Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang

Purported Benefits, Side Effects & More
Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang

Common Names

  • Dang Gui Buxue Tang
  • Danggui Buxue Decoction
  • Tangkuei decoction
  • Danggui buxue san

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For Patients & Caregivers

Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. This will help them manage your care and keep you safe.

Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula. It’s made up of two different herbs.  

Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang is used to:

  • Increase strength and stamina
  • Boost immunity
  • Treat symptoms of menopause (permanent end of menstrual cycles) such as hot flashes

Talk with your healthcare providers before taking herbal formulas. They can interact with some medications and affect how they work. For more information, read the “What else do I need to know?” section below.

Side effects have not been reported.

  • Avoid DGBXT if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. It may not be safe for you.
  • Talk to your healthcare provider if you have a hormone-sensitive cancer (like some breast or prostate cancers). DGBXT may not be safe for you.

For Healthcare Professionals

Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang (DGBXT) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula consisting of two herbs: Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radx.  Described in the TCM Treatise Neiwaishang Bianhuo Lun, DGBXT has been used to boost energy and immunity, and control menopausal symptoms.

Limited data suggest benefits of this formula for controlling vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women (1) (2) , renal anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease  (3), retinal hemorrhage in those with diabetic retinopathy  (4), and postoperative bleeding following femur fracture  (5).

Preliminary findings also show that DGBXT may improve immune function in non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy  (6), and prevent chemo-induced thrombocytopenia (13). But it did not prevent chemo-induced myelosuppression in those with breast cancer  (7).

Larger studies are needed to expand the evidence surrounding DGBXT.

  • Strength and stamina
  • Immunostimulation
  • Menopausal symptoms

In the context of cancer, DGBXT appears to act as an immunomodulatory and chemotherapy-adjuvant augment. Animal studies show that DGBXT stimulates the immune system by increasing cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, and down-regulating activated T helper cells (CD4+/CD25+) in the spleen and tumor-draining lymph nodes  (8). Separately, DGBXT has been shown to augment the efficacy of certain chemotherapy agents by potentiating cancer cell death through ferroptosis via the Nrf2/GPX4 axis (14) (15), while also mitigating chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (12) and hepatotoxicity (14).

Outside the oncological setting, DGBXT’s effects are largely restorative and anti-inflammatory. In anemia, it promotes iron-ion binding and hematopoietic activity, reduces inflammation and reactive oxygen species production, and blocks apoptosis  (9). In streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, it alleviated renal alterations and slowed progression of diabetic nephropathy, likely by suppressing transforming growth factor-beta (1) mRNA expression  (10). It has also been shown to protect against myocardial ischemic injury via the MAPK/NF-κB pathway (11).

  • Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid DGBXT.
  • Patients with hormone-sensitive cancers should consult with their physicians before using this formula. 

Adverse effects have not been reported.

  1. Haines CJ, Lam PM, Chung TK, Cheng KF, Leung PC. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation (Dang Gui Buxue Tang) on menopausal symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese women. Climacteric. Jun 2008;11(3):244-51. doi:10.1080/13697130802073029
  2. Wang CC, Cheng KF, Lo WM, et al. A randomized, double-blind, multiple-dose escalation study of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation (Dang Gui Buxue Tang) for moderate to severe menopausal symptoms and quality of life in postmenopausal women. Menopause. Feb 2013;20(2):223-31. doi:10.1097/gme.0b013e318267f64e
  3. Zhao MM, Zhang Y, Li LS, Yu ZK, Li B. Efficacy and safety of Danggui Buxue Decoction in combination with western medicine treatment of anemia for renal anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Transl Med. Mar 2017;5(6):136. doi:10.21037/atm.2017.01.17
  4. Li HD, Li MX, Zhang WH, Zhang SW, Gong YB. Effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine for diabetic retinopathy: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. World J Diabetes. Sep 15 2023;14(9):1422-1449. doi:10.4239/wjd.v14.i9.1422
  5. Wu X, Yan L, Wu T, Tu S, Lin Y. Identifying an effective Chinese herbal medicine for reducing postoperative hidden bleeding and stabilizing blood volume following intertrochanteric femur fracture: a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Orthop Surg Res. Dec 26 2024;19(1):876. doi:10.1186/s13018-024-05379-3
  6. Du QC, Yang KZ, Sun XF. Efficacy of auxiliary therapy with Danggui Buxue Decoction No.1 in treating patients of non-small cell lung cancer at peri-operational stage. Chin J Integr Med. Jun 2009;15(3):184-8. doi:10.1007/s11655-009-0184-y
  7. Hong J, Chen X, Huang J, et al. Danggui Buxue Decoction, a Classical Formula of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fails to Prevent Myelosuppression in Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Prospective Study. Integr Cancer Ther. Sep 2017;16(3):406-413. doi:10.1177/1534735416675952
  8. Hsieh CC, Lin WC, Lee MR, et al. Dang-Gui-Bu-Xai-Tang modulated the immunity of tumor bearing mice. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. May 2003;25(2):259-71. doi:10.1081/iph-120020474
  9. Hua YL, Ma Q, Yuan ZW, et al. A novel approach based on metabolomics coupled with network pharmacology to explain the effect mechanisms of Danggui Buxue Tang in anaemia. Chin J Nat Med. Apr 2019;17(4):275-290. doi:10.1016/s1875-5364(19)30031-7
  10. Zhang YW, Xie D, Xia B, Zhen RT, Liu IM, Cheng JT. Suppression of transforming growth factor-beta1 gene expression by Danggui buxue tang, a traditional Chinese herbal preparation, in retarding the progress of renal damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Horm Metab Res. Feb 2006;38(2):82-8. doi:10.1055/s-2006-925118
  11. Chunhua M, Hongyan L, Weina Z, Xiaoli H, Yajie Z, Jie R. Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang  ameliorates coronary artery ligation-induced myocardial ischemia in rats. Biomed Pharmacother. Apr 2017;88:617-624. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.01.079
  12. Lv XF, Wen RQ, Liu K, et al. Role and molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing cardiotoxicity associated with chemoradiotherapy. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022;9:1047700. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2022.1047700
  13. Yang Y, Ge W, Luo W, et al. Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on the secondary prevention of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia in malignant solid tumors, a randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2025 Aug;144:156871
  14. Gong G, Yin T, Zhang Z, Ganesan K, Zheng Y. Danggui Buxue Tang, a Traditional Chinese Herbal Formula, Potentiates Paclitaxel Efficacy in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer by Inducing Ferroptosis via the Nrf2/GPX4 Axis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2026 Apr 10;19(4):607.
  15. Gong G, Ganesan K, Liu Y, et al. Danggui Buxue Tang improves therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin in triple negative breast cancer via ferroptosis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2024 Apr 6;323:117655. 
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