Dong Quai for Hot Flashes: What the Trial Found

Does dong quai work for hot flashes?

This is not medical advice — it is general information based on what you searched for that may help.

General information based on published sources and the symptoms you searched for. This isn't medical or legal advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Please consult a doctor about your own symptoms. If your symptoms are severe or sudden, seek urgent care.

Our verdict: Not supported by clinical trial evidence for hot flashes.

Dong quai (Angelica sinensis), a root used in traditional Chinese medicine, is often marketed for menopausal symptoms under the assumption that it acts like a mild estrogen. A rigorous, double-blind trial tested that assumption directly — and found it didn't hold up.

What the trial actually found

A 24-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 71 postmenopausal women with elevated FSH and hot flashes to either dong quai or placebo. The researchers measured endometrial thickness by ultrasound, vaginal cell maturation (a marker of estrogen exposure), and menopausal symptoms using the Kupperman index and a hot flash diary.

The result: no statistically significant difference between groups on any of these measures — not endometrial thickness, not vaginal maturation, not hot flash count, not the overall symptom score. The researchers concluded that, used alone, dong quai does not produce estrogen-like effects and was no more helpful than placebo for menopausal symptoms.

Why "used alone" matters

This trial specifically tested dong quai by itself, not combined with other herbs. You'll sometimes see dong quai included in multi-herb blends marketed for menopause, and a negative result for dong quai alone doesn't automatically tell you how those combination products perform — but it does remove dong quai itself as a credible active ingredient to look for on a label, since this is the most rigorous test of it available.

What to consider

No proven benefit for hot flashes based on this trial
Possible blood-thinning effect: dong quai is generally understood to have anticoagulant-like properties, which matters if you take blood thinners or have an upcoming procedure
Because this grade is Not supported, we don't place affiliate links for dong quai products on this page — see how we grade evidence

If you're looking for hot flash options with real evidence behind them, see our does it work? evidence checker or non-hormonal prescription and behavioral treatments.

Given this trial's results, is there a reason to think a multi-herb product containing dong quai would work differently?
Do I take any blood thinners or have anything scheduled that would make dong quai's anticoagulant effect a concern?

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Questions people ask

Does dong quai help with hot flashes?

A 24-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women with hot flashes found dong quai, taken alone, was no more effective than placebo — no significant difference in the number of hot flashes or in overall symptom scores. The same trial found no estrogen-like effect on vaginal tissue or the uterine lining either. This is one of the more rigorous trials in the herbal-menopause-remedy space, and it's a clear negative result.

Is dong quai safe to combine with other medications?

This trial tested dong quai alone and didn't evaluate drug interactions in detail, but dong quai is generally understood to have blood-thinning properties, so it can interact with anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications. Since the trial found no symptom benefit to begin with, that risk isn't offset by a proven benefit — talk to your doctor before combining it with any blood thinner.