Many Chinese herbs are also foods. One such herb is ginger, which can be used in cooking as well as in teas. Ginger is considered warm in nature. Different parts of ginger as well as different forms of ginger are considered different herbs in Chinese medicine with medicinal properties.
Sheng Jiang is fresh ginger. Used in the initial stages of a cold, it can help clear the pathogen. Fresh ginger is good for the lungs and can help with some coughs as well as resolve phlegm. Ginger is good for digestion, alleviates nausea and vomiting. The detoxifying properties help with food poisoning, resolving toxicity, and reducing side effects of other herbs in herbal formulas.
Sheng Jiang Pi is fresh ginger peel. Like fresh ginger, it aids in digestion, good for alleviating nausea and vomiting. Fresh ginger peel has the added function of promoting urination, which helps in reducing edema.
Sheng Jiang Zhi is ginger juice. It helps to stop vomiting and alleviate nausea as well. Ginger juice helps to resolve phlegm for coughs with profuse sputum.
Gan Jiang is dried ginger. It helps to resolve colds at the initial stages. Dried ginger is also good for the lungs and helps to transform phlegm for productive coughs with white sputum. The additional property of dried ginger is that it helps to stop bleeding in cases of chronic, pale bleeding accompanied by cold limbs.
Ginger is used in many herbal formulas because it aids in digestion so the formula can be absorbed and has the ability to resolve toxicity of other herbs. The properties of ginger used in herbal formula make it a great addition to use when cooking or enjoy as a tea. Due to Ginger’s warm nature it’s beneficial to use in juices or smoothies that can be harsh on the digestive system because they tend to be cold in nature. The properties of ginger to support digestion, make it a good addition when cooking.
