Red clover herb on selective antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects

The essence of red clover flower and leaf can inhibit the vitro paramecia, which means that 0.2% alcohol red clover infusion can stop the activities of Paramecium within 30 minutes. Its daidzein works similarly to papaver somniferum, which can relieve smooth muscle spasm. In addition, both of its daidzein and daidzin can bring relief to headache and other symptoms in patients due to high blood pressure.

Therefore, red clover blossoms are frequently used as antimalarial. Besides that, it is used to eliminate phlegm, relieve cramps, and cure whooping cough and bronchitis too. In addition, the pollen of red clover blossom has an antibacterial effect to some certain types of gram-negative bacteria, which can be used to treat some kinds of skin diseases such as eczema, burns, ulcers and psoriasis.

Red clover benefits of phytoestrogen

They are quite similar to dong quai benefits because all of genistein, biochanin A and B and daidzein can work similarly as estrogen. The reason behind that may be connected to their similar structures with diethylstilbestrol and estradiol but their activity is only 1 in 100 thousand of diethylstilbestrol and from 1 in 20 thousand to 1 in 50 thousand of estradiol by weight.

As a kind of phytoestrogen, red clover herbs are so unique. Firstly, they can be distributed and play the role to almost every cell of the body, which the body’s own hormones fail to do. Secondly, they do bi-directional regulations to the level of hormones. When high estrogen levels are found in the body, they would inhibit hormone secretion because they can combine with the estrogen receptor, which thereby prevents the combination between the body’s own hormones. On the contrary, if the body’s estrogen level is low, phytoestrogens can mimic and provide additional estrogen. That is also the reason why they are used frequently as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), fertility herbs, menopause herbs, hot flushes herbs, and erectile dysfunction herbs and so on.

Therefore, red clover extract is used not only for PMS due to high estrogen levels but also menopause symptoms due to low estrogen levels. In addition, it can be used to treat diseases like estrogen uterine fibroids, endometriosis and osteoporosis as well.

Red clover tea benefits of anti-cancer effects

As previously stated, it contains high concentration of soy isoflavones and other flavonoids, which is considered as one of potential anti-cancer substances. In 1996, genistein chemopreventive agent was listed in cancer clinical development program by National Cancer Center, the main purpose of which was to prevent prostate cancer and breast cancer. The reason behind is that the breast cancer patients tend to have high plasma estrogen, to which plant estrogens have antagonistic effect. Thereby it can inhibit the development of the breast cancer.

According to the recent research result done by Queen Elizabeth II Medical Center in Western Australia, the consumption of large amounts of red clover supplements can help greatly reduce the risk of suffering from breast cancer. In addition, it also has excellent therapeutic effect on colon cancer. Experiments show that flavonoids are strong antioxidants, which is a such strong free radical scavenger that it is with anti-cancer effect.

Please be careful before using it because red clover side effects are there just like dong quai side effects

As for where to buy red clover, it is so easy to be found in most drug stores nowadays. In fact, it has been made into a variety of different forms in order to be consumed conveniently. These forms include red clover tablets, tincture, tea, supplement, infusion, and extract and so on. You can choose the right one for yourself according to your own condition. However, if possible please consult your doctors for their professional opinions if you would like to take it no matter it is used for any purposes. Mind you, the priority for you is to take advantage its benefits while preventing the side effects since both the red clover benefits and side effects are there.

Project about Dong quai extract

This project is called “Mechanism and clinical research on hypertension treatment with dong quai extract”, which is led by Professor Lv Guiyuan. “In the past 20 years, we have been looking for an ideal antihypertensive drug.” he said. “What is worse is that high blood pressure patients need to take life-long medication. However, the major problem is that currently the safe drug is not found yet”.

Although pharmaceutical chemicals have strong antihypertensive effect, it can not be used over a long period of time. Otherwise, joint swelling, erectile dysfunction and other adverse reactions might occur afterwards. After studying and screening 30 kinds of traditional Chinese herbs, they found that Angelica Sinensis contains a new ingredient that can lower blood pressure. This new found composition works along with other components in Dong quai to achieve the effect.

How Angelica Sinensis works?

