Codonopsis

Codonopsis pilosula · Dang shen

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
COPD lung function and quality of life¹ Cancer-related fatigue² Chemotherapy gastrointestinal toxicity^{3, 4} Chemotherapy-related neutropenia^5–9 Oxaliplatin peripheral neuropathy⁴ Advanced gastric cancer with oxaliplatin⁶ Diabetic sarcopenia¹⁰	Pregnancy¹¹ Breastfeeding¹¹

Codonopsis (Codonopsis pilosula, dang shen) is a root used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for deficiencies of spleen and lung qi, fatigue, and shortness of breath¹². Its polysaccharides act through macrophage immune signaling¹³. Supplementation is used for fatigue, including during cancer treatment, for respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and as a chemotherapy adjunct, usually within multi-herb formulas.

A 2023 systematic review of TCM trials for cancer-related fatigue found codonopsis among the most common herbs, with generally poor trial quality². Products listing codonopsis number 332 in United States label records, mostly liquid extracts with fewer capsules and tablets; see Form comparison.

Per Health Canada labeling, use alongside prescription medications is managed by consulting a health care practitioner rather than by avoidance¹¹.

Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

35 sources, 29 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources