House of Botanicals · Buda, Texas · Est. 2015

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Chi Shao

Red Peony RootPaeonia rubra

A cooling red root that gets stuck Blood moving again, eases pain, and draws Heat out of the Blood.

Found inWomen's Health · Ríza

Chi Shao is the root of a red peony and one of the classic herbs for moving Blood in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Picture Blood that has slowed and pooled, bringing heat, swelling, and aching. Chi Shao is used to get that flow going again while cooling things down, which is why it sits in Zoi's Women's Health formula, Ríza™.

Best functions

  • Invigorates the Blood and clears Blood Stasis so circulation moves freely
  • Traditionally used to relieve pain that comes from stuck Blood
  • Clears Heat and cools the Blood, including Liver Fire that can rise to the eyes
  • Used to calm swelling from sores
  • Research has looked at its effects on platelets, blood vessels, and the body's inflammatory messengers

Fascinating facts

  • In Chinese, 'Chi' means red. Its sister herb Bai Shao, White Peony Root, comes from a closely related peony and is used to nourish the Blood.
  • An easy way to remember red peony root is that it cools and gets the Blood moving, while its white sister nourishes.
  • The plant is a relative of the big, ruffled garden peonies that many people grow for their spring flowers. The medicine comes from the root underground.
  • One of its main natural compounds, paeoniflorin, has been studied for how it influences inflammatory signaling in the body.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chi Shao is bitter and sour in flavor and cool in nature, and it enters the Liver and Spleen channels. It is known as a Blood-regulating herb.

Go deeperDownload the fact sheet on the Women's Health · Ríza page
Biomedical deep dive

Chi Shao Red Peony Root

From the Zoi Medicinals fact sheets’ Biomedical Details, with lines from Noa’s herb notes marked “Noa’s notes”.

On the fact sheet

  • Chi Shao (Red Peony Root, Paeoniae rubra) is cool and enters the LIV and SP meridians; invigorates Blood, dispels Blood Stasis, relieves pain, clears Heat, cools the Blood, clears Liver Fire, relieves eye pain, and reduces swelling from sores and abscesses. Women’s Health | Ríza sheet

Key active constituents

The fact sheets don’t name constituents for this herb.

Pharmacology and mechanisms

  • The Ríza fact sheet says peony has been shown to have antispasmodic effects (eases muscle cramping), alongside Angelica.
  • Antiplatelet: inhibits thromboxane A2, a signal that makes platelets clump. Noa’s notes
  • Paeoniflorin (a key peony compound) inhibits TNF-α and IL-1β, two inflammatory messengers. Noa’s notes
  • Vasoprotective: improves microcirculation (blood flow in the smallest vessels) and the health of the vessel lining. Noa’s notes

What the research says

  • Peony and Angelica have been shown to have antispasmodic effects (Romm, Botanical Medicine for Women's Health 2010; Dietz et al., Pharmacol Rev 2016).

Safety, interactions and cautions

  • Every Zoi fact sheet: do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding unless directed by your health care practitioner.
  • Avoid in pregnancy (Notion lists it as contraindicated; a second Notion entry says caution). Noa’s notes
  • Caution with bleeding disorders. Noa’s notes
  • Caution with anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medicines. Noa’s notes

In these Zoi formulas

  • Women’s Health | Ríza (#11 on the fact sheet)

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.