Some quick notes on individual herbs....
DAN SHEN
Red Root Sage
Salvia miltiorrhiza
Dan shen or Cinnabar Root is one of the very few herbs that we grow that we do not use in homeopathic dilutions. There is little or no knowledge of the herb in most western texts but it has a very lofty place in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Kampo.
Originating from North eastern China, Manchuria and Japan, it is regarded as bitter and slightly cold.
'Decoction of the root is generally used to treat irregular menstruation, uterine bleeding, and abdominal pain caused by stagnant blood. It invigorates the blood in cases of hepatitis helps to heal bruises, and treats inflamed breasts. It is often taken for nervous exhaustion and insomnia.'(3)
TCM uses dan shen in it's singular form in the treatment of hepatitis, inner ear infections, mastitis, surgical infections and diseases, including psoriasis, shingles and neurofibromatosis.
Fundamentally, it's importance is in the treatment of circulatory problems as the extract relaxes the smooth muscles that support the coronary arteries, thus increasing circulation to the heart.
The whole herb contains 'tanshinone IIA2 that slows down the transmission of nerve impulses within the heart, reducing the heart's rate while increasing it's output. Both Dan shen and tanshinone IIA2, prevent the formation of clots in the bloodstream.
The way Dan shen seems to work is by way of altering the rate at which the body absorbs and uses copper. When copper is bound by Dan shen, the body cannot make fibrin, a protein rope on which new blood vessels are suspended. Many diseases involve excessive blood vessel production. In diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, stopping such production stops bleeding and forestalls optical damage. In cancers, disabling a tumour's ability to make it's own blood supply can reduce it's ability to spread.' (10)
A tincture of Dan shen is often used for angina or other circulatory problems, as well as skipped periods or uterine fibroids but seriously should only be used under the care of competent TCM professional, as prolonged use can be harmful because of it's stimulating effects on estrogen production.
Bracketed numbers refer to the publications in the Bibliography from which the information has come.