Dried Ginger (Gan Jiang) in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Source

This product is the dried root of the ginger plant (Zingiber officinale).

Related Names

White Ginger (Bai Jiang), Uniform Ginger (Jun Jiang), Dried Fresh Ginger (Gan Sheng Jiang)

Origin

Widely cultivated in central, southeastern, and southwestern China.

Harvesting and Processing

Harvested in winter, the stems, leaves, and fibrous roots are removed, cleaned, and then sun-dried or dried at low temperatures to produce dried ginger. Freshly sliced and dried or low-temperature dried ginger is referred to as “Dried Ginger Slices (Gan Jiang Pian)”.

Identification of Properties

The rhizome is irregularly block-shaped, slightly flattened, with finger-like branches, measuring 3-7 cm in length and 1-2 cm in thickness.

The surface is gray-brown or light yellow-brown, rough, with longitudinal wrinkles and distinct nodes. Branching areas often retain scale leaves, and the tips of branches have stem scars or buds.

It is solid, with a cross-section that is yellow-white or gray-white, powdery and granular, with a distinct ring (endocarp layer), vascular bundles (xylem), and scattered yellow oil spots.

It has a fragrant, distinctive aroma and a spicy taste. The best quality is characterized by solid texture, yellow-white cross-section, sufficient powderiness, and strong aroma.

Dried Ginger (Gan Jiang)

It appears as flat blocks with finger-like branches, measuring 3-7 cm in length and 1-2 cm in thickness. The surface is gray-yellow or light gray-brown, rough, with longitudinal wrinkles and distinct nodes.

Branching areas often retain scale leaves, and the tips of branches have stem scars or buds. It is solid, with a cross-section that is yellow-white or gray-white, powdery or granular, with a distinct endocarp ring, vascular bundles, and scattered yellow oil spots.

Dried Ginger Slices (Gan Jiang Pian)

These are irregular longitudinal or oblique slices with finger-like branches, measuring 1-6 cm in length, 1-2 cm in width, and 0.2-0.4 cm in thickness.

The outer skin is gray-yellow or light yellow-brown, rough, with longitudinal wrinkles and distinct nodes, while the cut surface is gray-yellow or gray-white, slightly powdery, with visible longitudinal fibers, some appearing hair-like.

It is solid, with a fibrous cross-section. It has a fragrant, distinctive aroma and a spicy taste.

Properties and Channels

Spicy, hot. Enters the Spleen (Pi) channel, Stomach (Wei) channel, Kidney (Shen) channel, Heart (Xin) channel, and Lung (Fei) channel.

Functions

Warms the middle, disperses cold, restores yang, opens the channels, warms the lungs, and transforms phlegm.

Indications

Warms the middle and expels cold, restores yang and opens the channels. Treats cold pain in the heart and abdomen, vomiting and diarrhea, cold limbs with weak pulse, cough with cold phlegm, wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, yang deficiency with vomiting, epistaxis, and hematochezia.

Dosage and Administration

Internal use: decoction, 3-10 g; or included in pills or powders.

External use: appropriate amount, decoction for washing; or ground into powder for topical application.

Precautions

Contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with internal heat and blood heat.

Story

There was a young man who loved to exercise, but he often found that his health was worse than that of his friends who rarely exercised.

One time after exercising, he went to a convenience store and ordered a bottle of cola, but it didn’t quench his thirst.

Normally, he would only drink one bottle, but he suddenly wanted another, so he bought another bottle and drank it all at once.

By evening, he suddenly felt no appetite and didn’t want to eat. By midnight, he experienced cold abdominal pain like a knife, followed by vomiting and diarrhea, and he couldn’t sleep all night.

The next day, he went to see a doctor, who diagnosed him with dysentery and prescribed Huang Lian Su (Coptis extract). Although he stopped having diarrhea, his stomach still ached, and he would vomit whenever he ate.

His tongue coating was white and greasy, and the doctor said this was due to cold dampness, so he prescribed Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San (Agastache Powder).

After taking a few doses, he no longer vomited, but his stomach still ached. This continued for more than half a month without complete recovery, so his family took him to see an old TCM doctor.

The old doctor felt his hands, which were surprisingly cold. A young man who exercises regularly should have strong blood and yang energy, so why were his limbs cold?

With confusion, he checked his pulse at the middle position of the spleen and stomach, and found the right guan pulse to be weak and slippery, indicating heavy dampness and weak spleen yang. This explained the white greasy tongue coating, cold abdominal pain, and cold limbs.

The young man asked, “Doctor, why are the areas around my eyes dark?”

The old doctor replied, “The upper eyelid corresponds to the stomach, and the lower eyelid corresponds to the spleen. The dark circles under your eyes indicate spleen yang deficiency and excessive cold dampness.”

The young man didn’t understand what spleen yang deficiency and excessive cold dampness meant.

The old doctor explained, “Your abdominal pain is caused by cold evil invading the internal organs, so you must avoid eating raw, cold fruits, frozen cola, and cold drinks. Also, at night, minimize air conditioning and cover your abdomen with a blanket.”

The young man asked, “What medicine should I take?” The old doctor said, “Just use Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San, which is quite appropriate for your condition.”

The young man asked, “Why didn’t I get better after taking it for a week? I still have cold abdominal pain?”

The old doctor said, “Use dried ginger (Gan Jiang) powder, two qian each time, combined with Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San, and avoid certain foods in your daily diet.”

The young man went home and used more dried ginger, and indeed, his stomach pain stopped.