Roots and rhizomesBlood-activatingRadix Salviae Miltiorrhizae

Dan Shen (Salvia Root)

Q: What is Dan Shen? Are Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua and Dang Shen the same?

Official Dan Shen (丹参) is the dried root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza . The pharmacopoeial name is Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma ; it is also called red ginseng-root, which is not ginseng. Chuan Xiong is acrid-warm: invigorates Blood, moves qi, dispels wind and stops pain. Hong Hua is acrid-warm: invigorates Blood, frees the menses, dissipates stasis and stops pain. Dang Shen is sweet-neutral: fortifies the Spleen, boosts the Lung, nourishes Blood and generates fluid—it is not Dan Shen. Write Dan Shen. Do not combine it with veratrum.

Q: What are the TCM properties and traditional uses of Dan Shen?

According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Dan Shen is bitter and slightly cold , enters the Heart and Liver channels, and acts to invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, free the menses, stop pain, clear the Heart, eliminate vexation, cool Blood and disperse abscess . It is used for chest impediment with heart pain, epigastric and hypochondriac pain, masses, heat bi pain, vexation and sleeplessness, irregular menses, dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea, and swollen painful sores. Bitter and slightly cold, it suits Blood stasis with heat—not Blood vacuity without stasis, and not pregnancy without a reason to take it.

Q: What is the usual dosage? Can it be drunk daily as a Blood-moving tea?

The pharmacopoeial decoction dose is 10–15 g . It is not a four-season “salvia Blood tea.” Without stasis, moving only injures Blood. Chest impediment and dysmenorrhea need a practitioner to name a short course; it does not replace electrocardiography and gynecologic assessment.

Q: How do you choose and store Dan Shen?

Choose cylindrical roots, reddish-brown outside, a reddish-brown cortex and gray-yellow wood with yellow-white rays on the cut face, and a slightly bitter, astringent taste . Moldy, moth-eaten, pale or dirty lots are discarded. Store dry. Buy pharmacopoeial Dan Shen; do not replace invigorating Blood, dispelling stasis, freeing the menses, stopping pain, clearing the Heart, eliminating vexation, cooling Blood and dispersing abscess with codonopsis or ligusticum by equal weight.

A practical guide to Dan Shen: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.

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Last reviewed Oct 13, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin Name	Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Chinese Name & Pinyin	丹參 · Dan Shen
Medicinal Part	Roots and rhizomes
The herb	Dan Shen is the dried root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua, and Tao Ren are different official drugs. Wine-fried Dan Shen is the processed form. Incompatible with Li Lu.
Nature and channels	Bitter, slightly cold. Enters the Heart and Liver. Bitterness drains. Slight cold clears the Heart and cools the blood. It also invigorates blood and unblocks the menses.
Pharmacopoeia line	Invigorates blood and dispels stasis. Unblocks the menses and relieves pain. Clears the Heart and eliminates vexation. Cools the blood and reduces abscess. Used for chest-bi heart pain, epigastric and flank pain, concretions, heat bi pain, vexation and insomnia, irregular menses, painful periods, amenorrhea, and swollen painful sores.
Pattern cues	Stabbing chest-bi pain. Painful periods and amenorrhea. Vexation and insomnia. Sores. Dark tongue.
In this article	Dan Shen versus Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua, and Tao Ren. Invigorating blood versus clearing the Heart. Why it must not sit with Li Lu. Why pregnancy is a caution. Why chest pain needs a clinic. Who should skip it.

What Is Dan Shen?

Dan Shen (丹参; Dān Shēn; Latin: Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma; English: danshen / red sage root) is the dried root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. In Chinese medicine it is a blood-invigorating herb. It is bitter and slightly cold, enters the Heart and Liver channels, and its core actions are to invigorate blood and dispel stasis, unblock the menses and relieve pain, clear the Heart and eliminate vexation, and cool the blood and reduce abscess. Wine-fried Dan Shen invigorates blood more clearly. It is not Chuan Xiong. Chuan Xiong is acrid-warm. It invigorates blood, moves qi, and travels upward to the head and eyes. It is not Hong Hua. Safflower is acrid-warm and more fiercely breaks blood and unblocks the menses. Dan Shen is bitter and slightly cold. While it invigorates blood it can also clear the Heart and eliminate vexation. Do not combine it with Li Lu. Use caution in pregnancy. Chest-bi heart pain needs a clinic first. The pharmacopoeia line is not a heart-drug or anticoagulant replacement. People already on anticoagulants should ask a clinician first.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Chest-bi heart pain, epigastric and flank pain — stasis; chest pain needs a clinic
Irregular menses, painful periods, amenorrhea, concretions — this needs pattern diagnosis
Vexation and insomnia, swollen painful sores — stasis-heat

The usual decoction dose is 10–15 g. Bitter and slightly cold, it is not a daily “blood-moving danshen tea.” Breaking when there is no stasis, or in blood deficiency with no stasis, consumes blood.

