DANG GUI - Chinese Angelica Root

also known as: Tang Kwei, Tang Kuei

This is a very famous herb is used to benefit the Blood (nourish the tissue). An herbalists axiom is that “When you build the blood, you must also move the blood.” Forget to move the blood, and you may wind up causing stagnation and pain. DANG GUI is convenient in that it both builds the blood and moves the blood. This makes it able to do the work of two different herbs. 

DANG GUI TOU, is the 'head' of the root, is tonifying, and it is said to move the Blood upward.
DANG GUI SHEN, is the 'body' of the root, nourishes and Vitalizes the Blood.
DANG GUI WEI is the 'tail' of the root and is more vitalizing than it is tonifying

DANG GUI (Tang Kwei) as a Blood Builder

DANG GUI is rarely used alone as its laxative properties must usually be checked by other herbs. Probably the most popular Blood Building formulas containing DANG GUI are SI WU TANG and BA ZHEN SAN. Note that dry frying (frying without oil) DANG GUI makes it warmer and reduces its tendency to cause diarrhea.  

DANG GUI and other blood tonics are important for women during child bearing age, especially for those who eat little or no red meat. These formulas are used in many cases of infertility where blood deficiency is a known cause.

DOSAGE (whole DANG GUI): 3 - 15 grams. Use cautiously with diarrhea or with abdominal pain or distention. 

Other excellent Blood tonics often used with or instead of DANG GUI include:

• Foxglove root cooked - SHU DI HUANG 
• White Peony Root - BAI SHAO
• Fo Ti - HE SHOU WU
• Goji Berry - GOU QI ZI
   

DANG GUI (Tang Kwei) as a Blood Mover

 Where there is flow there is no pain. The free flow of blood is vital to our health and existence. Our circulation provides nourishment to our cells, transports our wastes, and helps to cool our metabolic heat.   When blood flow is challenged, pain is the alarm.

When an herb is known to relieve pain, it is said to have the property of Vitalizing the Blood. Herbs in this category all move the blood, and are thus generally used to treat pain. They differ from one another with regard to their strength, where in the body they work best, and other subsidiary effects.

They can be used separately, but work better when they are used together to Move The Blood and to break up Congealed Blood. Congealed Blood is indicated by blood clots in the menstrual flow, or as a fixed intense pain anywhere in the body.

 Some of these Blood Movers, which can be used together with or instead of DANG GUI are:

• Safflowers - HONG HUA - Carthami Tinctori Flos
• Peach seed kernel - TAO REN - Persica Semen
• Red peony root - CHI SHAO - Peonia Rubra Radix
• Chinese tea rose - YUE JI HUA - Rosa Chinensis Flos
• Corydalis rhizome -YAN HU SUO - Corydalis Rhizoma
• Tumeric tuber - YU JIN - Curcuma Tuber
• Frankincense - RU XIANG - Olibanum Gummi
• Myrrh - MO YAO - Commiphora Myrrha 
• Chinese Sage Root - DAN SHEN - Salvia Miltiorrhiza Radix
• Szechuan Lovage Root - CHUAN XIONG - Ligustici Wallichii Fadix     

Note that frying DANG GUI with vinegar strengthens its ability to move the blood, and that toasting it with ash helps it "Warm the Channels" and enables it to stop bleeding.

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Traditional Chinese Medicine is powerful and reliable, but it can be complex. As TCM is not based on symptoms alone, self-diagnosis and self-treatment aren't recommended. Best to start a low cost online-herbal-consultation.

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