Qualities
The Notoginseng plant looks similar to Siberian Ginseng and contains saponins similar to those of Panax Ginseng. It is commonly called by its Chinese name, San Qi. Li Shi Chen, Chhina's most renowned herbalist, said that "San Qi is more valuable than gold," and since that time this herb has often been referred to as "Not to Be Exchanged for Gold." It has also been called the Miracle Root for the Preservation of Life.

Scientific Data
Panax Notoginseng root is rich in saponins. It contains a mixture of more than 12 saponins, and approximately 12% of the root extract are saponins. The primary saponin fractions are arasaponins A and B, which are dammarane derivatives and are very similar, or in many cases identical, to ginsenosides derived from Panax Ginseng.

Because of its reputation for benefiting the circulatory system, the action of this herb on the cardiovascular system have been extensively investigated,. Panax Notoginseng has been shown to dilate the coronary artery and to increase coronary blood flow and thus providing more blood to the cardiac muscle in humans. The herb reduces cardiac load and lowers arterial pressure. It improves collateral microcirculation in and around damaged heart tissue in humans.

Laboratory animals fed this herb had increased ability to tolerate and survive hypoxia (reduced oxygen supply) and anoxia (minimal oxygen supply).

The herb is widely used clinically in Asian countries for angina pectoris and other coronary disease. It is often given in conjunction with western-style drugs and always under a doctor's supervision.

The uncooked powder as well as the infusion of Sanqi shortens the clotting time of blood in laboratory animals. The herb has been proven to have significant hemostatic, anticoagulant and platelet function-suppressing action in animals and in humans.
For cooking, as a blood tonic or to build strength after surgery or while recovering from an illness, whole roots may be cooked with chicken or with other tonic herbs (traditionally, in China, Sanqi is almost always cooked with chicken because the chicken eliminates the bitter flavor of the Sanqi---the resultant soup is mild and delicious, especially if other vegetables have been added). Among the tonic herbs, Sanqi is one of the least pleasant tasting. It has a bitter flavor that is difficult to get used to. For this reason, capsules and pills are generally most palatable and are overall the best way to take Sanqi unless it is a minor ingredient in an herbal formula that overwhelms its flavor.

For those who wish to use raw San Qi to benefit the cardiovascular system, capsules are best. Sanqi is an ingredient in many commercial cardiovascular tonic formulations. As always, if you suffer heart disease, consult a physician or other primary care practitioner before using raw Sanqi for medical purposes.


Preparation and Utilization
For cooking, as a blood tonic or to build strength after surgery or while recovering from an illness, whole roots may be cooked with chicken or with other tonic herbs (traditionally, in China, Sanqi is almost always cooked with chicken because the chicken eliminates the bitter flavor of the Sanqi---the resultant soup is mild and delicious, especially if other vegetables have been added). Among the tonic herbs, Sanqi is one of the least pleasant tasting. It has a bitter flavor that is difficult to get used to. For this reason, capsules and pills are generally most palatable and are overall the best way to take Sanqi unless it is a minor ingredient in an herbal formula that overwhelms its flavor.

For those who wish to use raw Sanqi to benefit the cardiovascular system, capsules are best. Sanqi is an ingredient in many commercial cardiovascular tonic formulations. As always, if you suffer heart disease, consult a physician or other primary care practitioner before using raw Sanqi for medical purposes.


Primary Combinations
Notoginseng is one of the few herbs that is more commonly used alone rather than in combination with other herbs. However, it is combined with Dang Gui in blood tonics and with other blood vitalizing herbs in cardiovascular tonics. In that case, combine with: Ligusticum rhizome and Salvia root. It is combined with musk in the famous trauma treating formula known as Yunnan Baiyao(White medicinal powder)

Varieties and Grading
Sanqi  is available in its unprocessed form at Chinese herb shops. If you want the raw Sanqi , you can obtain both capsules and powdered Sanqi  at Chinese herb shops. Also, sliced raw Sanqi  can be obtained from the herb shop and ground in a coffee grinder. Whole Sanqi  is generally available at Chinese herb shops as well. My view is that these are usually the best Sanqi  available. Larger roots are considered premium. They are hard, so you should have the herb shop crush them or slice them for you for efficient cooking or easy grinding.

Contraindications
Sanqi  should never be taken during pregnancy. SanQi has the capacity to "dissolve" and cause the expulsion of blood clots lodged anywhere in the body. It is especially useful for dissolving and eliminating blood clots in the pelvic basin. However, it has been found that SanQi treats an embryo as a blood clot, and can therefore result in an unwanted miscarriage.

History
Recorded history of the use of Sanqi goes back over a thousand years in China. It was particularly well established in Southwest China and in Tibet. There is an old story about how the herb came to be named Three Seven (Sanqi ). A long time ago, there was a famous doctor named Tian who was an expert at curing bleeding diseases. One time he cured a gentleman named Zhang Xiao Er whose nose and mouth bled constantly. He used the ground fine powder of Sanqi root and, since Zhang Xiao Er lived fairly far away, he gave Zhang Xiao Er some seeds telling him to grow some in his garden so that he can have some for later use. One year later, the only daughter of an official developed a bleeding disease and all the local famous doctors had been brought in, but no progress occurred. When Zhang Xiao Er heard of this, he brought some of the herb that he grew in his back yard for the official's daughter. But the daughter died soon after. The father was so angry that he arrested Zhang Xiao Er and tortured him seeking information. Finally, Zhang Xiao Er told them where the herb came from. Doctor Tian was arrested and was accused of murder. Doctor Tian defended himself: "This herb has a magic effect on bleeding, but it has to have grown between 3 and 7 years before it can have this effect. The one Zhang Xiao Er used had been growing for just one year and that's why it didn't work." He then took out a sharp knife and cut deeply into his own leg. The bloods sprang out. He then leisurely took out the SanQi herb powder and scattered it on the cut. It stopped the bleeding immediately. The official apologized to Tian and set him free immediately. The story does not relate the fate of Zhang Xiao Er. The herb, however, acquired its permanent name because now it became well known that for it to have its great power of stopping bleeding, it must be collected between three and seven years after it is planted.

It has other common names such as TianQi Ginseng (because the plant looks similar to that of Radix Ginseng and is now known to contain saponins similar to those of Panax Ginseng). Li Shi Chen, China's most renowned herbalist, said that "SanQi is more valuable than gold" and since that time this herb has often been refered to as "Not to Be Exchanged for Gold" (because it was considered to be more precious than gold). It has also been called the "Miracle Root for the Preservation of Life."