American Angelica, Angélica, Angelica acutiloba, Angelica archangelica, Angelica atropurpurea, Angelica curtisi, Angelica Dahurica, Angelica officinalis, Angelica sylvestris, Angelicae Dahuricae, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, Angelicae Fructus, Angelicae Herba, Angelicae Radix, Angelica sylvestris, Angelicae, Angélique, Angélique Archangélique, Angélique Cultivée, Angélique de Bohème, Angélique des Jardins, Angélique Médicinale, Angélique Officinale, Angélique Sauvage, Angélique Vraie, Archangelica officinalis, Archangélique, Bai Zhi, Dang Gui (Angelica root), Du Huo, Garden Angelica, European Angelica, Herbe aux Anges, Herbe du Saint-Esprit, Japanese Angelica, Racine du Saint Esprit, Radix Angelicae, Radix Angelicae Dahuricae, Radix Angelicae Pubescentis, Root of the Holy Ghost, Wild Angelica, Wild Parsnip.
Angelica is a plant. The root, seed, and fruit are used to make medicine.
Angelica is used for heartburn, intestinal gas (flatulence), loss of appetite (anorexia), arthritis, circulation problems, "runny nose" (respiratory catarrh), nervousness, plague, and trouble sleeping (insomnia).
Some women use angelica to start their menstrual periods. Sometimes this is done to cause an abortion.
Angelica is also used to increase urine production, improve sex drive, stimulate the production and secretion of phlegm, and kill germs.
Some people apply angelica directly to the skin for nerve pain (neuralgia), joint pain (rheumatism), and skin disorders.
In combination with other herbs, angelica is also used for treating premature ejaculation.
How does work?
Angelica root might work in premature ejaculation by increasing the threshold of vibrations and senses received by the penis.
SLIDESHOW
Digestive Disorders: Common Misconceptions See SlideshowPossibly Effective for...
- Upset stomach (dyspepsia), when a combination of angelica and five other herbs is used. A specific combination product containing angelica (Iberogast, Medical Futures, Inc) seems to improve symptoms of upset stomach including acid reflux, stomach pain, cramping, nausea, and vomiting. The combination includes angelica plus peppermint leaf, clown's mustard plant, German chamomile, caraway, licorice, milk thistle, celandine, and lemon balm.
- Premature ejaculation, when applied directly to the skin of the penis in combination with other medicines. The multi-ingredient cream studied in research (SS Cream, Cheil Jedang Corporation) contains Panax ginseng root, angelica root, Cistanches deserticola, Zanthoxyl species, torlidis seed, clove flower, asiasari root, cinnamon bark, and toad venom.
Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...
- Intestinal cramps and gas.
- Nerve pain.
- Arthritis-like pain.
- Fluid retention.
- Menstrual disorders.
- Promoting sweating.
- Increasing urine production (diuretic).
- Other conditions.
Angelica seems to be safe when used in food amounts, although Canada does not allow the Archangelica species as food ingredients. There isn't enough information to know if angelica is safe when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts.
Angelica root seems to be safe for most adults when used as a cream, short-term.
If you take angelica, wear sunblock outside, especially if you are light-skinned. Angelica might make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.
There isn't enough information about the safety of taking angelica if you are breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side, and don't use it.
The following doses have been studied in scientific research:
BY MOUTH:
- For stomach upset: A specific combination product containing angelica (Iberogast, Medical Futures, Inc) and several other herbs has been used in a dose of 1 mL three times daily.
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).
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You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Choi HK, Jung GW, Moon KH, et al. Clinical study of SS-Cream in patients with lifelong premature ejaculation. Urology 2000;55:257-61. View abstract.
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182
Entman ML, Cook JW Jr, Bressler R. The influence of ouabain and alpha angelica lactone on calcium metabolism of dog cardiac microsomes. J Clin Invest 1969;48:229-34. View abstract.
Harada M, Suzuki M, Ozaki Y. Effect of Japanese Angelica root and peony root on uterine contraction in the rabbit in situ. J Pharmacobiodyn 1984;7:304-11. View abstract.
Holtmann G, Madisch A, Juergen H, et al. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on the effects of an herbal preparation in patients with functional dyspepsia [Abstract]. Ann Mtg Digestive Disease Week 1999 May.
Liu JH, Xu SX, Yao XS, Kobayashi H. Angelol-type coumarins from Angelica pubescence F. biserrata and their inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation. Phytochem 1995;39:1099-101. View abstract.
Lo AC, Chan K, Yeung JH, Woo KS. Danggui (Angelica sinensis) affects the pharmacodynamics but not the pharmacokinetics of warfarin in rabbits. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 1995;20:55-60. View abstract.
Madisch A, Holtmann G, Mayr G, et al. Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a herbal preparation. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Digestion 2004;69:45-52. View abstract.
Melzer J, Rosch W, Reichling J, et al. Meta-analysis: phytotherapy of functional dyspepsia with the herbal drug preparation STW 5 (Iberogast). Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2004;20:1279-87. View abstract.
Muller M, Byres M, Jaspars M. et al. 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses of archangelicin from the seeds of Angelica archangelica. Acta Pharm 2004;54:277-85. View abstract.
Ojala T, Vuorela P, Kiviranta J, et al. A bioassay using Artemia salina for detecting phototoxicity of plant coumarins. Planta Med 1999;65:715-8. View abstract.
Sigurdsson S, Ogmundsdottir HM, Gudbjarnason S. Antiproliferative effect of Angelica archangelica fruits. Z Naturforsch [C] 2004;59:523-7. View abstract.
Sigurdsson S, Ogmundsdottir HM, Hallgrimsson J, Gudbjarnason S. Antitumour activity of Angelica archangelica leaf extract. In Vivo 2005;19:191-4. View abstract.
Storr M, Sibaev A, Weiser D, et al. Herbal extracts modulate the amplitude and frequency of slow waves in circular smooth muscle of mouse small intestine. Digestion 2004;70:257-64. View abstract.
Yeh ML, Liu CF, Huang CL, Huang TC. Hepatoprotective effect of Angelica archangelica in chronically ethanol-treated mice. Pharmacology 2003;68:70-3. View abstract.