General Description
Dong quai is a perennial herb found in moist areas of southwestern
China, primarily in the Szechuan province. A member of the celery
family, the plant has a hollow fluted stem reaching as high as two
meters. It has pinnate leaves with sharply toothed, ovate leaflets.
The plant flowers from May to August, bearing an umbel of greenish-white
flowers. The root of the plant, which is divided into several rootlets,
is used medicinally.
Health Applications
- General tonic (for women)
- Menopause
- Premenstrual syndrome
History and Traditional Use
In traditional Chinese medicine, dong quai has been valued for
centuries as a female tonic, commonly used as the feminine counterpart
to the masculine tonic, ginseng. Traditional Chinese herbalists
often prescribe dong quai to help regulate menstruation and promote
healthy circulation and intestinal health.1
Millions of Asian women use dong quai to promote reproductive
function before,during, and after pregnancy.2
Chemical Composition
The active constituents in dong quai are a group of coumarin derivatives
including oxypeucedanin, osthole, imperatorin, psoralen, and bergaptin.3
Phytochemical analysis indicates that compounds in dong quai possess
antithrombotic and antiarrhythmic effects.4
Contemporary Uses
Dong quai is commonly used to treat menopausal symptoms and menstrual
complications, due to its purported estrogenic effects, but there
is little scientific evidence to support such use. In one trial
conducted on 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai produced no estrogen-like
effects and was found to be no more effective than placebo in
relieving menopausal symptoms.5 Nevertheless,
it is still one of the most routinely prescribed herbs in traditional
Chinese medicine, even more widely used than ginseng.3
Dosage/Toxicity
A common dosage recommendation for dong quai is 1 to 2 grams of
powdered root, three times per day.6 Dong
quai has low toxicity and appears to be safe at this dosage range.
Some compounds in dong quai have phototoxic properties and may
cause increased sensitivity to sunlight.4
Because dong quai has anticoagulant effects, it should not be
used by people taking blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin.4
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