Article Most Wanted: kidney

Dong Quai for Premenstrual Syndrome

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<span class="dropcaps">D</span>ong quai, also 
called Chinese angelica, is a member of the celery family native to 
cold, mountainous regions of central China. It has been used in Chinese,
 Korean, and Japanese traditional medicine—as well as in cooking—for 
millennia. According to legend, dong quai made its medicinal debut as a 
result of a man’s desire to prove himself. He sets out for the 
mountains, where he hopes his ability to survive in the wild will attest
 to his strength and resourcefulness. Before he leaves, the man tells 
his devoted wife that if he has not returned after three years, she 
should consider him dead and take another husband. And that is precisely
 what happens. Shortly after the wife remarries, however, the man 
returns. Heartbroken, she falls deathly ill. During his mountain 
pilgrimage, the man collected the root from a plant he’d never seen 
before. He prepares it as a medicine and gives it to his wife, and she 
is fully restored to health. The name <i>dong quai</i> is often 
translated as “return to order,” because the herb is thought to help 
restore normal, healthy function to various body systems and to the body
 as a whole. Dong quai is one of the most widely prescribed herbs in 
Chinese medicine and is used—typically in combination with other 
herbs—primarily to treat health problems in women. For this reason, it 
is sometimes referred to as female ginseng.</div>
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<b>Therapeutic Uses</b></h2>
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<i>Women’s tonic</i></div>
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<i>Premenstrual syndrome</i></div>
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<i>Menstrual cramps</i></div>
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<i>Kidney tonic</i></div>
Dong quai root is still one of the
 most popular herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is well 
known for treating women’s health problems, such as painful menstruation
 and postpartum fatigue and weakness. It gained popularity in the 
West in the late 1800s when Merck introduced Eumenol, an extract of dong
 quai, to Europe to treat gynecological complaints.
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Studies suggest that dong quai may have weak 
estrogenic activity, and it is often recommended for symptom relief in 
menopause. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical 
trial of 71 postmenopausal women, however, dong quai was no better than 
placebo at reducing hot flashes. This study was widely criticized for 
using dong quai by itself instead of in combination with other herbs, 
which is how it is used in traditional Chinese medicine. When an herbal 
mixture containing <i>Angelica sinensis</i> root, <i>Paeonia lactiflora</i> root, <i>Ligusticum</i> rhizome, <i>Atractylodes</i> rhizome, <i>Alisma orientalis</i> rhizome, and <i>Wolfiporia cocos</i>
 was used in a study of menopausal women, it reportedly reduced hot 
flashes by 70 percent. Herbal combinations are the rule rather than the 
exception in many traditional systems of medicine, and clinical trials 
using just one herb may erroneously lead us to judge an herb as 
ineffective.</div>
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Dong quai has been used in combination with astragalus <i>(A. membranaceus)</i>
 to tone and strengthen the kidneys, as well as to enhance the immune 
system. In one study, this combination significantly reduced the 
deterioration of renal function and damage in animals with chronic 
kidney damage.</div>
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Dong quai and other <i>Angelica</i> species are 
known to contain psoralen, which is sometimes used in combination with 
ultraviolet therapy as a treatment for psoriasis. Studies have shown 
that this approach improves psoriasis in 40 to 66 percent of patients.</div>
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<b>How to Use</b></h2>
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<i>Tea:</i> Simmer 1 to 2 teaspoons root in 1 cup water for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain. Drink 1 cup, 2 to 3 times per day.</div>
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<i>Capsules:</i> 1 g, taken 2 to 3 times per day.</div>
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<i>Tincture:</i> 3 to 5 ml, taken 2 to 3 times per day.</div>
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<i>[As stated above, consider dong quai as part of an herbal combination.]</i></div>
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<b>Precautions</b></h2>
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Those with bleeding disorders or taking anticoagulants should not use 
dong quai, as it may increase risk of bleeding. Use should be avoided 
during pregnancy. The psoralen in dong quai could, in theory, cause 
photosensitivity.<b> </b></div>