Natural Herb Library

Dan Shen Root

Chinese
丹参
Pinyin
Dan Shen
Latin
Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Botanical illustration of Root of Ligulilobe Sage, Salvia miltiorrhiza, showing Dan Shen root material and diagnostic source details.
Botanical plate by Kodi .

Known in TCM as Dan Shen (丹参), this bitter, slightly cold herb enters the Heart, Pericardium, and Liver. Traditionally, it invigorates blood and dispels stasis ... Dan Shen is a core herb for fixed pain, menstrual stasis, chest obstruction, and circulatory constraint patterns, most often applied for blood stasis, chest pain, and dysmenorrhea. Modern research has identified Lipid-soluble among its active constituents.

Part used: Root

Also Known As

Danshen Root Red Sage Root Salvia miltiorrhiza Root

Latin: Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae | Pinyin: Dan Shen | Chinese: 丹参

TCM Properties

Taste
bitter
Temperature
slightly cold
Channels
Heart, Pericardium, Liver

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Invigorates blood and dispels stasis ... Dan Shen is a core herb for fixed pain, menstrual stasis, chest obstruction, and circulatory constraint patterns.
  • Cools blood and reduces irritability ... it is often chosen when heat and stasis combine with restlessness, lingering inflammation, or blood-level agitation.
  • Calms the spirit while supporting circulation ... traditional use extends to insomnia, palpitations, and emotional agitation when blood constraint or heat plays a role.

Secondary Actions

  • This is the canonical Dan Shen lane and should stay distinct from stronger breaking-blood herbs or from generic red-sage supplement language.
  • Modern cardiovascular interest is vast, but formula context still matters more than flattening the herb into a single circulation claim.

Classic Formulas

  • Dan Shen Yin ... classic chest and epigastric blood-stasis formula built around Dan Shen.
  • Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan ... Dan Shen's role here emphasizes cooling-nourishing support with spirit settling.
  • Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang and related blood-stasis formulas ... Dan Shen often enters when movement is needed without excessive harshness.

Classical References

  • Traditional teaching often praises Dan Shen as one of the few herbs that can both move blood and support blood, though its dominant image is still stasis resolution.
  • Its Heart, Pericardium, and Liver orientation explains the overlap between pain, menses, mood, and chest use.

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Lipid-soluble tanshinones such as tanshinone IIA and cryptotanshinone ... among the best-known Dan Shen compounds
  • Water-soluble salvianolic acids such as salvianolic acid B ... central to vascular and antioxidant research
  • Other phenolic acids and diterpenoid quinones ... supportive pharmacology context

Studied Effects

  • A 2015 review summarized the traditional medicinal uses, chemistry, and pharmacology of Salvia miltiorrhiza and remains a major broad source for Dan Shen's modern evidence base (PMID 25835361).
  • A 2019 review focused on the pharmacological and clinical applications of Salvia miltiorrhiza in cardiovascular disease, reflecting the herb's strongest modern translational research lane (PMID 31338034).
  • A 2017 review cautioned that Salvia miltiorrhiza is not risk-free even while widely studied for cardiovascular benefit, which helps keep safety framing more accurate (PMID 27748194).

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Active bleeding or bleeding-prone patterns without blood stasis
  • Pregnancy without expert supervision

Cautions

  • Dan Shen can interact meaningfully with anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy and should not be treated as a casual circulation herb.
  • Injected, extracted, or highly concentrated forms are not equivalent to ordinary decoction use.
  • Chest pain, neurologic symptoms, or severe menstrual bleeding require direct medical evaluation.

Conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dan Shen Root used for?

Dan Shen Root is traditionally used to Invigorates blood and dispels stasis ... Dan Shen is a core herb for fixed pain, menstrual stasis, chest obstruction, and circulatory constraint patterns., Cools blood and reduces irritability ... it is often chosen when heat and stasis combine with restlessness, lingering inflammation, or blood-level agitation., Calms the spirit while supporting circulation ... traditional use extends to insomnia, palpitations, and emotional agitation when blood constraint or heat plays a role.. Research has investigated its effects on: A 2015 review summarized the traditional medicinal uses, chemistry, and pharmacology of Salvia miltiorrhiza and remains a major broad source for Dan Shen's modern evidence base (PMID 25835361).; A 2019 review focused on the pharmacological and clinical applications of Salvia miltiorrhiza in cardiovascular disease, reflecting the herb's strongest modern translational research lane (PMID 31338034)..

What are other names for Dan Shen Root?

Dan Shen Root is also known as Danshen Root, Red Sage Root, Salvia miltiorrhiza Root. In TCM: 丹参 (Dan Shen); Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae.

Is Dan Shen Root safe during pregnancy?

Dan Shen Root is not recommended during pregnancy.

What are the contraindications for Dan Shen Root?

Dan Shen Root should not be used in: Active bleeding or bleeding-prone patterns without blood stasis; Pregnancy without expert supervision. Consult a qualified practitioner before use.