Dong Quai
Angelica sinensis
Other names: Dong Quai, 当归 / 當歸 dāngguī; female ginseng, Dong quai / Chinese angelica
Edible plantPhoto credit: Anonymous (via a-hospital.com)
Safety information
Safety information
Toxicity: Mild. | Used safely up to ~150 mg/day in some studies; contains coumarins; may stimulate uterine muscle.
Contraindications: Avoid in pregnancy/breastfeeding; avoid with heavy menstrual bleeding, bleeding disorders, or diarrhoea. | Pregnancy (potential uterine effect); bleeding disorders.
Interactions: May interact with blood-thinning medication (additive thinning). | Potentiates warfarin (documented case report) -> bleeding risk; caution with other antiplatelet/anticoagulant herbs (ginkgo, garlic).
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid in pregnancy/breastfeeding (stimulates menstrual flow). | Contraindicated (possible uterine stimulant).
Evidence level
Supported by laboratory or animal studies; not yet confirmed in humans.
Preparations
other · rhizome
Part used: rhizome
Traditional use: As a general tonic to improve vitality.
How to prepare (traditional): Tonic wine made with dong quai and other tonic or bitter herbs; chopped rhizome is also commonly added to soups in China.
Dosage note (descriptive only): To improve vitality, drink about 3/4 cup (150 ml) daily.
infusion · rhizome
Part used: rhizome
Traditional use: For poor circulation.
How to prepare (traditional): Infuse 1 tsp with about 3/4 cup (150 ml) water.
Dosage note (descriptive only): For poor circulation, drink 3/4–1 1/4 cups (150–300 ml) a day.
decoction · rhizome
Part used: rhizome
Traditional use: For anemia and as a female blood tonic.
How to prepare (traditional): Decoction of the rhizome; tablets also taken as a general female tonic.
Dosage note (descriptive only): For anemia, take 3/4 cup (150 ml) 2–3 times a day.
tincture · rhizome
Part used: rhizome
Traditional use: For period pain.
How to prepare (traditional): Tincture.
Dosage note (descriptive only): For period pain, take 1/2 tsp with water up to 4 times a day.
Associated conditions
Edibility
Edible parts: root commonly cooked into soups in China as a food-tonic | Root used in tonic soups/broths (food-medicine).
Toxic lookalike warning
Apiaceae family contains deadly poisonous lookalikes (hemlock Conium, water hemlock Cicuta); never substitute foraged Apiaceae roots; use authenticated A. sinensis.
Nutritional notes
Blood/iron tonic role in TCM diet. | Soup/tonic ingredient; ligustilide, butylphthalide, ferulic acid, polysaccharides, phytosterols.
Healing traditions
Sources (5)
- Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine (book, p.63) — Andrew Chevallier, English, 2016
- Angelica sinensis (Wikipedia), English, accessed 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelica_sinensis
- Dong Quai (MedlinePlus/NIH), English, 2024, https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/936.html
- Page & Lawrence, Potentiation of Warfarin by Dong Quai, Pharmacotherapy 1999, PMID 10417036
- Ren et al., Pharmacological action of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides: a review, Front Pharmacol 2025, PMC11770047