==Benefits and uses of Dan Shen are==
Dan shen is not technically an herb or plant but a dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza. It has been widely used in China and, to a lesser extent, in Japan, the United States, and other European countries for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Danshen has been used for millennia in Chinese Medicine for circulation problems, stroke, chest pain, and other diseases of the heart and blood vessels. It is also used for menstrual disorders, chronic liver disease, and trouble sleeping caused by complaints such as rapid heartbeat and tight chest. Salvia root is bitter in flavor, slightly cold in nature, and mainly manifests its therapeutic actions in the heart, pericardium and liver meridians.
* Salvia root is an important ingredient for gynecological disorders like irregular periods, missed periods menstrual pain or postpartum abdominal pain. For menstrual problems, the herb is usually prescribed with nutgrass rhizome, angelica root, peony root and motherwort herb. For abdominal pain after delivery or gynecological surgeries, the herb is prescribed with angelica root, Sichuan lovage and flying squirrel dung.
* Salvia root is a common ingredient for pain relief, since TCM believes that painful conditions are usually associated with a stagnated blood flow. It can be used with Sichuan lovage, cattail pollen, flying squirrel dung and turmeric root-tuber to relieve chest pain or angina, which is a sign of stagnated blood flow in the heart vessels. For gastric and abdominal pain, the herb will be used with villous amomum fruit and sandal wood. In chronic joint problems, when the lumbar and legs are cold and painful, physicians prescribe salvia root along with cinnamon, eucommia bark and achyranthes root; in case if the joints are red, swollen and painful, physicians prescribe salvia root along with honeysuckle stem, red peony root and gentiana macrophylla root. For traumatic injuries, salvia root can be prescribed with angelica root, Sichuan lovage, frankincense and myrrh to relieve the swollen and pain, and promote healing.
* Modern TCM physicians also use salvia root in conditions like coronary disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, myocarditis, chronic hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis and skin problems.
* Anti-tumor effects : In vitro studies : Study showed that Tanshinone I (Tan-I), a compound isolated from salvia root can reduce cell growth and induce apoptosis of human colon cancer in a concentration-dependent manner. And the cell cycle was shown to be arrest at G0/G1 phase.The effects of Tan IIA on leukemia THP-1 cell lines were investigated. Results revealed that Tan IIA inhibited the growth of THP-1 cells and caused significant apoptosis, and these effects were both time- and dose-dependent.
==Used in Chinese Patent Medicine==
* [[Dan Shen Yin Wan]]