San Qi (Notoginseng): A Treasured Herb for Blood Circulation and Healing
Health Lab- Mar 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 25
San Qi, also known as Panax notoginseng or Sanchi, is a prized herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) celebrated for its ability to promote blood circulation, dissolve blood stasis, stop bleeding, and relieve pain.
A legendary tale recounts a hunter who, after wounding a tiger, discovered it eating a mysterious herb to survive. This herb, later identified as San Qi, proved remarkably effective for treating bleeding and injuries, cementing its reputation as a "miracle hemostatic" in TCM.
Belonging to the Araliaceae family alongside ginseng and American ginseng, San Qi shares a botanical kinship but has distinct functions. While ginseng excels at boosting Qi (vital energy) and American ginseng nourishes lung Yin and clears heat, San Qi is unmatched in promoting blood flow and healing trauma. Grown primarily in Yunnan and Guangxi, China, this herb is a cornerstone of TCM for its versatile therapeutic benefits.
Characteristics of San Qi
San Qi is a perennial plant of the Panax genus, named for its three branches, each typically bearing seven leaves, or for its optimal harvest time of three to seven years after planting.
It thrives in the mountainous regions of Yunnan, particularly Wenshan, known as the "Hometown of Notoginseng" for producing the highest-quality San Qi. The plant blooms in early summer with small, yellowish-green flowers arranged in a single, umbrella-shaped cluster.
The medicinal part of San Qi is its dried tuber, which is evaluated for quality based on size, firmness, fullness, and a smooth, unblemished surface. "Spring San Qi," harvested before flowering around early autumn, is considered superior due to its vibrant energy and smooth texture.
In contrast, "Winter San Qi," collected after flowering, is less potent, with a wrinkled surface and diminished quality.
San Qi is distinct from Chuanqi (Yangluokui), a cooling herb from the Basellaceae family often used as a vegetable. While San Qi’s tuber is used medicinally, Chuanqi’s leaves are typically stir-fried to remove their grassy flavor, highlighting their different properties and uses.
Therapeutic Effects of San Qi (Notoginseng)
San Qi’s efficacy is captured in six words: "hemostasis, blood stasis dispersal, pain relief." Its dual nature allows it to both stop bleeding and promote circulation without causing harm.
Raw San Qi excels at halting bleeding and dissolving blood clots, while cooked San Qi nourishes blood and strengthens the body. Key benefits include:
Stopping Bleeding: Known as a "magic hemostatic," San Qi rapidly controls internal and external bleeding, such as traumatic injuries, gastric bleeding, or hematuria.
Promoting Blood Circulation: It dissolves blood stasis, improves microcirculation, and prevents clot formation.
Relieving Pain and Swelling: San Qi reduces inflammation and pain from bruises, sprains, or trauma.
Cardiovascular Support: It dilates coronary arteries, increases blood flow, reduces myocardial oxygen demand, and maintains heart rhythm.
Immune and Hematopoietic Benefits: San Qi enhances immunity and promotes blood cell production.
In TCM, San Qi is a staple for traumatology, treating injuries from falls, swelling, and pain. Its ability to "stop bleeding without causing stasis and remove stasis without harming the body" makes it a unique and powerful remedy.
Modern Applications and Research
Modern research validates San Qi’s traditional uses and uncovers additional benefits. Its total saponins are key active compounds that:
Inhibit platelet aggregation, preventing thrombosis.
Dilate coronary arteries, protecting the heart and reducing cholesterol levels.
Promote hematopoietic cell proliferation, aiding blood production.
Enhance immunity, offering therapeutic effects for chronic diseases.
Clinically, San Qi is used to treat:
Traumatic bleeding and blood stasis.
Cardiovascular conditions like coronary heart disease, angina, and hyperlipidemia.
Cerebrovascular issues, including stroke sequelae.
Chronic conditions involving poor circulation or immune dysfunction.
Its versatility extends to preventing and managing conditions like high cholesterol, blood clots, and heart rhythm disorders, making it a valuable herb in both TCM and modern medicine.
How to Take San Qi
San Qi can be consumed in various forms, depending on the desired effect:
San Qi Powder: Grind into a fine powder and take 1–3 grams, 1–2 times daily, with warm water, honey, or milk.
San Qi Slices: Chew 3–5 thin slices or steep in hot water, 1–2 times daily.
San Qi Tea: Steep slices or powder in boiling water, adding honey or lemon for taste.
San Qi Soup: Add slices success: or powder to chicken or pork rib soup for enhanced nutrition and medicinal benefits.
San Qi Wine: Soak in white wine and drink a small cup, 1–2 times daily, to improve absorption.
Precautions for Use
While San Qi is highly effective, certain precautions should be observed:
Avoid in Specific Conditions: Not suitable for those with weak constitutions, during menstruation, or with active colds, as it may exacerbate symptoms.
Medical Guidance: Consult a doctor before use, especially for compound prescriptions or long-term consumption, to ensure proper dosing.
Individualized Use: Those with specific health conditions should seek professional advice to avoid adverse effects.
Chinese Name | 三七 |
Chinese Pinyin | Sanqi |
English Name | Sanchi |
Latin Pharmaceutical Name | Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma |
Category | Roots and rhizomes |
Origin | The dried root and rhizome of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H.Chen.(Araliaceae) |
Production Regions | Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Wenshan of Yunnan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Sichuan. |
Macroscopic Features | Root is sub-conical or cylindrical, 1~6cm lone, 1~4cm diameter. Externally grayish-yellow or grayish-brown, with intermittent longitudinal wrinkles and lateral root scars. Apex has stem scar, surrounding with verruca. Heavy in weight, firm texture, fractured surface is grayish-green, yellowish-green or grayish-white, cortex and xylem are relatively easily split apart, xylem is slightly radial arranged. faint odor, bitter with a sweet aftertaste. |
Quality Requirements | Superior medicinal material has round head, large and full size, dry body, heavy weight, firm texture, grayish-black fractured surface, without cracks. |
Properties | Sweet, slightly bitter, warm. |
Functions | Stops bleeding, disperses blood, calms pain. Apply to swelling and pain from injury, chest impediment and pain, abdominal mass, blood stasis and amenorrhea, dysmenorrheal, postpartum yin stasis and abdominal pain, sore and abscess swelling pain. |
Technical Terms | ‘Copper skin’: This refers to a grayish-yellow color seen on the outer skin of san qi, which is similar to the color of copper. ‘Iron bone’: This refers to the central, inner core of the medicinal material, which is iron-colored and hard like bone. It is heavy and solid and does not break easily. ‘Nail head’: This refers to the numerous scars of lateral roots that from small protuberances on the upper portion of the medicinal material; they are also called ‘breasts (ru bao)’. |
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