What is Salvia Miltiorrhiza?
Salvia miltiorrhiza, also called red sage, redroot sage, Chinese sage, or danshen, is a perennial herb from the Salvia family, highly valued for its root in traditional Chinese medicine.
Salvia miltiorrhiza is native to China and Japan and grows from 90 to 1,200 m elevation in grassy sites within mountainsides, hillslides, and stream bank forests. The specific epithet miltiorrhiza describes "red ochre root.".

Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) occurs naturally and is widely spread in China's provinces and autonomous regions, e.g., Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Gansu, Henan, and Shanxi. Currently, cultivation of Danshen has begun in several provinces in China. The optimal conditions for the plant to grow are abundant sunlight, mild and humid weather, average annual temperature of 17.1°C, and average annual relative humidity of 77%. Danshen products are now available at natural health stores around the world.

Salvia Extract Tablets in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is considered a bitter herb that is heart-friendly. Danshen possesses actions of invigorating the blood, dissipating blood stasis, relieving pain, clearing the mind and tranquilizing restlessness, and cooling the blood and expelling carbuncles, according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In the perspective of TCM, heart failure and chest pain result from poor circulation of Qi and blood. Therefore, Danshen is used to treat cardiovascular disease. It has a wide range of clinical activities such as anticholinesterase, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiopathy activities.

The Advantages of Salvia Miltiorrhiza
Danshen is a medicinal plant from China with numerous pharmacological activities beneficial to human health. Its most important advantages include strengthening the cardiovascular system, providing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, improving circulation of blood, and protecting the liver.
1. Cardiovascular Health Improvement
Research has found that Danshen can dilate coronary arteries, increase blood supply, and therefore relieve angina symptoms. It also reduces blood pressure and arteriosclerosis risk.
2. Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Activity
Danshen is rich in phenolic compounds that have high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Through the inhibition of free radical formation and inflammation, Danshen can halt a variety of chronic diseases.
3. Increasing Blood Flow
Danshen has the effects of dilating blood vessels, enhancing local blood supply,and stimulating the metabolism. Danshen can effectively treat symptoms such as blood stasis and irregular menstruation.
4. Protection of the Liver
According to research, Danshen has hepatoprotective effects, reducing damage to liver cells and stimulating the growth of liver cells, and may be beneficial to the therapy of liver fibrosis and other liver diseases.

The Risks of Salvia Miltiorrhiza
Danshen is traditional Chinese medicine. A proper application of Danshen is not likely to cause side effects, but improper usage may cause diarrhea, allergy, increased liver burden, menstrual dysfunction, and acid reflux.
---Diarrhea: The nature of Danshen is a little cold in nature. Its overuse would cause an excessive amount of fluid in the gastrointestinal system and lead to diarrhea.
---Allergies: A user allergic to Danshen may experience allergic reactions such as itching and erythema after use.
---Increased Liver Burden: The liver metabolizes drugs, so overuse will burden the metabolism of the liver.
---Menstrual Irregularities: Danshen increases blood flow. Consuming Danshen during menstruation leads to excessive bleeding, hence menstrual irregularities.
--Reflux of Acid: Danshen is slightly cold, bitter in taste, and has a certain irritant. Excessive use can promote gastric acid secretion, leading to acid reflux.
If you prefer using Danshen, it is recommended that one gets the consultation of a doctor prior to using it in order to avoid incorrect dosage and discomfort.

The Formula of Salvia Extract Tablets
Here is one recommended Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) combination formulas for dietary supplements:
---Single-Ingredient Danshen Supplement.
Form: Powder, capsules, tablets, softgels, oral liquid
Dosage: 100-300 mg/day of Danshen extract
Benefits: Support microcirculation,cardiovascular health, and blood circulation
---Danshen Combination Formulas
1. Danshen +Rhodiola rosea
·Function: Improve blood circulation, reduce fatigue
2. Danshen + Panax Notoginseng (Sanqi)
·Function: Improve blood flow, support cardiovascular
3. Danshen + Hawthorn +Ginkgo Biloba
·Function: Cardiovascular support,antioxidant,microcirculation
4. Danshen + Vitamin E / Coenzyme Q10
·Function: Antioxidant protection,vascular protection
5. Danshen + Astragalus +Red Flower (Carthamus)+
·Function: Support blood circulation, increase vitality, immune support

The Future of Salvia Miltiorrhiza
---Continued Growth in Market Demand
With rising health awareness and expansion of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) market, market demand for salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), a fine herbal therapy for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders, still continues to grow. This represents a significant market prospect for producing salvia miltiorrhiza.
--Increasing Policy Support
In recent years, the government has continuously strengthened the policy support for the salvia miltiorrhiza cultivation industry, which can create a good situation for salvia miltiorrhiza cultivation development. The farmers can adequately rely on these policy benefits to decrease the cost of cultivation and enhance market competitiveness.
--Continuous Technological Innovation in Cultivation
As agro-tech advances in agricultural production, salvia miltiorrhiza production technology is constantly updated. Quality and yield improvement brought about through effective cultivation measures has increased speed in developing markets.
--Diversified Sales Channels
Products of Danshen can be sold to different industries, including the TCM market, pharmaceutical companies, and health supplement and cosmetic companies. Farmers can diversify channels actively for better product awareness and marketability.

In the future, prospects for cultivating salvia miltiorrhiza are promising. With accelerated globalized speed, foreign market demand for this symbol of traditional medicinal plants is increasingly growing. With enlarged foreign demand for Danshen as a Traditional Chinese Medicine, its application in health supplements and cosmetics is opening up new opportunities. In addition, the research and use of Danshen in these fields are increasingly extensive, providing new development directions and opportunities to the whole industry. Let us expect the future development opportunities of Salvia Extract Tablets.

Danshen polysaccharides, the principal active component of Danshen, have been gaining more and more attention and investigation in recent years for their extensive range of pharmacological and biological activities.
Danshen exhibits a wide profile of bioactive effects, such as immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant, kidney protective, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, anti-diabetic, and hepatoprotective effects.These diverse pharmacological activities show synergistic interactions.
As more comprehensive and in-depth research studies on Danshen are being conducted, we predict that Danshen will have extensive opportunities and application markets in the field of biopharmaceuticals and foodstuffs. Let us anticipate the future potential of Danshen.