When static blood blocks the collaterals, or stasis-heat harasses the Heart, stabbing pain, amenorrhea, and vexation are common. Dan Shen is bitter-draining. It invigorates, clears, and eliminates vexation, which is why it appears in Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang–type formulas. It moves blood more than it holds. Heavy periods, bleeding that has not stopped, and pregnancy get worse if more movement is added.

Dan Shen is not a catch-all blood or sleep root. With no stasis, with bleeding that has not stopped, or in pregnancy, using it alone can stir blood. Wine-fried or raw should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Dan Shen: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae

Botanical Origin

The dried root and rhizomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.(Labiatae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Sichuan.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material is thick and strong, purple-red.

Macroscopic Features

Mostly are roots with rhizomes, rhizomes are thick and short with remnants of stem base, lower portion with numerous thin and long roots. Roots are cylindrical and slightly curved; externally erythrine, rough, with numerous longitudinal grooves or wrinkles, with scars of rootlets. Outer cortex has fallen off scale-like, some with cracks; 8~22cm long, 5~12cm diameter, firm and brittle texture, easily broken; fractured surface is uneven, loose with cracks; cortexes brown or erythrine, narrow. Cambium is obvious pale brown; xylem vascular bundle is grayish-yellow or yellowish-white, radial arrangement. faint odor; slightly bitter and astringent.

3 Core Producing Regions and Quality Identification

Traditionally, high-quality roots are sourced from regions like Sichuan, Shandong, and Henan, though actual quality depends heavily on harvest timing and processing.

Appearance: Authentic Dan Shen (Red Sage Root) is long, cylindrical, and slightly curved. The surface is brownish-red to dark red with vertical wrinkles.
Texture and Taste: It is hard but brittle. When broken, the cross-section is porous with a reddish-brown outer layer and a grayish-yellow or purplish-brown woody center. It has a mild odor and a slightly bitter, astringent taste.
Caution: It is sometimes confused with similar-looking roots like Zi Mo Li (Four O'Clock Root), which lacks the distinct woody texture inside and has a much fainter smell.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Bitter; Slightly coldHeartLiver

1. 2 Historical Herbal Records

Ancient texts highly valued this herb:

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing ranked it as a top-tier herb, noting it helps clear abdominal blockages, resolves abnormal masses, and relieves restlessness.
Ming Yi Bie Lu added that it nourishes blood, eases stiff joints, and removes lingering heat.
Ben Cao Gang Mu emphasized its ability to invigorate blood, unblock the Heart meridian, and relieve pain.

2. 3 Evolution of Herbal Understanding

Over time, TCM doctors developed different focuses for Dan Shen (Red Sage Root):

Some focused on its blood-invigorating properties, commonly using it for women's health issues like irregular menstruation or postpartum blockages.
Others valued its ability to clear Heart heat and calm the mind, using it for restlessness, insomnia, and palpitations.
Most agree that it is best for conditions involving blood stagnation combined with heat. For conditions caused by pure Qi deficiency or "cold stagnation," it must be paired with warming or Qi-boosting herbs to balance its cold nature.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Invigorates the blood, regulates menstruation, dispels stasis, relieves pain, cools blood, relieves ulcer, clears the heart, eliminates vexation, nourishing the blood and calming mental state. Apply to irregular menstrual period, amenorrhea and painful menstruation, abdominal mass and food accumulation, chest and abdominal sting, pyretic arthralgia and pain, anthracia and swelling pain, dysphoria and insomnia, live and spleen swelling, angina pectoris.

1. 1 First Primary Action: Invigorating Blood and Unblocking Meridians

The primary traditional function of Dan Shen (Red Sage Root) is to clear blocked Qi and blood, making it a staple for regulating menstruation.

