Dan Shen
Salvia miltiorrhiza
The root of Salvia miltiorrhiza, widely used in Chinese medicine for the heart and circulation. Small trials suggest possible heart benefits, but it raises bleeding risk with blood thinners.
Safety at a glance
- PregnancyNothing recorded
- BreastfeedingNothing recorded
- Medicines1 note →
- Who should avoid itNothing recorded
- AllergiesNothing recorded
- ToxicityNothing recorded
Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.
Dan Shen may interact with some medicines. If you take any medicine, read Interactions with medicines below and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using it.
What is Dan Shen?
- Plant family
- Lamiaceae, the mint family
- Parts used
- The red roots
- Genus
- Salvia
- Species
- miltiorrhiza
Also called
Salvia miltiorrhiza
Traditional names
Danshen
Traditionally used for
- Heart and circulation (traditional)
- Coronary artery disease (studied)
Traditionally described as
- Reduced blood clotting (in lab studies)
Health topics
Where Dan Shen appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.
- Poor Circulation
Widely used in Chinese medicine for the heart and circulation; trials are small. Raises bleeding risk with blood thinners.
Traditions that use it
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
Called dan shen; the root is widely used in Chinese medicine, especially for the heart and circulation.
How it's prepared
Common ways Dan Shen is prepared or sold. This isn't advice on how to take it; see Safety below.
Safety
Interactions with medicines
Dan shen raises the risk of bleeding with blood thinners. In a 2026 study of 525 people in Taiwan taking oral anticoagulants, the risk of any bleeding was about 4 times higher in the first 4 weeks after dan shen was added, including bleeding in the gut and the brain. In the lab, it slows the breakdown of warfarin and newer blood thinners such as rivaroxaban and apixaban.[2]Study
Technical detail: any bleeding aIRR 3.98 (95% CI 3.29–4.77) on days 1–14 and 3.99 (3.23–4.79) on days 15–28.
Side effects
Side effects are rare but can include mild stomach upset and allergic reactions. Too much may be toxic, and it can affect how the liver breaks down some medicines.[1]Study
What does the research say?
Traditional use
These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.
Dan shen is a widely used Chinese medicinal herb, and its roots are the main part used for the heart and blood vessels. It's taken as the crude root and in preparations such as Compound Danshen Dripping Pills and injections.[1]Study
Laboratory & animal research
Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.
In lab and animal studies, its compounds (tanshinones and salvianolic acids) acted as antioxidants, may help reduce inflammation, relaxed blood vessels, reduced blood clotting and scarring, and protected the heart during reduced blood flow.[1]Study
Research in people
Clinical studies suggest possible benefits in coronary artery disease and reduced blood flow to the heart. But the trials were small and varied in the products and doses used, so high-quality trials are still needed.[1]Study
A 2025 review of 21 Chinese trials with 1,970 people with kidney disease caused by diabetes found that adding dan shen products to usual treatment improved blood and urine measures of kidney function and lowered markers of inflammation.[3]Review or trial
Technical detail: reduced serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, urinary albumin excretion, 24-hour urine protein, CRP, TNF-α, IL-6 and endothelin-1.
In short
About 4 times the bleeding risk when taken with blood thinners such as warfarin.
Sources
- [1] Cardiovascular Benefits of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) Supplementation: Bioactive Constituents, Mechanisms, Clinical Evidence, and Formulation Strategies · DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.71755Peer-reviewed study
- [2] Increasing risk of hemorrhage following concurrent use of Salvia miltiorrhiza and oral anticoagulants · DOI: 10.1177/20420986261446497Peer-reviewed study
- [3] Effects and safety of Salvia miltiorrhiza on the improvement of renal function, inflammatory factors, and vascular endothelium in patients with diabetic kidney disease: a meta-analysis and systematic review · DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1556368Review or clinical trial
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.