Dong quai, also
called Chinese angelica, is a member of the celery family native to
cold, mountainous regions of central China. It has been used in Chinese,
Korean, and Japanese traditional medicine—as well as in cooking—for
millennia. According to legend, dong quai made its medicinal debut as a
result of a man’s desire to prove himself. He sets out for the
mountains, where he hopes his ability to survive in the wild will attest
to his strength and resourcefulness. Before he leaves, the man tells
his devoted wife that if he has not returned after three years, she
should consider him dead and take another husband. And that is precisely
what happens. Shortly after the wife remarries, however, the man
returns. Heartbroken, she falls deathly ill. During his mountain
pilgrimage, the man collected the root from a plant he’d never seen
before. He prepares it as a medicine and gives it to his wife, and she
is fully restored to health. The name dong quai is often
translated as “return to order,” because the herb is thought to help
restore normal, healthy function to various body systems and to the body
as a whole. Dong quai is one of the most widely prescribed herbs in
Chinese medicine and is used—typically in combination with other
herbs—primarily to treat health problems in women. For this reason, it
is sometimes referred to as female ginseng.
Therapeutic Uses
Women’s tonic
Premenstrual syndrome
Menstrual cramps
Kidney tonic
Dong quai root is still one of the
most popular herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is well
known for treating women’s health problems, such as painful menstruation
and postpartum fatigue and weakness. It gained popularity in the
West in the late 1800s when Merck introduced Eumenol, an extract of dong
quai, to Europe to treat gynecological complaints.
Studies suggest that dong quai may have weak
estrogenic activity, and it is often recommended for symptom relief in
menopause. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical
trial of 71 postmenopausal women, however, dong quai was no better than
placebo at reducing hot flashes. This study was widely criticized for
using dong quai by itself instead of in combination with other herbs,
which is how it is used in traditional Chinese medicine. When an herbal
mixture containing Angelica sinensis root, Paeonia lactiflora root, Ligusticum rhizome, Atractylodes rhizome, Alisma orientalis rhizome, and Wolfiporia cocos
was used in a study of menopausal women, it reportedly reduced hot
flashes by 70 percent. Herbal combinations are the rule rather than the
exception in many traditional systems of medicine, and clinical trials
using just one herb may erroneously lead us to judge an herb as
ineffective.
Dong quai has been used in combination with astragalus (A. membranaceus)
to tone and strengthen the kidneys, as well as to enhance the immune
system. In one study, this combination significantly reduced the
deterioration of renal function and damage in animals with chronic
kidney damage.
Dong quai and other Angelica species are
known to contain psoralen, which is sometimes used in combination with
ultraviolet therapy as a treatment for psoriasis. Studies have shown
that this approach improves psoriasis in 40 to 66 percent of patients.
How to Use
Tea: Simmer 1 to 2 teaspoons root in 1 cup water for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain. Drink 1 cup, 2 to 3 times per day.
Capsules: 1 g, taken 2 to 3 times per day.
Tincture: 3 to 5 ml, taken 2 to 3 times per day.
[As stated above, consider dong quai as part of an herbal combination.]
Precautions
Those with bleeding disorders or taking anticoagulants should not use
dong quai, as it may increase risk of bleeding. Use should be avoided
during pregnancy. The psoralen in dong quai could, in theory, cause
photosensitivity.
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