CHINA. Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis) Root, Cut and Sifted, Certified Organic,
Common names: Female Ginseng, Chinese Angelica, Danggui, Tan Kue Bai Zhi, Tang Kuei
Family: Apiaceae
Dong Quai is native to China and grows in the higher altitudes of mountainous areas of China, Korea, and Japan, where it has been used as a medicine and tonic for more than a thousand years. A warming herb, it grows in cold places, and the roots are harvested after three or more years. It is an important herb in traditional Chinese medicine, often used in combination with other herbs especially to relieve blood stasis and blood deficiency.
Active compounds identified in Dong Quai include phthalides, ferulic acid, flavonoids, phytosterols, volatile oils, coumarins, tannins, and polysaccharides.
Dong Quai Root is highly valued for gynecological issues such as painful, irregular, or arrested menstruation, endometriosis, infertility, and menopausal concerns, and as a tonic after childbirth. It shows a range of actions: anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antifibrotic, antioxidant, hemapoietic, neuroprotective, immunoregulatory, radioprotective, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, etc. In addition to addressing women’s reproductive symptoms and relieving pain, it has been employed to lubricate the intestines, improve memory, treat nephrotic syndrome, stabilize blood sugar, and prevent cancer and strokes.
It should not be used during pregnancy, in cases of uterine fibroids, or in combination with blood-thinning medications. The presence of hormone-like components may make Dong Quai helpful in prevention or early phases of cancer but contraindicated in more advanced stages. It may also cause photosensitivity in some individuals.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.