Common Symptoms: It is widely used for irregular periods, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea (cramps), postpartum lochia retention, or abdominal masses caused by blood stasis.
Common Pairings: To enhance its blood-regulating effects, it is often paired with Dang Gui (Chinese Angelica Root) and Chuan Xiong (Szechuan Lovage Rhizome). For breaking down stubborn stasis, it is combined with Tao Ren (Peach Seed) and Hong Hua (Safflower).
Caution: Pregnant women should avoid using it, as moving blood can affect the pregnancy. Women with heavy menstrual flow should also avoid it during their cycle unless advised by a practitioner.

2. 2 Second Primary Action: Clearing the Heart and Soothing Irritability

Dan Shen (Red Sage Root) is also highly valued for clearing stagnant heat in the Heart and calming the mind.

Common Symptoms: It addresses insomnia, palpitations, restlessness, and anxiety caused by blood stasis and heat, often accompanied by chest tightness or dizziness.
Common Pairings: It is frequently paired with Suan Zao Ren (Sour Jujube Seed) and Bai Zi Ren (Arborvitae Seed) to enhance its calming effects, or with Sheng Di (Rehmannia Root) and Mai Dong (Ophiopogon Tuber) to clear heat and nourish Yin.
Caution: Because of its slightly cold nature, people with a Spleen and Stomach cold-deficiency (frequent abdominal pain or diarrhea) should not use it, as it may worsen their cold symptoms.

3. 3 Common Single Herb Pairing: The Herb Pair

A classic combination is Dan Shen (Red Sage Root) paired with Tan Xiang (Sandalwood).

Synergy: Dan Shen moves blood to clear physical blockages, while Tan Xiang moves Qi to clear energetic blockages. Together, they regulate both Qi and blood harmoniously.
Clinical Use: This pair is highly effective for chest tightness or stomach pain caused by Qi and blood stagnation. However, this should only be used under professional diagnostic guidance.

Modern Research

Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.

1. 1 Main Chemical Components

Modern labs have identified both fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds in Dan Shen (Red Sage Root):

Fat-soluble: Tanshinones (such as Tanshinone I, Tanshinone IIA, and Cryptotanshinone).
Water-soluble: Salvianolic acids (like Salvianolic acid A and B). While test-tube studies show these compounds may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, more human studies are needed to confirm these effects.

2. 2 Modern Pharmacological Research Directions

Current modern research largely focuses on how this herb might affect blood circulation and inflammatory responses. Some animal and cell studies suggest potential in supporting cardiovascular health, but these are preliminary laboratory observations and do not equal guaranteed clinical results for humans.

3. 3 Limitations of Modern Research

When looking at lab studies, it is crucial to understand the limitations:

Lab vs. Human Body: Results from test tubes or animals cannot be directly applied to human health.
Extracts vs. Whole Herbs: Labs often use highly concentrated, isolated chemicals. This is vastly different from traditional whole-root water decoctions.
Synergy: In TCM, herbs are rarely used alone. They are combined to create a synergistic effect. A single isolated compound's lab result does not represent how the whole herb works inside the human body.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. 2 Similarities with Comparable Herbs

Both Dan Shen (Red Sage Root) and Hong Hua (Safflower) are powerful blood-invigorating herbs. They are both used to treat irregular menstruation and abdominal pain caused by blood stasis, and both require careful attention to dosage and individual constitution.

2. 3 Core Differences

Nature and Flavor: Dan Shen is slightly cold and bitter (tending to clear heat), whereas Hong Hua is warm and acrid (tending to warm and unblock).
Core Focus: While both move blood, Dan Shen uniquely clears the Heart and calms the mind, making it ideal for stasis paired with restlessness. Hong Hua is strictly focused on moving blood and breaking severe stasis (like trauma or closed meridians).
Applicable Symptoms: Use Dan Shen when blood stasis is accompanied by "heat" signs (irritability, a red tongue with a yellow coating). Use Hong Hua for pure blood stasis without heat (a dark/purplish tongue and a choppy pulse).
Contraindications: Dan Shen is unsuitable for those with a cold digestive system. Hong Hua is strictly forbidden during pregnancy or for individuals prone to bleeding (e.g., frequent nosebleeds or bleeding gums).

3. 4 One-Sentence Summary

Dan Shen (Red Sage Root) excels at invigorating blood while clearing heat and calming the mind, whereas Hong Hua (Safflower) is a warmer herb focused purely on breaking through severe blood stasis.

