Both fresh ginger and dried ginger come from the Zingiberaceae plant, ginger. It is not difficult to understand that its fresh rhizome is called fresh ginger, and after being sun-dried or oven-dried, it becomes dried ginger. Dried ginger or fresh ginger have different effects.
Fresh Ginger
Fresh ginger is not only a common condiment but also has high medicinal value. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that fresh ginger is warm in nature and pungent in taste, and has the effects of expelling the exterior, dispersing cold, stopping vomiting, and detoxification.
Fresh ginger has been regarded since ancient times as a good medicine for health preservation, healthcare, and treating diseases. Mashing fresh ginger and spreading it on gauze to apply to acupoints such as bilateral knee eyes (Dubi) and Dazhui (GV14) can treat malaria; Mashing 45 grams of fresh ginger and 30 grams of brown sugar into a paste, and taking it orally in three divided doses daily, can treat acute bacterial dysentery; Applying sliced fresh ginger externally to the scrotum can treat acute orchitis. In addition, fresh ginger can also be used for first aid in poisoning from Pinellia, Aconitum, Rhododendron, cassava, and Stemona, as well as for treating motion sickness and morning sickness during pregnancy. Fresh ginger can be taken orally as a decoction or pounded into juice, or used externally by applying paste, rubbing the affected area, or warming it and applying it as a compress. Note: It is contraindicated for those with yin deficiency and internal heat.
Modern pharmacological research shows that fresh ginger has antibacterial, anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-aging effects. Its unique "gingerol" can effectively treat symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting caused by overeating cold foods. In addition, fresh ginger can increase appetite and promote the secretion of digestive juices; Gingerol in fresh ginger also has a strong choleretic effect.
Dried Ginger
Dried ginger, also known as white ginger or Jun ginger, is made by sun-drying or oven-drying fresh ginger. Dried ginger is hot in nature and pungent in taste, and has the effects of warming the middle jiao to disperse cold, restoring yang, and unblocking the pulse. "Zhenzhuang" records: "The uses of dried ginger are four: it connects the heart yang, one; it removes deep-cold and stubborn cold from the zang-fu organs, two; it expels the cold qi from all the meridians, three; it treats abdominal pain caused by cold exposure, four."
The famous "Tongmai Sini Decoction" is made from dried ginger combined with Aconite root and Licorice root, specifically for treating Shaoyin disease, with symptoms such as internal cold and external heat, cold limbs, a faint and nearly imperceptible pulse, and red face; For treating dizziness, vomiting, and nausea, it can be ground with roasted Licorice root into a coarse powder, decocted in water, and taken hot; For treating persistent vomiting during pregnancy, it can be made into pills with Ginseng, Pinellia, and fresh ginger juice. The common oral dose of dried ginger is 1.5-4.5 grams. It can also be ground into a powder for external use to treat early-stage carbuncles and sores. The specific method is to stir-fry the dried ginger until yellow, grind it into a fine powder, mix it with aged vinegar to form a paste, and apply it around the affected area. Note: It is contraindicated for those with yin deficiency and internal heat, or those with bleeding due to blood heat; use with caution during pregnancy.
Modern pharmacological research shows that the methanol or ether extracts of dried ginger have sedative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, and short-term blood pressure-raising effects; Its water extract or volatile oil can significantly prolong thrombosis time; Its alcohol extract and its contained gingerol and gingerdione have significant snail-killing and anti-schistosomal effects.