Hypertension is a chronic disease, which is frequently found in middle and aged people. Very often blood tends to be stagnant due to chronic illness or old age. This leads to different degrees of symptoms of deficiency and stasis.

Symptoms of hypertension

The typical signs of clinical manifestations are dizziness, fullness in head, headache, ringing in the ears, insomnia, forgetfulness and others. This is kind of symptoms which is mixed deficiency with excess. According to Traditional Chinese medicine theory, high blood pressure involves a few visceral organs like liver, spleen and kidney. In addition, it is closely related to blood and many patients with hypertension belong to the combination of both deficiency and stasis.

Theory to get rid of high blood pressure

Chinese angelica works to tonify deficiency while removing blood stasis, which has a significant effect on primary hypertension, especially it is caused by hyperactivity of yang due to yin deficiency combined with blood stasis. The root cause for hypertension can attribute to the imbalance between blood supply and demand. It invigorates the circulation of blood and increase the blood supply, which improves blood flow, restores the balance, and cure hypertension eventually.

Benefits of Angelica extract

Study found that Angelica Sinensis extract can lower blood pressure significantly. It speeds up the microcirculation, lower blood viscosity, induce diuresis, regulate blood fat, and boost the immune system and so on. All the above-mentioned functions help to reduce the complications of high blood pressure and heart attack. It lowers blood pressure through receptor channel by the combination of lowering the activity of renin and angiotensin, blood lipid, and viscosity and so on.

Further study confirmed that the components that lower blood pressure are tannic acid, adenosine, taurine, and ferulic acid. Once again, this finding provides a theoretical basis for treatment of hypertension with angelica extract.

Evidence for Chinese angelica

Xiyuan Hospital of the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine ever conducted a standard, double-blind, randomized, and controlled studies on 400 patients with stage II hypertension. The result had shown that total effective rate is 74% and syndrome effective rate is 82%.

It means Angelica Sinensis extract has the similar or superior efficiency than chemical medicine of nifedipine. And the good news is that no adverse reactions occurred, which is much safer even though Dong quai extract needs to be taken in a long period of time.

Hot flashes causes and symptoms

Hot flashes and night sweats often occur in menopausal women. The cause is mainly because of the sudden expansion of facial blood vessels, which leads to blood concentration and follows other symptoms such as increased peripheral skin temperature, sweating, and rapid heartbeat and so on. About half of menopausal women ever experienced hot flashes, which tends to occur once a day. And 20% of others are even worse, several times a day or more. The even worse part is that hot flashes usually attack in the middle of the night, which results in insomnia in most people suffering this disease.

Hot flashes treatment

When it comes to the treatment, hormone drugs are one of the preferred hot flash remedies. And very often hormone drugs can bring an instant hot flash relief. However, the side effects of hormone drugs, sometimes even cause cancer, make most of people stay away from them. In order to prevent these kinds of side effects, estrogen plus progestin are being used very often clinically. But due to individual differences, the disadvantage this combination is that it is hard to master the dosage. Therefore, currently scientists in pharmaceutical industry are searching an alternative health care product that can stimulate the secretion of estrogen and progesterone not only according to the body’s own needs but also resulting in safe and effective hormonal effects to help for hot flashes.

Black cohosh for hot flashes

There are many plants in nature containing substance that has the similar chemical structure as estrogen. These herbs include Dong Quai, red clover, evening primrose oil, and soy isoflavones etc. After ingestion of these herbs, the body will work the same physiological activity by estrogen but without the risk of cancer.

The medicinal parts are its stems and roots, which contains phytoestrogens ingredients. Main black cohosh benefits are to ease menstrual pain, stop hot flashes after menopause or perimenopause, and help reduce osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

According to the 1999 report of the International meeting on menopause, taking black cohosh herb can reduce 56% ~ 75% of the hot flashes frequency. Another article, published in the Journal of the European study of menopause, also pointed out after the use of black cohosh extract a daily dose of thirty milligrams, all thirty women were found that the frequency of hot flashes were 48% lower after sixteen weeks later. This also shows that it can effectively improve the menopause hot flashes.

Apart from abstract, today you can buy black cohosh available in the drug store and consume it in other forms like black cohosh tablets, tea, capsules, and tincture. It is convenient and you don’t have to grow black cohosh plant in you backyard and cook it by yourselves any more.

