Ginger (dried)

Nutritional Value

3 / 5

Organ Affinities

Tonifies

Therapeutic Properties

AHM Properties

Although dried ginger and fresh ginger come from the same root, they work differently in AHM and are not used interchangeably. Fresh ginger acts at the surface and brings mild warmth to the Middle Burner; dried ginger reaches deeper — reviving diminished Yang, rebuilding Spleen and Stomach Yang when digestive fire has seriously declined, and warming the Lungs to clear out abundant thin mucus from Cold. It is better matched to established Yang deficiency and chronic interior Cold than to everyday meal preparation, and shows up most often in classical herbal formulas rather than in the kitchen.

Dried ginger contains higher concentrations of shogaols than fresh ginger, compounds that potently inhibit inflammatory prostaglandins and cytokines; multiple clinical trials confirm dried ginger's analgesic efficacy for osteoarthritis, menstrual pain, and post-operative discomfort.