purkinje fibers in those with long-standing ASD especially if it is administered in tandem with trauma-informed therapies like EMDR or psilocybin therapy.

Click here to buy an alcohol extract of Acorus calamus

Acorus calamus Dosing

The ethanol extract of Acorus calamus that was used in this study was mixed with 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). The CMC was used as a vehicle. The clinically effective dose for human beings is 1000-1500 mg per 60 kg (about 130 pounds) of body weight or 25 mg/kg body weight. However, in the study cited above, Acorus calamus was given at a dose of nearly 200 mg/kg body weight for 15 days in rats. Treatment with Acorus calamus was started on the 21st day because this is the weaning day for rats. Administer Acorus calamus to babies in doses according to weight beginning within weeks after birth for autism prevention. Administer this herbal ASD treatment at any time for children and adults as a natural treatment for autism.

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Obtain Acorus calamus oil or buy or make a tincture by putting Acorus calamus in vodka or some other kind of high-proof alcohol. If you buy the oil of Acorus calamus, combine it with a carrier oil like coconut oil or olive oil and then apply it topically to the skin.

Click here to buy Acorus calamus oil.



Resources:


Ukkirapandian, K. et al.  (2022). The Neuroprotective Role of Acorus calamus in Developmental and Histopathological Changes in Autism-Induced Wistar Rats. Retrieved July 11, 2023 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9621743/


Zhang, H. et al. (2014). Effect of sodium valproate on the sleep structures of epileptic patients. Retrieved July 11, 2023 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991515/

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