Black cohosh side effects

Like other herbs, the common side effects like headaches, dizziness and nausea might occur after digestion. And according to some users’ feedback, it may lead to mild gastrointestinal discomfort. But generally it won’t cause any severe consequences.

In addition, the U.S. College of Obstetricians pointed out that, for women who taking supplements containing this kind of ingredient, the recommended daily black cohosh dosage should not exceed 20 milligrams, preferably not more than 6 months continuous use. This is because until now medical profession is unable to determine the safety of its long-term use.

Since both black cohosh side efffects and benefits are there in hot flashes treatment, you have to be careful to use it

In addition, women in pregnancy or suffering from breast cancer should stay away from using the remedy of black cohosh for hot flashes.

However, these unique side effects turn out to be good news to those women who do not long for an unexpected pregnancy. So, many of them would choose a natural abortion like Tang Kuei to induce an abortion naturally, especially when they have hard time to reveal to their families or public.

Abortifacient herbs

Actually abortifacient herbs have been used for hundreds of years in some ancient countries like China, Roman and Greek. These herbs for natural miscarriage include Angelica sinensis, Blue Cohosh, Cotton Root Bark, Pennyroyal, Black Cohosh, Pineapple (unripe), Evening Primrose (Oenothera hookeri), Parsley and Tansy etc. However, given that the advanced medical equipment available today, herbal abortion is not as popular in the old days now.

Why Dong quai abortion happened?

Now we come to realize that the reason why Angelica sinensis might cause abortion is that it can cause the uterus to contract, which thus might increase the risk of miscarriage. According to the popular experience spreading online, it is said that taking 1000mg in powder or 550mg in tablets every 4 hours will induce an abortion. Only two doses every four hours will finally bring an end to pregnancies accordingly. For those who carry unwanted pregnancy, it is a convenient and low-cost natural way to get rid of the burden they viewed as.

What is more important is that inducing abortion naturally renders a woman to keep the whole process quietly, which is especially practical to those who live in a country where don’t allow illegal abortion or miscarriage.

Dong quai pregnancy

Compared to surgical abortion, natural miscarriage like taking Dong Quai tea costs less and relatively safer to the women. Nevertheless, it is said that the success ratio is merely 45% even if done properly. So it is very likely to get nowhere and herbs don’t affect the fetus at all.

In addition, the best timing for a successful herbal abortion is no longer than 2 weeks. If the pregnancy is more than 8 weeks, it can do very little about it. Or it might cause severe consequence like causing birth defects to the unborn baby.

Natural miscarriage risks

Using abortifacient herbs to bring an end to pregnancies might result in some possible unexpected risks, which include infection, incomplete abortion, excessive bleeding and psychological effects and the like. Therefore, necessary precautions must be adopted before anyone who wants to use the method to induce an abortion.

It is highly recommended to consult a doctor and get authority opinion beforehand. Like any other herbs, Dong Quai side effects sometimes might cause other severe symptoms if using improperly. So seek and follow the experts’ opinion is always advisable.

Think twice before using any natural abortion

Though ending pregnancy with Angelica sinensis or not is the personal right and choice of the mother. If possible, please think it twice before taking any action. A new life is a promise to the future and also deserves the right to survive. However, if abortion is a must, do use abortion herbs like Dong Quai extract correctly and bring the least harm to the mother. Finally, keep in mind to seek help from a doctor once something suspicious occurs.

Herbal bias property

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that the temperature and taste properties of dong quai are acrid, bitter, sweet and warm. And it influences channels of heart, liver and spleen. Traditionally it is used as ultimate woman’s tonic herb to tonify the blood and regulates menses and even served as fertility herbs too. Why Angelica Sinensis can treat hot flashes, menstrual cramps and other menstrual symptoms and being viewed as ginseng for women? From the perspective of TCM, the credit goes to its own unique bias property. It is this unique property, or bias, that herbalists use to correct the imbalance inside the body.

