Active Ingredient Dong Quai (angelica Sinensis [oliv.] Diels), Chinese Angelica

extract from the root of angelica sinensis; used to treat menopausal symptoms

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: dong quai (angelica sinensis [oliv.] diels), chinese angelica

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
absence of menstruation	there is limited poor-quality study of dong quai as a part of herbal combinations given for amenorrhea. additional research is necessary before a firm conclusion can be drawn.	c
angina pectoris	there is insufficient evidence to support the use of dong quai for the treatment of heart disease.	c
chondrocalcinosis due to dicalcium phosphate crystals	dong quai is traditionally used in the treatment of arthritis. however, there is insufficient reliable human evidence to recommend the use of dong quai alone or in combination with other herbs for osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.	c
dysmenorrhea	there are unclear results of preliminary, poor-quality human research of dong quai in combination with other herbs for dysmenorrhea. reliable scientific evidence for dong quai alone in humans with dysmenorrhea is currently not available.	c
immune thrombocyopenic purpura	a poor-quality study reports benefits of dong quai in patients diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (itp). however, these patients were not compared to individuals who were not receiving dong quai, and therefore the results can only be considered preliminary.	c
migraine with aura	the effects of dong quai alone for this condition are not clear, and further research is necessary before a clear conclusion can be reached.	c
neuralgia neuritis and radiculitis unspecified	there is insufficient evidence to support the use of dong quai as a treatment for nerve pain. high-quality human research is lacking.	c
other chronic pulmonary heart diseases	it remains unclear if dong quai is beneficial for other causes of pulmonary hypertension. further research is needed before a strong recommendation can be made.	c
other nephritis and nephropathy not specified as acute or chronic with specified pathological lesion in kidney	there is insufficient evidence to support the use of dong quai as a treatment for kidney diseases such as glomerulonephritis. preliminary poor-quality research of dong quai in combination with other herbs reports unclear results.	c
symptomatic menopausal or female climacteric states	dong quai is used in traditional chinese formulas for menopausal symptoms. it has been proposed that dong quai may contain "phytoestrogens" (chemicals with estrogen-like effects in the body). however, it remains unclear from laboratory studies if dong quai has the same effects on the body as estrogens, blocks the activity of estrogens, or has no significant effect on estrogens.	d

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.