Angelica gigas Nakai for Health & Longevity - Quick Reference Sheet
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Angelica gigas Nakai for Health & Longevity

Created on 09/06/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 5 – Audit

The liver converts this Korean root's signature compounds almost entirely into one circulating substance within hours. In people the measured effects are narrow: a standardized extract lowered mildly raised blood fats; combination products eased urinary and menopausal symptoms. Everything else rests on animals and cells. Side effects matched placebo. Nearly every human trial was company-funded. (Full Review)

Protocol

Standard practitioner dose
250–500 mg twice daily
Root extract standardized to decursin plus decursinol angelate; or 200 mg daily of the Korean regulator-cleared extract used in the lipid trial.
Best time of day
After breakfast and dinner
Trial protocols dosed with meals. Evening dosing suits pain and sleep-related use; morning dosing suits lipid and metabolic use.
Half-life and dose splitting
Split into two doses
Parent compounds roughly 17–19 hour half-lives, decursinol about 7 hours; every published trial used two doses.
Time to effect
Menopausal symptoms
3–6 weeks
Menopausal scores separated from placebo by week three to six; endpoint measured at twelve weeks.
Lipid and urinary endpoints
12 weeks
Both trials measured their endpoints at twelve weeks; a course that moves neither marker by then has failed its own test.
Pain relief
Days to 2 weeks
Seen in animal models and in the unpublished clinic study.

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women
  • Active liver disease, or aminotransferase above 3× the upper reference limit
  • Hormone-sensitive cancer (breast, endometrial, prostate) outside a supervised trial
  • Inherited or acquired bleeding disorder, platelet count below 100 × 10⁹/L, or surgery scheduled within two weeks
  • Warfarin or another vitamin-K-antagonist anticoagulant without international normalized ratio monitoring
  • Children and adolescents under 19
    •
Key Interactions
  • CYP2C19 substrates (clopidogrel, omeprazole, escitalopram, voriconazole)
  • CYP3A4 substrates and inhibitors (ketoconazole, ritonavir, grapefruit juice)
  • CYP2A6 substrates (nicotine, coumarin, letrozole)
  • Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs (apixaban, clopidogrel, aspirin)
  • Over-the-counter analgesics and supplements (ibuprofen, fish oil, ginkgo, vitamin E)
  • Lipid-lowering agents and lipid-active supplements (fenofibrate, high-dose niacin, red yeast rice)
  • Hormonal therapies (estrogen replacement, tamoxifen, finasteride)
  • Other interventions (photodynamic therapy, ultraviolet phototherapy, intense sun exposure, elective surgery)

Risk & Side Effects

  • High: Mild gastrointestinal and nonspecific adverse events
    •
  • Medium: Transient liver-enzyme elevation
    •
  • Low: Drug-interaction potential through liver enzyme inhibition
    •
  • Speculative: Bleeding risk from platelet inhibition; photosensitivity from furocoumarin content; effects on hormone-sensitive tissue; mycotoxin contamination of root material

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
Fasting triglycerides <100 mg/dL The single best-documented benefit
Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio <2.0 Insulin-resistance and cardiac-risk proxy that moved in the trial
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) <25 U/L men, <20 U/L women Detects the enzyme rises seen in both published trials
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) <25 U/L Pairs with ALT to separate liver from muscle origin
Complete blood count with platelet count Platelets 150–400 × 10⁹/L Baseline before any antiplatelet concern
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), men over 45 No established target for this use; track change from the individual's own baseline The root's compounds act on androgen-receptor signaling
Estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), menopausal use No established target for this use; track change from the individual's own baseline Confirms symptom relief is not occurring through hormonal action
Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with urinalysis >90 mL/min/1.73 m² Kidney safety floor, relevant to mycotoxin exposure

Cadence: Full baseline panel with the matching symptom instrument before the first dose; liver enzymes repeated at 6 weeks; the full panel with the relevant symptom score at 12 weeks; then every 6 months if use continues.

Qualitative Assessment

  • Pain intensity and morning joint stiffness, scored 0–10 at the same time each day
  • Sleep onset time and number of night wakings
  • Hot flash frequency and intensity for menopausal use
  • Nocturia episodes (waking at night to urinate) and the sense of complete bladder emptying
  • Energy through the afternoon and subjective mental clarity
  • Any new bruising, nosebleed or gum bleeding
  • Skin reaction after sun exposure
Not medical advice. Educational distillation of a single evidence review. Confirm any decision with a qualified clinician, especially in the presence of prescription drugs or chronic conditions.