Dong quai in Chinese herbal remedies

For better understanding dong quai side effects from the point of view of TCM, first we need to figure out what bias property means? Bias property is a relative concept, just like Yin energy and Yang energy. When one kind of energy overwhelms its opposite energy, thus imbalance occurs. And Chinese medicine believes that all illness, including menopausal symptom like hot flashes, are caused by this kind of imbalance. The Chinese herbal remedies are just using these bias properties to reduce the hyperactivity and strengthen the deficiency inside the body, thus restore the balance afterwards. However, when someone is given the herbs with opposite property, it would just make it worse and cause severe consequence. To some content, the worsening outcomes of taking a wrong herb is something we call side effects. Of course, first we have to admit this is a wrong diagnosis.

As commonly used herbal energy supplements like ginkgo biloba extract, l carnitine supplements and black cohosh tea, benefits of Angelica Sinensis are indisputable. However, it is worth to be aware of the possible warnings, risks and side effects in the first place, especially when you are planning to take it for quite some time. Of course, the purpose of learning its side effects beforehand is to reduce the side effects it might cause as far as possible, although its side effects are not fully proven but merely suggested.

Dong quai side effects

It might lead to the increasing risk for breast cancer sufferers.

It might increase the risk of bleeding because its anticoagulant (blood thinning) properties. Therefore please don’t use it together with other blood thinning drugs such as aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin) or heparin. The same is true to other anti-platelet drugs like clopidogrel (Plavix), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve).

It should not mix with ginkgo biloba extract, l carnitine supplements and other supplements and herbs that might increase the risk of bleeding.

It can increase the photosensitivity of the skin so it is highly recommended not exposing directly in the sun if you are using it. At the same time, please don’t use other medicine like tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova) that cause photosensitivity.

It might result in diarrhea, stomach upset, bloating and early onset of menstruation if taking it for a long time.

It might lead to miscarriage or natural abortion so extreme caution should be taken when pregnant or nursing women need to take it for some certain reason. In addition, children should stay away from using dong quai tea as it might cause unexpected side effects.

However, dong quai benefits are so overwhelming that it is used to treat different diseases

Despite herbal side effects might lead to severe consequence if taking improperly, the renowned dong quai benefits for women still makes it one of the best menopause herbs as we now come to realize that it contains a natural chemical that mimics estrogen, the female hormone. However, it is advisable to ask an experienced herbalist before taking it in treating symptoms of menopause, which is also the exact purpose of writing this dong quai side effects related article.

Why Dong quai is one of erectile dysfunction herbs?

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that Angelica Sinensis is one of the best herbs that help increase energy levels. Meanwhile libido in western medicine refers to conscious or unconscious sexual desire, or any passionate interest or form of life force. In jungian psychology, libido is synonymous with psychic energy. Great minds think alike. From this point of view, it seems that both experts from east and west infer a consent that Angelica Sinensis is one of excellent male herbs for libido.

Natural erectile dysfunction treatment and Si Wu Tang

One of most commonly used formulas in Chinese medicine for erectile dysfunction treatments is Si Wu Tang. It is believed one of the best herbal impotence cures if male erection problems are mainly caused by deficiency of Qi and blood. Actually it is more than just one of erectile dysfunction remedies and it is widely used in treatments of a variety of blood-related diseases. This formula is composed of four herbs, which include Dang Gui, Sichuan lovage root (Chuan Xiong), white peony root (Bai Shao) and Rehmannia glutinosa (Shu Di Huang). See dong quai tea is one of important ingredients of this formula. It is the main formula in TCM to tonify and regulate blood. Therefore it is known as the general formula of all blood diseases and the exclusive formula for regulating blood in Liver meridian.

Why Si Wu Tang is viewed as one of best natural cures for impotence? To answer this question, first we have to figure out what roles these four herbs perform exactly in this impotence formula. From the perspective of a herbalist, Rehmannia glutinosa works mainly to benefit blood, which helps tonify kidney and Jing (essences or sperm in a narrow meaning). Dong quai is to activate blood circulation to remove blood stasis while tonifying. Using dong quai extract alone can also achieve natural penis enhancement as herbalists believe that it can tonify Yang energy. Sichuan lovage root works to reconcile the Qi in the blood vessels. White peony root acts to astringe Yin energy in order to tonify blood. Modern medicine believes that Sichuan lovage root and white peony root can alleviate vasospasm and increase arterial blood supply. Now you can see that all these four herbs are closely associated with blood issues.

