DONG QUAI (pronounced DON KWHY) a Chinese herb that has been used for centuries by the women of China has been integrated into Western therapies and has brought relief to thousands of women here in the UK.
Dong Quai acts as a natural painkiller, hormone balancer and general tonic for many symptoms of both premenstrual syndrome and the menopause. Neither of these conditions should be viewed as illnesses, but phases of a women’s life that can be managed in a natural way without disturbing everyday living.
Health food stores can offer sympathetic advice in diet and lifestyle changes that can make a huge difference and supplements including evening primrose oil, borage oil, B vitamins, vitamin E, selenium and selected herbs such as a programme that will ensure these changes in a woman’s life are managed with the minimum of pain and disruption
DONG QUAI
Latin name: angelica sinensis or angelica polymorpha
Common uses:
- Female reproductive, tonic, pre-menstrual tension, irregular menstruation, menopausal symptoms, hormone imbalance, abdominal cramps, irritability, depression, irregular menstrual flow, backache, hot flushes.
- Analgesic-arthritis pain, menstrual pain
- Muscle relaxant-spasms, cramps
- Circulatory benefits and blood tonic-irregular menstrual flow, poor circulation, anaemia
Contra-indications; although rare, some women may notice abdominal bloating, diarrhoea or a change in the typical timing of menstruation and /or menstrual flow particularly with higher doses.
PLEASE NOTE; although there was nothing in the references reviewed to suggest a problem, it is probably best to restrict usage during pregnancy unless prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner.
Typical intake range; 500-1500 mg per day