Name: Red-Rooted Sage
Latin Name: Salvia Miltiorrhiza Radix
Pin Yin: Dan Shen
Location: Native to China and cultivated in northeastern China and Inner Mongolia.

Overview: Dan Shen Root is the dried root of Dan Shen of the Labiate Family. Dan Shen is a common traditional Chinese herb used for invigorating the circulation of blood and reducing stasis. Modern medical research shows that Dan Shen has the effects of resisting bacteria, diminishing inflammation, improving cardiovascular system considerably, avoiding oxygen deficit of cardiac muscle, protecting liver, inhibiting tumour and stabilizing nervous system. Affected by water and heat, its active ingredients decomposed easily in conventional extraction processes.

History: Called Red Ginseng in China, it is one of the best-known and best-studied herbs in China. Modern studies confirm that Red Rooted Sage has many benefits: supporting heart function, helping to maintain cholesterol levels already within the normal range, enhancing blood flow, supporting the circulatory system and enhancing the immune system.

Primary Uses:

• Invigorate blood, break up blood stasis
• Clear heat, soothe irritability
• Stomach pain

Parts Used: Root

Safety: If you have a history of depression, breast cancer, have pheochromocytoma, ulcers, high blood pressure, or heart or blood vessel disease consult with your physician before using Dan Shen. If you are currently taking medicine or are allergic to any medicine (over the counter or prescription) consult with your physician before using this product. Safety in young children, or pregnant or nursing women is not known.

Supporting Research:

• This study has demonstrated that SM can reduce the area of cerebral infarct in ischemia-reperfusion injured rats, suggesting it may be useful in the treatment of cerebral infarct in humans. The therapeutic effect of SM may be partly due to its free radical scavenging activities.¹
• Malondialdehyde increased significantly at T(1) in group A and remained significantly higher than in group B thereafter (P <.05). Malondialdehyde in group B did not significantly increase over time. At T(5), plasma creatine kinase-MB, thromboxane B2, and endothelin-1 in group B were lower than in group A (P <.05); malondialdehyde correlated significantly with creatine kinase-MB (r = 0.71, P =.0005). At T(6), endothelin-1 negatively correlated with the 6-keto-prostaglandin F(1 alpha)/thromboxane B2 ratio (r = -0.64, P =.0025). CONCLUSION: Antioxidant therapy reduces myocardial damage and attenuates postoperative vasoactive mediator imbalance.²

¹Lo CJ, Lin JG, Kuo JS, Chiang SY, Chen SC, Liao ET, Hsieh CL., Institute of Chinese Medical Science, China Medical College, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC., [Effect of salvia miltiorrhiza bunge on cerebral infarct in ischemia-reperfusion injured rats.], Am J Chin Med. 2003;31(2):191-200.

²Xia Z, Gu J, Ansley DM, Xia F, Yu J., Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, PR China., [Antioxidant therapy with Salvia miltiorrhiza decreases plasma endothelin-1 and thromboxane B2 after cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with congenital heart disease.], J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2003 Nov;126(5):1404-10.