Erectile dysfunction herb and Jing

The basic point for all erectile dysfunction herbal remedies in TCM comes down to Jing in men and blood in women. But Jing (essences or sperm in a narrow meaning) and blood are from the same source. It means that both Jing and blood are basic material of human body fluids. Jing and blood can be transformed into each other. Based on this theory, tonifying blood will help promote the production of sperm. In turn strengthening Jing itself is nourishing blood at the same time. Now we come to realize that both of the blood-regulating function of Si Wu Tang and the theory of blood and Jing coming from the same source provide a reliable basis for erectile dysfunction cures in TCM.

Tips for natural herbs for erectile dysfunction

Anyway, though it can help get an erection when male erection problems occur, it still needs to be used under the guidance of TCM theories to maximize its potentials. You may give it a try and normally it won’t cause severe consequences, but please do consult an experienced herbalist before you are preparing using it. In addition to Erectile dysfunction herbs, some safe alternative therapies such as vitamins and minerals can help improve male erection problems as well. These popular vitamins and minerals include DHEA, L-arginine, Zinc, Folic acid and vitamin E.

If all these erectile dysfunction remedies recommended by your doctors failed, just giving a try to dong quai herb. Erectile dysfunction herbs will make sense sometimes. Consult an experienced herbalist now and bring you complete impotence cures soon.

Dong quai fertility herbs and womb coldness

So what make it as one of unique infertility herbs and called as female ginseng? As one of renowned natural fertility boosters, how it works to enhance fertility ability?

When it comes to dong quai, fertility herbs is not the first thought coming to a lot of people’s minds. Besides menopause, actually it can do a lot more. To understand it better, we have to talk about an important notion in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) first.

Coldness of the womb is one of vital frequent TCM terms in describing female fertility disorders. What womb means in TCM is a little bit different from their counterparts of west medicine. The womb in TCM actually includes organs of womb and ovary and so on.

From the perspective of TCM, womb coldness refers to deficiency of kidney yang in females. Womb coldness might lead to infertility problems. However, womb coldness doesn’t necessarily contribute to infertility problems.

Normally womb coldness are believed to be associated closely with reproductive health, such as Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) or Pre-Menstrual Tension (PMT), cramping and irregular period due to hormone disorders.

Property of these fertility herbs

As one of the most used fertility herbs, it is believed to be warm in nature. So we think that it is a yang herb. On the contrary, Chinese herbalists believe that female belongs to yin energy, which is always associated with negative things, such as cold and deficiency.

As a matter of fact, both of male infertility and female infertility can be due to excessive negative energy. In particular in female fertility disorders due to womb coldness, the main treatment principle is to warm and tonify the womb for dispelling the pathogenic cold.

How to combine herbs for fertility with others

Although dong quai extract is one of proved fertility herbs applications, Chinese herbalists seldom use it alone. Herbalists tend to combine it with other herbs in both male and female in treatments of fertility disorders.

One of typical fertility herbal formula in TCM is the soup of dang gui, mutton and fresh ginger. All these three herbs are warm in property and good at strengthen yang energy to activate reproductive ability.

However, need to note that this formula is not an exclusive formula for infertility problem.

A experienced herbalist can give your more valuable guide on using Dong quai fertility herbs

From the point of view of a Chinese herbalist, these herbs are quite mild in nature and usually won’t cause any side effects. However, it is highly recommendable to consult an experienced herbalist before using these infertility herbs to treat the reproductive problem.

While we have to admit that dong quai is one of the best fertility herbs, it still needs a good Chinese medicine practitioner to fully release its potential by combining with other herbs.

Normally herbalist believe that the head part mainly works to stop bleeding, the body part mainly to nourish blood while the end part mainly to promote blood circulation for removing blood stasis. Clinically you can either consume each part alone, or you can use the whole root. It is said that the whole root works to harmonize the blood, namely combining both effects of nourishing blood and promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis.

The name of Dang Gui (Pinyin)

In general, there are several versions of where does the name of Dang Gui (dong quai root) come from. And the most popular are these following two. Actually, the word of “Dang Gui” in Chinese means it is the right time to go home.

