Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens (Sheng Jiang)

Pharmaceutical name     Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens

English name Fresh ginger

Processed form     Fresh ginger powder; Fried ginger; Roasted ginger

Property and taste warm; Pungent

Channels entered    Lung, spleen and stomach channel

Action Releases the external contraction, disperses cold, warms middle energizer (Zhong Jiao) alleviates vomitting, warms the lungs and stops cough.

Dosage     3-9g

Cautions & contraindications

For whose with excessive heat, yin deficiency or internal heat it should be used with cautions.

Indications

For mild wind-cold, it is used singly or decocted with shallot (white part) and brown sugar. It is also used to assist other herbs, for instance Ramulus Cinnamomi (Gui Zhi) and Radix et Rhizoma Notopterygii (Qiang Huo), to release the exterior and promote sweating.

For spleen and stomach cold, marked by gastric cold pain, poor appetite, and vomiting, it is used with Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum (Gao Liang Jiang) and Fructus Piperis (Hu Jiao).

For qi deficiency of the spleen and stomach, it is used with Radix Ginseng (Ren Shen) and Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Bai Zhu).

For stomach cold with vomiting, it is combined with Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum (Gao Liang Jiang) and Fructus Amomi Rotundus (Bai Dou Kou).

For phlegm with vomiting, it is combined with Rhizoma Pinelliae Preparatum (Ban Xia).

For stomach heat with vomiting, it is combined with Rhizoma Coptidis (Huang Lian), Caulis Bambusae in Taeniam (Zhu Ru), and Folium Eriobotryae (Pi Pa Ye).

For cold lodging in the lung, marked by cough with profuse sputum, aversion to cold, and headache, can treat with Rough and Ready Three Decoction (San Ao Tang).

For cold lodging in the lung with profuse sputum and no exterior pathogen, can treat with Two Matured Substances Decoction (Er Chen Tang).

Quality Criteria

High-quality fresh ginger is large, thick and fresh.

Production Regions  

It is produced in China.

Tips

As the ancient Chinese saying goes,“eating ginger in the morning is better than eating Ginseng Decoction (Ren Shen Tang); Taking ginger at night is worse than eating arsenic”. Is it good to eat ginger in the morning and bad at night? Does the saying make sense?

In the morning, the stomach qi is to ascend, so ginger taken in the morning fortifies the spleen and warms the stomach. Ginger volatile oil can also speed up the blood circulation and stimulate the nerves, so that the whole body becomes warm. Proper amount of ginger one takes in winter morning can disperse cold and prevent common colds.

While at night, yang qi of the body is to move inward and yin qi is to move outward and be predominant, so it is wise to take foods that clear heat, downbear qi, and promote digestion, which helps one to sleep soundly at night. Radish is is a good example. Whereas, ginger is acrid in taste and warm in nature and has dispersing actions which affect one’s normal sleep at night. In addition, acrid-warm ginger taken at night is very likely to produce internal heat; if one takes ginger at night for a long time, she/he may suffer from symtoms of excessive internal fire.