In response to our email query, Ms. Frances Goodwin, LicAC paraphrases and quotes from the book: Materia Medica by Bensky and Gamble Eastland Press. In Chinese herbal medicine, Dang Gui is defined as an herb that nourishes Blood, it also "moves" blood, is is sweet, acrid, bitter and warm, enters the Hear, Liver and Spleen. In classical herbology the root is divided into three sections with each section a little different. It almost always used in "female" prescriptions, and is said to regulate the menses. So to speak of it only in terms of estrogens is not really accurate. It as been researched since the 1920s and the publications concerning it are too numerous for me to have read them all. To quote Bensky" The major known ingredients:(forgive any typos) butylidene phthalinde, ligustilide, n-butylidene-phthalide, sequiterpenes, carvacrol, dihydrophthalic anhydride, sucrose, vitamin B12, carotene, B-sitosterol." It does not mention estrogen, and Bensky also says that the herb does not appear to have any estrogenic effect. It does have both a contractile effect and a relaxation effect on the uterus. The effect on the liver: it increased the oxygen consumption of the liver without affecting the amount of nucleic acids present. It is thought that this might be due to a generalized increase in metabolism. It also showed a protective effect on livers exposed to carbon tetrachloride. Research has also been done on Cardiovascular effect, antibiotic effect, CNS, pain, smooth muscle and more. Chinese herbalist tells about his work on Dong QuaiFrom an email from Dr. George Wong Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.