• According to the comments from “Compendium of Materia Medica” by Li Shizhen in Ming Dynasty,
  

  “Dong quai is good at regulating blood imbalance, which is one of the most important herbs for women. Its name implies a woman missing her absent husband. Therefore it is called Dang Gui in Chinese.”

• According to the description in “Anecdotes of Materia Medica” by Chen Cheng in Song Dynasty,
  

  “Dang Gui governs and regulates blood and Qi so that they can stay where they should be. I am afraid that it is the reason why it is called the name of Dang Gui.”

Both versions make sense but personally I prefer the latter.

Different parts of angelica sinensis root

From the perspective of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), different parts of Angelica Sinensis root can be used separately for different purposes. This is quite different from any menopause herbs like chaste tree berry, red clover, and black cohosh root.

• The head is good at stopping bleeding and tends to rise upward;
• The body is good at enriching blood and moistening the bowel and tends to stay in middle burner;
• The end is good at unblocking blood stasis without causing bleeding;
• The whole root is good at invigorating blood circulation and stopping the pain.

Normally the head is suitable for headache caused by blood deficiency; the body is suitable for body weakness while the end is suitable for muscles pain and numb hands/feet.

How to make full use of Dong Quai root benefits?

The Dong quai root head is the thickest part. The person will feel comfortable heat in head and face immediately after they use fresh head part. On the contrary, the end of beard of the root will make people feel blood and Qi running downwards. The symptoms thus caused include neck soreness and stiffness, dizziness, crown emptiness, or mild pain on crown, which are all caused by the failure of blood supplying to the head.

Benefits of Dong quai root head

Therefore, taking the head makes sense for all kinds of physical weakness and elderly people. The head part can benefit people by significantly increasing the blood supply to the head, the face and the brain without causing dryness inside. But for men, they’d better use the whole root except the end part, which plays an important role in promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis. What’s more, its property is quite gentle.

Benefits of angelica sinensis root end

Compared with head and body, the end is seldom used as today most people are of deficiency of both blood and Qi. However, if someone takes too much spicy food and is prone to angry, the purgation effect of  the end is the right remedy.

As for the dosage of dong quai tea and powder a person should take on daily basis, it varies from person to person. It makes sense to take a small half a teaspoon once a day after the meal at the beginning. It is highly recommendable that the dosage should be gradually increased, especially for those physically weakness and during pregnancy.

Why menopause relief can be done with Angelica Sinensis?

Dong quai is one of the most widely used herbs for women health issues in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Traditionally it is being used very frequently in blood related diseases, such as blood deficiency, bleeding and blood stasis and so on. Ancient Chinese herbalists believed that women were vulnerable to a variety of diseases caused by imbalance of blood and Qi due to their unique recurring cycle physiologically.

Through clinical experiments year after year, finally they found that it can alleviate effectively almost all symptoms related to women. Therefore, it is being called as female ginseng in later generations.

Menopause symptoms

The menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, anxiety and depression and so on. Western medicine is excellent in treating menopausal symptoms, but in many cases, Western medicine is not the way you can rely on.

Now more and more people get back to herbal remedies again as they come to realize that they need a more natural way to ease their menopausal symptoms. Since this menopause herb has been used and proved for thousands of year, it is no surprise that a lot of times it would be the first alternative to a lot of menopause sufferers.

As we now know that menopausal symptoms are closely relevant to the decreased estrogen level. Estrogen is a vital hormone to women as it works to produce bone strength and vaginal lubrication while regulating temperature. If your body is lack of estrogen, other hormones cannot function properly either. To fix all those disorders caused by significant drop of estrogen level, the priority is to get estrogen level back to normal.

How dong quai menopause treatment works?

Scientists and doctors have found that Angelicae Sinensis contains a unique useful ingredient called phytoestrogens, which they believe bind to estrogen receptors and can increase the estrogen levels. The plant estrogen can mimic the estrogen in the body, which is exactly how it can work to relieve menopausal symptoms. In addition, other ingredients such as vitamins E, A, and B12 containing in it can help to boost your immune system as well.

