Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis)
Promotes blood circulation and menstrual regularity — a cornerstone of Chinese medicine for women's health for 2,000+ years.
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.
Promotes blood flow and reduces stagnation
May relax uterine smooth muscle
Weak estrogen-like effects
How Dong Quai works — from molecular targets to health outcomes. Click an edge to see supporting research.This visualization is in beta — pathways are being refined and expanded.
500-1500mg dried root extract daily
Loading: Start with lower dose; traditionally used in combination formulas
Take with food
| Form | Type |
|---|---|
| 💊Standardized extract | Recommended |
| 💊Dried root capsules | Alternative |
| 💧Tincture | Alternative |
| 💊Traditional decoction | Alternative |
Quality varies significantly. Look for standardized extracts or reputable TCM sources.
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.
Reduced menstrual cramps and discomfort
More regular menstrual cycles
Better peripheral blood flow
May increase menstrual flow or bleeding risk
Avoid — Uterine stimulant properties can induce contractions and miscarriage
Avoid; insufficient safety data
May significantly increase bleeding risk
May have additive hormonal effects
May enhance blood pressure lowering
Tip: Reduce dose or stop during menstruation
Tip: Use sun protection
Tip: Take with food
Top studies from 39+ 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.”
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.”
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.”
Zeng P et al. • Progress in molecular biology and translational science (2019)
“This review provides a comprehensive summary of the latest polysaccharide extraction methods and the strategies used for monosaccharide compositional analysis plus polysaccharide structural charact...”
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.”
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