Classical Formulas Containing Dan Shen

Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan

天王補心丹

Formula CategoryCalm the Shen FormulasPrimary PatternYin DeficiencyPrimary FunctionNourish Yin and Blood, tonify the Heart, calm the spiritRelated ConditionsInsomnia·Anxiety Restlessness·Palpitations·Dry Mouth & Throat

View Formula Profile Read Complete Guide

Formulas vs. Single Herbs

Synergy is Key: A formula is a balanced team. The healing power comes from how the herbs interact, so a single herb cannot simply replicate a full formula's effects.
Holistic Balance: The exact dosage and combination in a formula affect the entire body. Never try to mix or alter these formulas at home based on internet articles.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. 1 Home Tea or Dietary Application

For mild daily wellness, here is a low-risk tea option: Dan Shen and Red Date Tea.

Ingredients: 3g of Dan Shen (Red Sage Root) slices and 2 pitted red dates.
Method: Place the ingredients in a cup, steep with boiling water, and cover for 10 minutes. You can refill with hot water until the flavor fades.
Best For: Mild sluggish circulation, cold hands and feet, or slight irritability due to stress.
Limits: Drink 2 to 3 times a week. Do not drink this continuously long-term.
Caution: Not suitable for those with frequent diarrhea (cold Spleen/Stomach) or women with heavy periods. Remember to strictly control the dosage.

2. 2 Preparation Differences

Raw vs. Processed: Raw Sheng Dan Shen is better for heavier blood stasis and clearing heat. Wine-processed Jiu Dan Shen is better for unblocking the collaterals (treating joint or limb pain).
Decoction Method: When making a home decoction, it can be boiled normally with other herbs for 20 to 30 minutes. Never swap clinical decoction doses with lighter dietary tea doses.

3. 3 Dosage and Usage Cycle

Dosage: Clinical prescriptions usually range from 10 to 15g. For home wellness or dietary use, keep the dose much lower, between 3 to 5g.
Cycle: Continuous use should not exceed 2 weeks. Always take breaks. Special populations (like those with weak digestion) must consult a professional first.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. 1 Not Suitable For

Digestive Weakness: Those with Spleen/Stomach cold-deficiency (frequent diarrhea or stomach aches).
Pregnancy and Nursing: Avoid to prevent affecting the fetus or infant.
Vulnerable Groups: Children, the elderly, and those with abnormal liver or kidney function should only use under strict medical supervision.
Allergies: People allergic to plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae).
Medication Users: Anyone actively taking blood thinners, blood pressure medication, or blood sugar medication must consult a doctor first.

2. 2 Drug Interactions and Dietary Notes

Interactions: Dan Shen can interact strongly with Western blood thinners, antihypertensives, and diabetes medications, potentially altering their effects or increasing the risk of side effects.
Spacing: Always space Dan Shen at least 1 to 2 hours apart from other medications.
Diet: While there are no strict "toxic food pairings," avoid mixing herbs with your daily diet without professional guidance if you are on chronic medication.

3. 3 Adverse Reactions and Risks

When used at normal doses, Dan Shen is generally safe.

Mild Side Effects: Overuse can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, such as nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain.
Allergies: A small number of people may experience skin rashes or itching.
When to Stop: If you experience severe discomfort, allergic reactions, continuous vomiting, breathing difficulties, or rapid worsening of symptoms, stop use immediately and seek medical attention.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dan Shen

What is Dan Shen? Are Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua and Dang Shen the same?

Official Dan Shen (丹参) is the dried root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza. The pharmacopoeial name is Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma; it is also called red ginseng-root, which is not ginseng. Chuan Xiong is acrid-warm: invigorates Blood, moves qi, dispels wind and stops pain. Hong Hua is acrid-warm: invigorates Blood, frees the menses, dissipates stasis and stops pain. Dang Shen is sweet-neutral: fortifies the Spleen, boosts the Lung, nourishes Blood and generates fluid—it is not Dan Shen. Write Dan Shen. Do not combine it with veratrum.

What are the TCM properties and traditional uses of Dan Shen?

According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Dan Shen is bitter and slightly cold, enters the Heart and Liver channels, and acts to invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, free the menses, stop pain, clear the Heart, eliminate vexation, cool Blood and disperse abscess. It is used for chest impediment with heart pain, epigastric and hypochondriac pain, masses, heat bi pain, vexation and sleeplessness, irregular menses, dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea, and swollen painful sores. Bitter and slightly cold, it suits Blood stasis with heat—not Blood vacuity without stasis, and not pregnancy without a reason to take it.

