Dong quai is recommended for symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, due to its purported estrogen-like effects. So compelling is dong quai's historical use, the National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference panel looked at it among other botanicals when assessing evidence in its favor. However, there's not much research to suggest that dong quai reduces hot flashes.
Dong Quai History
Dong quai's roots date back thousands of years. It is a popular herb used in traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese medicine, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dong quai has been used to treat symptoms of menstruation, such as premenstrual syndrome, as well as symptoms of menopause. Like ginseng, it takes a long time for dong quai roots to mature--three years. Dong quai is called the "female ginseng."
Properties and Preparations
Whether dong quai has estrogen-like properties is debatable. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center states that dong quai has weak estrogen-like effects; the University of Michigan Health System, on the other hand, says dong quai does not function as a plant-based estrogen. Dong quai is said to be an adaptogen insofar as it revives the female hormonal system after stress. Dong quai is available in liquid and dry preparations, such as capsules and tablets.
Dong Quai for Menopause
Some women who use dong quai say that it reduces hot flashes, reports the UMMC. However, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, only a few well-designed clinical studies have assessed dong quai and other botanicals for menopausal symptoms. Many studies were small and short in duration. NCCAM notes that findings from the studies don't carry enough weight to support the herb's efficacy.
Evidence
A 1997 report published by Kaiser Permanente Medical Center researchers in "Fertility and Sterility" found that when used alone, dong quai was no more helpful than a placebo in relieving hot flashes in 71 women. Conversely, a pilot study published in the February 2007 edition of "Gynecological Endocrinology" suggests otherwise. Researchers from the Felsenstein Medical Research Center in Israel studied 50 menopausal women, some of whom took a dong quai preparation called Phyto-Female Complex. After three months, researchers concluded there was a 73 percent reduction in hot flashes in study group participants. It must be noted that Phyto-Female Complex contains not only dong quai, but extracts of black cohosh, milk thistle, red clover, American ginseng and chaste-tree berry.
Avoid Use
The Chinese University of Hong Kong School of Pharmacy published results of a test tube study in the November-December 2005 edition of "Menopause" that indicates that dong quai extract stimulated growth of breast cancer cells, possibly due to its weak estrogen-like effects. Researchers concluded that use of dong quai by peri- and postmenopausal women, especially those with breast cancer, "warrants caution pending further study." Avoid dong quai if you're at risk for breast, ovarian or uterine cancer, advises the UMMC.
Other Cautions
Coumarin derivatives are among dong quai's active constituents, according to Sloan-Kettering, so it may enhance the effects of anticoagulant medications. It may also interact with hormone medications such as birth control pills. Avoid dong quai if you're nursing or pregnant. Don't give it to children. Don't use dong quai if you have chronic diarrhea or abdominal bloating. The UMMC warns that the essential oil should never be ingested, as it contains minute amounts of carcinogens.
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