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Dong Quai

A root from traditional Chinese medicine, long called a women's herb and sold for menstrual and menopausal complaints. In the one placebo-controlled trial, it did no better than placebo for menopausal symptoms, and it can raise the effect of the blood thinner warfarin.

Traditional use

The root (danggui) has been used in China for centuries, and editions of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia list it, for anemia, irregular or painful periods, and menopausal complaints; it is part of postpartum herbal mixtures in Asia. In Europe a single-herb product was sold in Sweden from 1939 to 1946, and today it is sold mainly as a food supplement.

What studies show

  • Limited· shows no benefit

    Menopausal symptoms: in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of postmenopausal women over 24 weeks, dong quai taken alone did no better than placebo for hot flashes and other symptoms, and did not thicken the lining of the womb. It is one trial, so EMA's reviewers could not draw firm conclusions either way.

  • Insufficient

    Painful or irregular periods: the only report EMA found was an uncontrolled comparison of two dong quai products, with no placebo group, which cannot show whether it works.

  • Insufficient

    Safety: EMA found no clinical safety data. It declined to write a European monograph, citing too little evidence of efficacy and early signs of toxicological concern from substances in the root.

Be careful of

Cautions

  • InteractionIt may raise the risk of bleeding with warfarin and antiplatelet drugs. In one reported case, a woman on warfarin had her INR more than double after four weeks of dong quai; it returned to her usual range a month after she stopped.
  • NoteThe root contains furocoumarins, which can make skin more sensitive to sunlight, and safrole, which is genotoxic in laboratory studies. The amounts in products are not known.
  • PregnancyIn animal and laboratory studies, substances from the root made the uterus contract, and its safety in pregnancy has not been studied. LactMed says it is best avoided while breastfeeding.
  • NoteAs with other supplements, the label and the contents can differ, and results with one product may not apply to another.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.

From the old books

What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.

“The root of this plant represents the drug, which is held in very high repute among the Chinese. It ranks next to licorice in frequency of use in prescriptions.”
G. A. Stuart, Chinese Materia Medica: Vegetable Kingdom (1911), p. 133. See the page of Chinese Materia Medica: Vegetable Kingdom, p. 133 (opens in a new tab) · Read the full passage from Chinese Materia Medica: Vegetable Kingdom, p. 133

Sources

  1. Assessment report on Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, radix (opens in a new tab) · EMA · read September 25, 2026
  2. Public statement on Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, radix (opens in a new tab) · EMA · read September 25, 2026
  3. Dong Quai - Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  4. Potentiation of warfarin by dong quai (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026

Reviewed September 25, 2026.