How do you choose raw versus wine-fried Dan Shen? Can Chuan Xiong replace it?

Raw material leans to clearing the Heart, cooling Blood, dispersing abscess and eliminating vexation. Wine-frying until dry moves Blood and frees the menses more strongly—dysmenorrhea from stasis. Ligusticum moves qi and stops pain; it cannot replace clearing the Heart and eliminating vexation by equal weight. Commercial dripping pills and tablets are not equal-weight pieces.

What is the usual dosage? Can it be drunk daily as a Blood-moving tea?

The pharmacopoeial decoction dose is 10–15 g. It is not a four-season “salvia Blood tea.” Without stasis, moving only injures Blood. Chest impediment and dysmenorrhea need a practitioner to name a short course; it does not replace electrocardiography and gynecologic assessment.

What are the contraindications? Can it be used in pregnancy?

Do not combine with veratrum. Use caution in Blood vacuity without stasis and in loose stool. Do not take it in pregnancy without a reason. People on anticoagulants need a practitioner’s assessment. Stop if bleeding worsens. Persistent chest pain and flooding menses are emergencies.

Can Dan Shen invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, free the menses, stop pain and clear the Heart?

It can help Blood-stasis chest impediment and dysmenorrhea or amenorrhea. Heart and Stomach qi-Blood stasis joins sandalwood and amomum in Dan Shen Yin. Blood stasis in the chest may enter Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. It invigorates Blood, dispels stasis, frees the menses, stops pain, clears the Heart, eliminates vexation, cools Blood and disperses abscess—not a specific for every angina or every insomnia.

Can Dan Shen be drunk daily as a vessel, menses or calm tea?

Blood-stasis chest pain and dysmenorrhea may enter a short formula; without stasis, moving only injures. “Salvia must open the coronary vessels” does not replace cardiology assessment. Invigorating Blood, dispelling stasis, clearing the Heart and eliminating vexation should name 10–15 g, raw or wine-fried.

How do you choose among Dan Shen, Chuan Xiong, Hong Hua, Dang Gui and Suan Zao Ren?

Salvia is bitter and slightly cold: invigorates Blood, dispels stasis, frees the menses, stops pain, clears the Heart, eliminates vexation, cools Blood and disperses abscess—Blood stasis with heat, and vexation with sleeplessness. Ligusticum is acrid-warm: invigorates Blood, moves qi, dispels wind and stops pain—headache and Blood stasis with qi stagnation. Safflower is acrid-warm: invigorates Blood, frees the menses, dissipates stasis and stops pain—stronger for amenorrhea from stasis. Chinese angelica is sweet-acrid and warm: supplements Blood, invigorates Blood, regulates the menses and stops pain—Blood vacuity with stasis. Spiny jujube seed is sweet-sour and neutral: nourishes the Heart, supplements the Liver, calms the spirit and constrains sweat—vacuity vexation with sleeplessness. Blood-stasis chest impediment favors Dan Shen (Dan Shen Yin); qi-stagnation headache favors Chuan Xiong; amenorrhea from stasis favors Hong Hua; Blood-vacuity dysmenorrhea favors Dang Gui; vacuity vexation favors Suan Zao Ren. They may be paired; pregnancy forbids self-use of Dan Shen and Hong Hua, and Dan Shen antagonizes veratrum.

Which herbs is Dan Shen combined with? What are the representative formulas?

Heart and Stomach Blood stasis joins sandalwood and amomum in Dan Shen Yin. Blood stasis in the chest may enter Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. Write Dan Shen 10–15 g, raw or wine-fried, and do not combine it with veratrum.

How do you choose and store Dan Shen?

Choose cylindrical roots, reddish-brown outside, a reddish-brown cortex and gray-yellow wood with yellow-white rays on the cut face, and a slightly bitter, astringent taste. Moldy, moth-eaten, pale or dirty lots are discarded. Store dry. Buy pharmacopoeial Dan Shen; do not replace invigorating Blood, dispelling stasis, freeing the menses, stopping pain, clearing the Heart, eliminating vexation, cooling Blood and dispersing abscess with codonopsis or ligusticum by equal weight.

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Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.