It is common sense knowledge that once your immune system is strong enough, it works to prevent you from diseases, including menopausal symptoms. Clinically it is often used to promote blood circulation to ease hot flashes and lubricates the vagina as well. What’s more, it is also a great sedative, which is very helpful for those who suffer from mood swings and anxiety.

Actually, its application doesn’t end there. It can be used as one of excellent fertility herbs and erectile dysfunction herbs too.

Please note that natural menopause treatment still requires professional opinions from your doctor in order to use it properly and efficiently

If you are considering taking dong quai, menopause experts such as a Chinese medicine practitioner or an immunologist should be the one you speak to first. It is an excellent herb that can achieve menopause relief, but it has potential dong quai side effects according to some research reports. The menopause doctors will pinpoint your causes and give you the corresponding opinions, such as the dosage and how long you should take it. Anyway, you are encouraged to use it and generally it won’t let you down.

Traditional use of dong quai benefits

This herb tastes sweet and slight bitter. It might cause a sense of slight tingle when chewing. A good one should meet a few criteria as follows.

What is quality dong qui root?

• Main root is long and strong enough;
• Less side root;
• Oily;
• Yellow-white section;
• With strong aroma.

Benefits from point of view of a herbalist

Generally Angelica Sinensis can be divided into the trunk (including head) and tail. Clinically we use the whole one in most of the cases. According to Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it mainly impacts the channels of liver, heart, spleen and large intestine.

Through a long-term clinical observation, herbalists have made it clear that main dong quai benefits include as follows:

• Enriching the blood and invigorating blood circulation;
• Regulating menstruation and stop the pain;
• Loosing the bowel to relieve constipation.

Just like comments in “The records of 100 Kinds of Herbal Medicine” in Qing Dynasty,

“Dong quai is the absolutely necessary herb in the treatments of blood disorders. It is really an invaluable herb for nourishing blood.”

Modern use of Angelica Sinensis

Modern researches have a brand new understanding on herbal remedies for menopause now. Angelica Sinensis, black cohosh, vitex and red clover benefits are the major subjects on the research of herbal remedy for menopause. So far the benefits of Angelica Sinensis have been found mainly as follows:

• It contains essential oil, organic acids, amino acids, vitamins, trace elements and other substances that can significantly promote the body’s hematopoietic function and increase the content of red blood cells, white blood cells and hemoglobin;
• It can inhibit platelet aggregation and thrombosis and regulate blood lipid;
• It can protect against myocardial ischemia, heart rate disorders, expansion of blood vessels and lower blood pressure;
• It can regulate uterine smooth muscle;
• It can also enhance immunity, anti-inflammation, hepatoprotection, anti radiation, antioxidation and free radical scavenging etc.

The applications and compatibility of dong quai

• Combining with bowel-moistening herbs such as Broomrape / Cistanche Salsa (rou cong rong) and Huo Ma Ren (Hemp Seeds) in the treatments of constipation caused by blood deficiency and intestinal dryness.
• Combining with Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum chuaxiong) and Chi Shao (Red Peony Root) in the treatments of diseases and syndrome caused by blood stasis such as bruises, swelling, pain, arthritis and rheumatism, limbs numbness, periarthritis and thromboangiitis obliterans.
• Combining with Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia, Chinese Foxglove Root), Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum chuaxiong) and Dan Shen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) in treatments of irregular menstruation, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea due to blood deficiency or blood stasis.
• Combining with Huang Qi (Astragalus root) to strengthen vital Qi in treatments of blood deficiency due to carbuncle, boils filled with pus but difficult in draining or delay healing after discharging.



• Combining with Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia, Chinese Foxglove Root), Bai Shao Yao (White Peony Root) or others such as mutton and Huang Qi (Astragalus root) that can nourish the blood and supplement Qi in the treatments of blood deficiency or anemia, in which the main symptoms are dizziness, fatigue, pale complexion, pale tongue, thready pulse, abdominal pain, and headache.
• Other benefits include the treatments of arrhythmia and ischemic stroke as well.

These are all the benefits you can get from this herb for menopause. See, what it can do is more than just women’s reproductive health issues. And I believe that in the future the potentials of it will be fully used and benefit people more in fighting against difficult diseases. And the list of dong quai benefits will be definitely longer than now.