Angelica sinensis, dong quai or just “female ginseng” as how many people know it the best. It is a herb in the celery family. It does not belong to the ginseng family of the plants even the nickname might suggest so. It grows in cool and high altitude mountains of China, Japan and Korea.
The plant got its nickname simply because the root resembles real ginseng a lot plus the fact dong quai is mostly used to treat health conditions in women. The plant has a successful history for over 2000 years as a herbal remedy for women throughout Asia. And lately it is becoming more and more popular in western countries.
Dong quai is also a slow growing plant just like ginseng. It takes 3 years for dong quai to reach the ideal maturity level. The roots are harvested and made into tablets, capsules, powders, liquid extract or just being sold in raw root form.
This plans has been used for ages especially in traditional Chinese medicine to heal symptoms like menstrual cramps, anemia associated with menstruation, PMS symptoms, pelvic pain, recovery from child birth,osteoporosis, fatigue, low energy or even infertility.
It is said dong quai is also good for treating menopause symptoms, however lately there was a clinical study about it. The study was randomized and double blinded placebo controlled experiment which showed that dong quai is as effective as placebo when treating menopause symptoms.
Dong quai is used in both men and women for heart problems, high blood pressure, inflammation, stress and headache.
Dong quai is great source of:
-Vitamin A, E, B12
-Niacin
-Folate
-Iron
-Antioxidants
-Coumarins (dilate or open up blood vessels and help controlling spasms in the muscles. Professionals say these compounds might act to increase the blood flow to various organs including uterus while promoting the regulation of menstruation,
-Phytoestrogens (estrogen like plant compounds)
Even tho dong quai is not like ginseng, it should be still treated as a one when talking about the usage. Large doses and prolonged use is not adviced.
As a side note, this herb might make you more sensitive to the sunlight and cause skin inflammation and rashes. Always use sunscreen or stay out of the sun when using the product.
If you want to buy dong quai online, we can recommend amazon. Loads of great reviews available to be sure that the product is what it should be. We recommend this
