Is Dong Quai Safe to Take During Pregnancy?

Is Dong Quai Safe to Take During Pregnancy?

Dong Quai has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years and the West is now catching up to the safety and health benefits of this plant during pregnancy. It is a favorite in Chinese women's health formulas and is highly regarded as the "Root of the Supreme Woman." It has also earned the reputation as the “supreme feminine tonic” and “ultimate herb for women.” With such powerful and compelling titles, the question arises: “Is Dong Quai safe during pregnancy?”

First things first…

What is Dong Quai?

Dong Quai literally means “should return”. In Chinese herbalism, it is so called because it is believed that by taking this herb, a person's energy and blood will return and be restored without disturbance.

It comes from theApiaceaeFamily or more commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family. The plant is native to China, Japan and Korea and grows on the high mountains in the cold, wet regions of these countries. It is characterized by its small umbrella-like white flowers that bloom from May to August and bear fruit between July and August.

Other common names and spellings are –Angelica Sinensis(Latin and botanical name);Chinese Angelica; dang gui; Tang Kuei and Tan Kue Bai Zhi.

What are the medicinal uses?

The entire root is considered beneficial and in TCM the different sections of the root are believed to provide different “actions.” The upper part of the root has anticoagulant properties (blood thinning), the middle part of the root is used as a tonic, and the lower part is used to eliminate patterns of blood stagnation.

Dong Quai is widely used in most cycles and rhythms of a woman's life to restore health and balance the body. However, it is also beneficial for men. Due to its antispasmodic properties, it is essentially used before and after menstruation to relieve the unpleasant “menstrual cramps” and replenish blood levels after your period is over.

Dong Quai can also be used to treat diseases such as:

• Hormonausgleich und Förderung eines regelmäßigen Menstruationszyklus bei Frauen, die keine Verhütungsmethoden mehr anwenden.
• Fehlen von Perioden (Amenorrhoe).
• vaginale Trockenheit.
• Schwäche nach der Geburt des Kindes kann helfen, die Fortpflanzungsorgane, Eierstöcke und den Mutterleib zu stärken.
• Beseitigung von Blutstagnation und Auflösung von Blutgerinnseln. Dies ist auf seinen hohen Gehalt an Vitaminen und Mineralstoffen wie Vitamin B12, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Eisen, Folsäure, Kalzium und Zink zurückzuführen, um nur einige zu nennen.
• Regulierung des Blutzuckers.
• Erhöhung der Durchblutung und Produktion von roten Blutkörperchen.
• Verbesserung der Fruchtbarkeit bei Männern und Frauen.
• Arthritis aufgrund ihrer antirheumatischen Eigenschaften. Eine topische Presse kann tief eindringen, um Entzündungen zu reduzieren, Schmerzen zu lindern, indem Toxine entfernt und die Durchblutung angeregt werden, um den Druck auf den Bereich zu verringern.
• Bekämpfung und Widerstand gegen Krankheiten aufgrund ihrer antimykotischen Wirkung.

Is it safe to take during pregnancy?

In TCM, while Dong Quai is highly recommended for all aspects of a woman's body cycle, it is not recommended during pregnancy. My mother, a strong advocate of this herb from a young age, refused to take this herb while she was pregnant! WHY?

In the past, she was taught that midwives who practiced TCM used the herb to induce labor in women who were "overdue" in their pregnancies. Therefore, the same principle was applied to those in the early stages of pregnancy and was considered unsafe to use. In today's research, some evidence has shown that dong quai can stimulate the uterus and cause contractions, leading to an increased risk of miscarriage or premature labor.

Due to its anticoagulant properties (blood thinning), it may increase the risk of bleeding. This risk may be higher during pregnancy. It should not be taken with blood-thinning medications such as aspirin, heparin, and warfarin, as these may also increase the risk of bleeding.

According to the National Institutes of Health, a case study of a pregnant woman who took a combination of medicinal herbs (including dong quai) later gave birth to a baby who was born with some serious birth defects. Doctors believed the herbs were to blame. However, this is not obvious enough to suggest that Dong Quai alone could have this effect.

Pregnant women should take precautions when taking high doses of dong quai as it can cause photosensitivity (sensitivity to sunlight) and lead to a higher risk of skin cancer, especially in fair-skinned people. Particular care should be taken when combined with St. John's wort, as it is also an herb known to increase photosensitivity.

Dong quai may interfere with other herbs, such as ginger, that some women take to relieve morning sickness during pregnancy. Monitoring is advisable when combining other herbs with Dong Quai. These include:-

• Chinesische Schädeldecke (scutellaria baicalensis)
• Mutterkraut (Chrysanthemenparthenium / Tanacetumparthenium)
• Knoblauch (Allium Sativum)
• Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba)
• Ginseng (Panax Ginseng)
• Lakritz (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
• Kurkuma (Curcuma Longa)

Worth considering

Although herbs are the most natural alternative to chemically charged medicines, you should still be careful when incorporating them into your lifestyle. Herbs have been used for medicinal purposes in all cultures for many centuries, but there is still more to discover and learn. Some herbs may be more beneficial or harmful from person to person. If you have an underlying medical condition, you should be particularly careful. If you have serious health concerns, you should always consult your doctor or medical herbalist before self-administering herbs.