Dong Quai

Species Name: angelica sinensis.

Other Names Known as: Dong quai, dang gui, tang-kuei, and Angelica. Dong quai has been cultivated for medicinal uses in the treatment of a wide variety of disorders, in particular "female disorders" for hundreds of years. 

It is often referred to as "female ginseng." In Asia, Dong Quai's reputation is perhaps second in popularity only to that of ginseng.

What is Dong Quai? A Herb from the family Apiaceae, Dong quai is indigenous to China.

Its root is commonly known in Chinese as dong quai or danggui, and is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat gynecological ailments, fatigue, mild anemia, and high blood pressure. 

Dong Quai possesses the distinction of being the only non-animal source of vitamin B12, along with some varieties of yeast.

It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, and antispasmodic effects. The plant's phytochemicals consist of field coumarins, phytosteols, polysaccharides, ferulate, and flavanoid. It is also used as an aphrodisiac.

Home Remedies using Dong Quai:

Benefits of Dong Quai:

Dong quai is used medicinally as a tonic, cardiotonic, respiratory tonic and liver tonic.

Dong quai contains estrogenic substances that may exert some regulating effect on estrogen levels and on estrogenic biological mechanisms.

They seem to enhance estrogenic effects when estrogen levels are too low, and compete when levels are too high. This would be in keeping with the idea of a menstrual tonic.

Uses of Dong Quai:

Anticramping, hypotensive, tonic, antiasthmatic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic properties in the root have all been demonstrated by basic research.

It has also been shown to be effective against several strains of microorganisms, especially fungi such as Candida albicans, the primary causative agent in vaginal yeast infections.

Predominantly, regarded as a "female" remedy, angelica, or Dong Quai, has been use to treat such conditions as dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), menorrhagia (abnormal menstruation), menopausal symptoms (especially hot flashes). 

It is also used in the treatment of abdominal pain, anemia, injuries, arthritis, migraine headache, and many other conditions. Some of the pharmacological activities demonstrated include phytoestrogen activity, analgesic activity, and antibacterial activity. 

Dong quai is also often recommended during pregnancy to ease delivery, reduce pain and discomfort and eliminate complications as much as possible.

Derived from the gnarled root of the Chinese perennial, Angelica sinensis and the root of the native Japanese A. acutiloba, Dong Quai, comes in powder form, but can be grown and cooked, eaten raw, or boiled into a concentrated extract or tincture.

Side Effects of Dong Quai:

Dong Quai should not be taken by pregnant or breast-feeding women or those suffering from peptic ulcers. 

It should also not be taken in large quantities, fair skin people may become more sensitive to the sun and a skin rash may appear.