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Don Quai
Don Quai
Dong Quai The Plant Dong quai (also called dang gui, which means proper order) is considered by the Chinese to be the "empress of herbs" and the "sovereign herb for women." It is one of the most widely consumed herbs in China, used as frequently as ginseng and licorice. Dong quai's botanical name is Angelica sinensis (from the Umbelliferae family), but it has lots of other common names. Depending on where you are in the world, dong quai might be called tang kuei, tang kwei, doong quai, danggui, qingui, yungui, kara toki, mingui or Chinese angelica. Dong quai (also called dang gui, which means proper order) is considered by the Chinese to be the "empress of herbs" and the "sovereign herb for women." It is one of the most widely consumed herbs in China, used as frequently as ginseng and licorice. Dong quai's botanical name is Angelica sinensis (from the Umbelliferae family), but it has lots of other common names. Depending on where you are in the world, dong quai might be called tang kuei, tang kwei, doong quai, danggui, qingui, yungui, kara toki, mingui or Chinese angelica. The leaves of dong quai resemble those of carrots, celery and parsley. Its stem is smooth and purplish with light striations. The brown main root or "head" is short, with 10 or more finer tentacle-like roots branching from its extremities. When the dong quai root is 1 year old the root is harvested, peeled and dried in the shade. The highest quality root is large, with a sweet taste, a yellowish-white interior and a strong aroma. Lesser quality dong quai is characterized by a short main root with numerous rootlets, a reddish-brown interior and a weak odor. Uses In general practice, the whole root of dong quai is used. Pieces of the root are cut in longitudinal slices about the thickness of a penny in order to fully utilize the many properties of the root. Traditionally in China it is said the head stanches bleeding, the body preserves the internal organs and nourishes the blood, while the tail moves the blood. As a whole the root is said to "harmonize" the blood. Dong quai root contains 0.4 to 0.7% volatile oil, primarily consisting of phthalides, butylidene being the major one. Ligustilide is another important constituent in the oil. The root also consists of special acids including ferulic acid as well as various polysaccharides and coumarins. Dong quai may be taken raw or cooked, alone or in combination with other herbs, in capsules or liquid extract. The Chinese often boil dong quai with jujube dates to make a pleasant tasting tea. Another popular dong quai recipe is chicken soup in which the root is used with the vegetables. This traditional dish is considered very nourishing and is used when recovering from an illness. Many Chinese will argue that the dong quai in the soup is more important than the chicken. Dong quai has been used by the Chinese for more than 2,000 years, as a strengthener of the heart, lung, spleen, liver and kidney meridians and as a tonic for the blood. It is traditionally characterized as a warm atmospheric energy that promotes
blood circulation. The root has earned a reputation as the "ultimate herb" for women. It is widely used among Chinese women as a fortifying daily tonic, much as Chinese men rely on ginseng. Women in other parts of the world have also discovered this 5,000-year-old tradition that naturally provides balancing and normalizing support for women's unique rhythms, cycles and body systems. It's not recommended during pregnancy or menstruation or for people taking blood thinning agents. Sulfites In China, dong quai, as well as many other herbs, may be exposed to high levels of sulfites to prevent spoilage and preserve color. Frontier's herb buyers make every effort to find unsulfited dong quai. In the process of obtaining supplies of dong quai we test numerous samples from various suppliers. Most of these samples do pass our quality tests but nine out of 10 contain added sulfites. The sulfite levels have ranged from 30 to 630 parts per million. At times we have been unable to find any dong quai without sulfites. When this happens we sell the product with the lowest level available and we label it as such. Most of the time we do find unsulfited dong quai. We believe most dong quai on the market today contains sulfites, but it's rare to see it listed on the labels. The Food and Drug Administration requires manufacturers to list sulfites on labels of products containing more than 10 parts per million. Frontier will continue to make every effort to offer unsulfited dong quai, even if we have to send a representative to China to find it, which we have done.
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Dong quai
Other names: Angelica sinensis, Chinese angelica, Dang Gui
Parts Used:
Uses: Often thought of as the women's ginseng: it is very effective in treating women's gynecological problems. Increases the effect of ovarian/testicular hormones.
It nourishes the female glands and help strengthen all internal body organs and muscles; as a results it helps to improve the condition of pregnant women.
It helps to maintain a proper balance of female hormones, restores menstrual regularity, reduces 'pms', relieves symptoms of meonpause, uterine cramps, 'hot flashes'-associated with menopause.
It is a very effective balancing herb calms the nerves. Helps overcome vitamin e deficiency symptoms, high in iron contents, high in vitamin b12.
It has a tranquilizing effect on the central nervous system and gives nourishment to the brain cells.
It dissolves blood clots, helps with endometriosis, arrhythmia, is an excellent blood cleanser and purifier which helps increase circulation.
It helps with low blood sugar, and hypertension, asthma, arthritis, allergies, alcoholism, cancer, internal bleeding and bruising, prevents anemia, helps with muscle cramps, effective for migraines,and headaches,
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