Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
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Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang is a Chinese herbal formula with just two herbs. It blends huang qi (astragalus root) with dang gui (Chinese angelica root). The usual blend is five parts astragalus to one part dang gui.
It is made and sold as one fixed product, so treat it as a single drug. Its English name is Tangkuei Decoction to Tonify the Blood. People take it for tiredness, pale skin, and slow recovery after blood loss.
Here is the short verdict. The formula has a long record in Chinese medicine, but human trial proof is thin. Long traditional use is not proof that a remedy works, so read the two records as separate things.
No one has shown how this formula works in the body. The idea below is a theory, not a proven path.
In Chinese medicine, the big dose of astragalus is said to boost qi (the body's working energy). That boost is thought to help the body build blood. Dang gui is the smaller, supporting herb.
Lab and animal work gives some clues. The mix has raised red blood cell counts in mice. It has also helped new blood vessels grow in dish studies, and calmed swelling in animal tissue.
These are early findings. Results in mice often do not carry over to people. Until human trials say more, treat any story about how it works as unproven.
The classic form is a decoction. You boil the two raw roots in water and drink the strained liquid.
Other common forms: - Dried granules you stir into hot water - Capsules and tablets - Liquid extracts and tinctures - Ready-made soup packs sold for home cooking
Strength varies a lot between brands, so doses on labels do not match each other. Some imported herb products have been found to hold heavy metals or hidden added drugs. Buy from a seller who tests each batch and will show you the results.
Li Dongyuan wrote this formula down in 1247, in his book Nei Wai Shang Bian Huo Lun (Clarifying Doubts About Injury From Internal and External Causes).
He used it for people with fever and a flushed face after heavy blood loss or long strain. In his view the body had lost blood, and the heat was a sign of weakness, not infection.
The formula became a teaching staple in Chinese medicine and is still taught and used today. Japanese Kampo and Korean herbal practice use it too, under their own names.
Stop taking it and see a doctor if you bruise easily, bleed from your gums or nose, or notice black or tarry stools.
Book an appointment if you feel more tired, short of breath or very pale, or if your periods get heavier. These can be signs of anaemia (low red blood cell count) that need testing.
Also see a doctor if your symptoms do not improve after about four weeks.
Get urgent help if you have trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips or throat, or bleeding that will not stop.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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