What is dong quai supplement used for?

Question

What is dong quai supplement used for?

Answer 1

I had heard it is good for depression.

We bought it and tried it and it just gave us each a mean headache!   lol!

Answer 2

Dong quai, or Tang kwei (Angelica sinensis) is known as the "female ginseng".  It is a tonifying and adaptogenic herb, primarily used for women, but also used as an antioxidant and strong mental functioning herb in both men and women.  It is a hormonal regulator and balancer as well.  In the Orient, it often cooked in to porridge (congee) and served as a tonifying soup.  It is also candied and proferred as a treat or sweetmeat of great honor to the guest.

"Treatment Reports and studies of possible uses of dong quai include the following:

Menopausal symptoms -- some women report relief of symptoms such as hot flashes from this medicinal herb. However, some clinical studies to date do not support the effectiveness of dong quai for menopausal symptoms.

PMS -- studies suggest that dong quai offers some value when used in conjunction with other Chinese herbs, particularly black cohosh ( Actaea racemosa ), to treat PMS.

Anemia -- there are individual reports of successful treatment of anemia using dong quai, but to date no studies verify this.

Heart disease -- when used in combination with Asian ginseng ( Panax ginseng ) and astragalus ( Astragalus membranaceus ), dong quai decreased symptoms of chest pain and improved exercise tolerance in a small group of people with heart disease.

Stroke -- a series of reports published in China indicate that the use of dong quai just after a stroke demonstrated a decrease in the amount of brain damage.

High blood pressure -- reports indicate that dong quai may lower blood pressure in some people.

Ulcers -- animal studies suggest dong quai may soothe ulcers, but studies in people are needed.

Other conditions for which dong quai has been used in people, although studies are still lacking, include:

Constipation

Migraine headache

Pain

Liver disorders"

Information in quotes was taken from:  http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dong-...