Dong quai is known as Chinese angelica or angelica sinensis. It belongs to the same plant family as parsley, celery, carrots, and poison hemlock. Dong quai grows at high altitudes in the cold, damp, mountains of China, Korea, and Japan.
This fragrant, perennial plant -- a member of the celery family -- has smooth purplish stems and umbrella-shaped clusters of white flowers and winged fruits in July and August. The yellow-brown thick-branched roots are used as medicine. It takes 3 years for the plant to reach maturity.
Dong quai root is harvested and made into tablets, powders, and other medicinal forms. It has been used for more than a thousand years as a spice, tonic, and medicine in China.It is still used often in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), where it is usually combined with other herbs.
In TCM, Dong quai has been called "female ginseng" because it is commonly used for health conditions in women. The plant has been used for menstrual cramps, anemia associated with menstruation, pregnancy, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), pelvic pain, recovery from childbirth or illness, and fatigue or low energy. For example,
Fuyan Pill, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with more than 50 kinds of herbs where Dong quai is included, has been accepted by more and more patients because of its remarkable effect on tubes problems,
endometriosis,
pelvic inflammatory disease etc.
Besides, Dong quai is often used in combination with other herbs for liver and spleen problems. It is thought to work best in people who have a calm, reserved profile, and is thought to be a mildly warming herb. Dong quai is believed to help nourish the blood and balance energy. At the same time, Dong quai is also used in men for heart conditions, high blood pressure, inflammation, headache, infections, and nerve pain. Take
Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill as an example, it has made from many kinds of herbs that include dong quai, which works to eliminate inflammation, kill bacteria, clear heat, eliminate toxins and promote blood circulation etc. without any side effect, this pill can cure
prostatitis,
chlamydia,
orchitis etc.
Although Dong quai has been studied for many conditions, including absent menstrual periods, arthritis, blood circulation, brain disorders, heart disease, immune problems, and sexual dysfunction, more high-quality research is needed to confirm the use of dong quai for any condition.
In addition to that, it has been suggested that dong quai has weak estrogen-like effects. However, it remains unclear whether dong quai has the same effects as estrogens, blocks estrogen activity, or lacks significant hormonal effects.
