Herb Profile

Dong Quai

Angelica sinensis

Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis) carries a Grade C rating — limited evidence.

Last reviewed: 3 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·C Limited

Use extra caution May increase bleeding risk and may not be appropriate in hormone sensitive conditions. Details

Evidence
Limited Evidence
Typical onset
Varies by prep
Safety rating
High caution
Best for
Anti Inflammatory, Hormonal, Cardiovascular, Inflammatory signaling
Avoid / review if
Pregnancy, Bleeding Disorders, Hormone Sensitive Cancers/Conditions
Dong Quai monograph visual
Generated profile category visual

At a glance

From this profile's structured data
Evidence
Grade C
Safety
May increase bleeding risk and may not be appropriate in hormone-sensitive conditions.
Profile context
anti-inflammatory, hormonal, cardiovascular
Next steps

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Safety

Safety & Cautions

May increase bleeding risk and may not be appropriate in hormone sensitive conditions. Pregnancy avoidance is important due to uterine/circulatory concerns.

High caution

Caution level: High. Multiple caution categories apply, or the record uses avoid/contraindication language.

  • Hormonal Activity ContextHormone-adjacent wording is present and should be interpreted carefully.
  • Anticoagulant CautionBleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.
Detailed safety fields

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications

  • Pregnancy
  • Bleeding Disorders
  • Hormone Sensitive Cancers/Conditions
  • Planned Surgery
  • And Anticoagulant Therapy Without Supervision.
  • Caution With Anticoagulants
  • Antiplatelets
  • NSAIDs
  • Estrogenic Therapies
  • And Photosensitizing Drugs.

Safety classifications

  • Hormonal Activity Context: Hormone-adjacent wording is present and should be interpreted carefully.
  • Anticoagulant Caution: Bleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.

Full safety note

  • May increase bleeding risk and may not be appropriate in hormone sensitive conditions. Pregnancy avoidance is important due to uterine/circulatory concerns.

Safety labels

  • Hormonal Activity Context
  • Anticoagulant Caution

Evidence-based safety

Caution when combined

Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.

Evidence

Evidence Summary

Evidence lens

Read as directional context, not settled clinical proof.

LimitedLimited Evidence

Human clinical evidence: Not the primary signal

Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mappedInflammatory Signaling Modulation · Vascular Function Support · Hormonal Signaling Context

Research maturity: Theoretical / mechanistic researchMechanistic or unresolved evidence is kept separate from established human outcomes.

Safety boundary: Safety note availableMay increase bleeding risk and may not be appropriate in hormone sensitive conditions.

This profile cites 3 human studies.

Study design details
Evidence Grade

Grade C: Limited Evidence

Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.

Design Match
Narrative review
Risk of Bias
High
Consistency
Not assessed
Strongest recorded design is a narrative review, drawn from 3 recorded studies, none of which measured an outcome in people.
How evidence grades work

Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.

Strong
Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
Moderate
Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
Preliminary / Mixed
Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
Traditional / Theoretical
Traditional use only; no controlled human trials
Clinical Study Summaries (3)0 human evidence sources · 0 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable

What the evidence actually shows

This table contains 3 structured sources, including 0 human evidence sources; 0 are human trials.

StudyDesignNDoseDurationPopulationOutcomeResult & magnitudeSource

Herb-drug interactions

Fugh-Berman A et al. · Lancet · 2000

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

PubMed

Botanicals and Their Bioactive Phytochemicals for Women's Health

Dietz BM et al. · Pharmacol Rev · 2016

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

PubMed

Dong Quai

PubMed indexed authors · 2006

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

PubMed

Dosing & Timing

No standardized dose
Preparation specific; use standardized product label for Often studied in formulas and require source backed dosage review before therapeutic claims.
How Dong Quai works

Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.

Mechanism Pathway — How Dong Quai Works

How Dong Quai WorksDong Quai acts on biological target pathways via anti inflammatory, leading to anti inflammatory.Dong QuaiBiological TargetBiological pathwayAnti InflammatoryAnti InflammatoryObservable outcomeVascular FunctionSupport
CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome
Mechanisms & biological pathways (preclinical)
  • Inflammatory Signaling Modulation
  • Vascular Function Support
  • Hormonal Signaling Context

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Safety first · Harm reduction

This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.

Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.

Editorial Review

Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.

Editorial Standards →

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