Dan shen, a mint herb with the Latin name Salvia miltiorrhiza, has been used to treat irregular heart beat, prevent strokes and athersclerosis, and eliminate chest pain, according to Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, in her book titled Prescription for Herbal Healing. Dr. Balch further states that Dan shen is a hardy perennial mint cultivated in Mongolia and Manchuria. Growing to a height of thirty-two inches (eighty centimeters), it has toothed oval leaves and clusters of purple flowers. The root harvested from late autumn to early spring is used in herbal medicine. It is coarse and purplish-black inside, with small white spots.

BENEFITS TO HUMAN HEALTH
Dan shen is commonly known as a heart tonic. It strengthens and tones the heart and helps it to beat in a steady, regular rhythm. It also strengthens the liver and stimulates the production of bile. Dan shen has been reported to stimulate, improve, and support the thyroid gland.

Used in traditional herbal medicine to prevent pain, dan shen also protects nerve cells from free-radical damage, and may have applications in preventing alcohol and drug abuse.

Benefits of dan shen for specific health conditions include the following:

Angina, atherosclerosis, and stroke. Dan shen extracts relax the smooth muscles that support the coronary arteries and increase circulation to the heart. The herb contains a substance called tanshinone IIA, which slows the transmission of nerve impulses within the heart, slowing the pulse while increasing the heart's ejection fraction, or the percentage of available blood that the heart's main pumping chamber pumps into the blood vessels with each beat.

Dan shen also prevents the formation of clots in the bloodstream and reduces blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It enhances the heart-healthy effect of unsaturated fatty acids and protects heart and nerve cells from a kind of free-radical damage known as reperfusion injury, which occurs when blood circulation is restored after heart attack or stroke, by increasing the effectiveness of vitamin E. Clinical researchers in China have reported improvements in people taking dan shen for angina, stroke, and phlebitis. Surgical experiments with animals indicate that dan shen may prevent recurrence of blockages after angioplasty.

* Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Dan shen changes the rate at which the body absorbs and uses copper. The binding of copper by compounds in dan shen retards the production of fibrin, a protein "rope" on which new blood clots are suspended. In people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), forestalling blood-clot formation can help to maintain normal blood pressure, and indirectly ensures that the brain receives enough oxygen for normal functioning.

* Fibroids (uterine myomas) and menstrual problems. Dan shen is useful for short-term treatment of skipped periods or uterine fibroids. Authorities on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) note that the herb "releases" congealed blood, as shown by dark-red clots during menses, and eases pelvic congestion.

* Hepatitis and liver damage. Dan shen has been shown clinically to be effective in treating chronic hepatitis. Experimentally, it has been reported to be effective in suppressing fibrosis in the liver.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR USE
Dan shen is used in tea and tincture forms. For angina and other circulatory problems, you should use this herb only under professional supervision.

Long-term use of dan shen for Fibroids or menstrual problems can be harmful, since the herb stimulates estrogen production. Dan shen should be used for such conditions only under the supervision of a knowledgeable practitioner and for no more than twenty-eight days at a time, followed by a four-week break. You should not use dan shen at all if you have an estrogen-sensitive disorder such as breast cancer. People taking warfarin (Coumadin), aspirin, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on a regular basis also should avoid dan shen entirely, because it increases the risk of bleeding. You should inform your physician or dentist prior to any surgical or dental procedure if you are taking this herb.