Use of Xi Xin (wild ginger) in TCM
Please note that you should never self-prescribe TCM ingredients. A TCM ingredient is almost never eaten on its own but as part of a formula containing several ingredients that act together. Please consult a professional TCM practitioner, they will be best able to guide you.
Preparation: Remove impurities, wash and soak in water to moisten and dry, ideally under the sun
Dosage: 1 - 3 grams
Main actions according to TCM*: Relieves the Exterior and warms the Yang. Expels Cold and relieves pain. Warms the Lungs and reduces Phlegm. Moves the Qi and disperses Phlegm to open the nasal passages.
Primary conditions or symptoms for which Xi Xin may be prescribed by TCM doctors*: Common cold Headache Toothache Sinusitis Rheumatic athralgia Coughing Dyspnea
Contraindications*: This herb should not be used by those who are Qi Deficient with sweating nor by those with headache due to Blood or Yin Deficiency. It should also not be used for Lung conditions when there is thick yellow Phlegm. It should be avoided during pregnancy.
Common TCM formulas in which Xi Xin is used*
Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang
Source date: 650 AD
Number of ingredients: 15 herbs
Formula key actions: Anti-rheumatic, clears Wind, Cold and Damp Stagnation. Strengthens the function of the Liver and Kidney. Tonifies Qi and Blood.
Conditions targeted*: Chronic lower back painSciatica and others
Xi Xin is a deputy ingredient in Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
In Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang, Xi Xin scatters Cold in the Channels and scours out Wind-Dampness from the sinews and bones to stop the pain.
Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 5 herbs
Formula key actions: Warms the Lungs. Transforms congested Fluids.
Conditions targeted*: Chronic bronchitisChronic asthma and others
Xi Xin is a deputy ingredient in Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
In Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang, Xi Xin warms and disperses Cold from the Lungs to transform thin mucus.
Aromatic and piercing, it successfully opens up the clumped Qi, thereby assisting the formula's key herb (Dried ginger - Gan Jiang) to unblock stagnation to facilitate the normal dissemination of Lung Qi and the dispelling of Pathogenic Cold and thin mucus.
Xiao Qing Long Tang
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 8 herbs
Formula key actions: Releases the Exterior. Transforms Phlegm-Fluids. Warms the Lungs. Directs Rebellious Qi downward.
Conditions targeted*: Upper respiratory tract infectionsBronchitis and others
Xi Xin is a deputy ingredient in Xiao Qing Long Tang. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
Key TCM concepts behind Xi Xin's properties
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Xi Xin belongs to the 'Warm/Acrid herbs that release the Exterior' category. Herbs that release the Exterior aim to to treat the early stages of diseases that affect the upper respiratory tract, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the throat or the skin. TCM believes that External diseases such as colds or allergies can only invade the body if the External environment overwhelms our Wei Qi (the TCM version of the immune system). In order to counteract this invasion Warm/Acrid herbs aim to induce sweating by increasing the flow of sweat to our capillary pores. The belief is that this will expel the disease from the body and stop it from invading further.
As suggested by its category Xi Xin is Warm in nature. This means that Xi Xin tends to help people who have too much 'Cold' in their body, although with less effect than a plant that would be Hot in nature. Balance between Yin and Yang is a key health concept in TCM. Those who have too much Cold in their body are said to either have a Yin Excess (because Yin is Cold in nature) or a Yang Deficiency (Yang is Hot in Nature). Depending on your condition Xi Xin can help restore a harmonious balance between Yin and Yang.
Xi Xin also tastes Pungent. The so-called 'Five Phases' theory in Chinese Medicine states that the taste of TCM ingredients is a key determinant of their action in the body. Pungent ingredients like Xi Xin tends to promote the circulations of Qi and Body Fluids. That's why for instance someone tends to sweat a lot when they eat spicy/pungent food.
The tastes of ingredients in TCM also determine what Organs and Meridians they target. As such Xi Xin is thought to target the Heart, the Kidney and the Lung. In addition to regulating Blood flow, in TCM the Heart is believed to be the store of the 'Mind' which basically refers to someone's vitality. The Kidneys do not only regulate the urinary system but also play a key role in the reproductive system and the growth and aging process of the body. In addition to performing respiration, the Lungs are thought in TCM to be a key part of the production chain for Qi and the Body Fluids that nourish the body.
Research on Xi Xin
Ningxintong Granules (consisting of Xi Xin - Wild Ginger) with Qi-enriching and Blood-activating actions shows favorable effect in treating coronary heart disease patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.1
Sources:
1. Wu TQ, Gu N, Wang FF. (2010). Effect of ningxintong granule in treating patients of coronary heart disease with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and qi-deficiency blood-stasis syndrome. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. , 30(4):357-60.