Dong Quai
Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis)
A traditional Chinese herb often called 'female ginseng' used for women's health, menstrual support, and blood circulation.
Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis) has been a cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2,000 years, primarily for women's health concerns. Often called 'female ginseng,' it's traditionally used to support menstrual regularity, relieve menstrual discomfort, and promote blood circulation. While Western research is limited, its long history of use and emerging studies support its role in women's health, though more rigorous research is needed.
Mechanisms of Action
Blood Circulation
Promotes blood flow and reduces stagnation
Smooth Muscle Effects
May relax uterine smooth muscle
Mild Phytoestrogen Activity
Weak estrogen-like effects
Recommended Dose
500-1500mg dried root extract daily
Loading: Start with lower dose; traditionally used in combination formulas
Optimal Timing
- Divided doses with meals
- Traditional use often stops during menstruation
Take with food
Best Form
Standardized extract
Alternatives: Dried root capsules, Tincture, Traditional decoction
Quality varies significantly. Look for standardized extracts or reputable TCM sources.
Duration
Minimum: 8 weeks
Optimal: 12 weeks
Cycling: Traditional use often involves cycling with menstrual cycle or taking breaks
Note: In TCM, often used in combination with other herbs rather than alone. Some practitioners recommend stopping during menstruation.
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Menstrual Comfort
Reduced menstrual cramps and discomfort
Cycle Regulation
More regular menstrual cycles
Improved Circulation
Better peripheral blood flow
Increased Bleeding
May increase menstrual flow or bleeding risk
Avoid — Uterine stimulant properties can induce contractions and miscarriage
Avoid; insufficient safety data
Who Should NOT Take This
- Pregnancy (may stimulate uterus)
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Hormone-sensitive cancers
- Upcoming surgery (blood thinning effects)
Drug Interactions
May have additive hormonal effects
May significantly increase bleeding risk
May enhance blood pressure lowering
Possible Side Effects
Tip: Reduce dose or stop during menstruation
Tip: Use sun protection
Tip: Take with food
Warnings
- Do not use during pregnancy
- Stop 2 weeks before surgery
- May increase photosensitivity
Top studies from 40+ peer-reviewed papers
Chen R et al. • Medicine (2025)
“TCM has great advantages in the treatment of CU, can effectively improve the symptoms, the curative effect is stable and safe, but there are still some deficiencies in the standardization of curative effect evaluation.”
Key Findings:
- TCM has great advantages in the treatment of CU, can effectively improve the symptoms, the curative effect is stable and safe, but there are still some deficiencies in the standardization of curative effect evaluation.
- Published in Medicine (2025)
- Further research warranted to confirm findings
Wang J et al. • Bioscience trends (2020)
“Hence, this multi-target, multi-level pathway may bring on a new dawn for the treatment of glioblastoma.”
Key Findings:
- Although the current treatment is multimodal, including surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, it does not significantly improve survival time.
- Hence, this article systematically reviews experimental research progress of some traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of glioblastoma from two aspects: strengthening vital qi and eliminating pathogenic qi.
- Among, strengthening vital qi medicine includes panax ginseng, licorice, lycium barbarum, angelica sinensis; eliminating pathogenic medicine includes salvia miltiorrhiza bunge, scutellaria baicalensis, coptis rhizoma, thunder god vine, and sophora flavescens.
- We found that the same active ingredient can act on different signaling pathways, such as ginsenoside Rg3 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis via the AKT, MEK signal pathway.
Xie Q et al. • Phytotherapy research : PTR (2020)
“This review intends to provide a comprehensive overview of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacology of Z-ligustilide in recent years, with a focus on its biological properties and mechanisms, which is of great significance for Chinese medicine.© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
Key Findings:
- New evidence suggests that Z-ligustilide has a wide range of pharmacological properties, including anticancer, antiinflammatory, anti-oxidant as well as neuroprotective activities and so on.
- The literature discussed is derived from readily accessible papers spanning the early 1970s to the end of March 2019.
- Information were collected from journals, books, and online searches (Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Science Citation Index Finder, Springer link, and CNKI).
- This review intends to provide a comprehensive overview of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacology of Z-ligustilide in recent years, with a focus on its biological properties and mechanisms, which is of great significance for Chinese medicine.© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Zeng P et al. • Progress in molecular biology and translational science (2019)
“All rights reserved.”
Key Findings:
- This review provides a comprehensive summary of the latest polysaccharide extraction methods and the strategies used for monosaccharide compositional analysis plus polysaccharide structural characterization.
- All rights reserved.
- Further research warranted to confirm findings
Li C et al. • Journal of ethnopharmacology (2018)
“This study suggested that supplementation with XBJ in addition to regular treatment may improve the 28-day mortality rate, APACHE Ⅱ scores, WBC count and body temperature of sepsis patients without serious adverse events, but it may not reduce mortality during treatment, revealing a specific, remote effect of traditional Chinese medicine.”
Key Findings:
- Very low-quality evidence showed that WBC count improved with combined medication at high dosages (one study included, 40/1144, MD -8.00, 95% CI -10.18 to -5.82), but there was no reduction at moderate dosages (230/1144, MD -2.38, 95% CI -5.01 to 0.25; P = 0.08, I2 = 70%).
- However, moderate-quality evidence indicated positive results with low dosages (142/1144, MD -2.88, 95% CI -3.79 to -1.96; P < 0.000 01, I2 = 0%).
- Low-quality evidence showed no risk difference for mortality during treatment (210/1144, RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.36-1.17; P = 0.15, I2 = 0%).
Study Type Distribution
Goals This Supplement Supports
Related Goals
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any supplement.