Gao Liang Jiang - 高良薑 - Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum - Galanga

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum
Common English:	Alpinia Galanga Lesser Galangal Rhizome

Category

Herbs that Warm the Interior and Expel Cold

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid	Hot	Spleen Stomach	1.5-10g Tincture: 1-4ml 3-9g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Warms the Middle Jiao and alleviates pain	Epigastric and abdominal pain, vomiting, hiccup or diarrhea due to Cold in the Middle Jiao

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Fr. Litseae Bi Cheng Qie Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum Pao Jiang	Fr. Litseae Bi Cheng Qie Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum Pao Jiang Cx. Cinnamomi Rou Gui	Rz. Cyperi Xiang Fu
Pain and vomiting due to Stomach Cold.	Cold-induced sudden turmoil disorder.	Epigastric and hypochondriac pain due to Liver Qi Stagnation with Cold congealing in the Stomach.
Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang	Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen Poria Fu Ling	Faeces Trogopterori Wu Ling Zhi
Rebellious Qi with vomiting of clear fluid due to Stomach Cold.	Hiccup due to Stomach Deficiency.	Epigastric pain due to Cold causing Stagnation of Qi and Blood.
Fr. Litseae Bi Cheng Qie	Sm. Arecae Bing Lang	Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum Pao Jiang Fr. Evodiae Wu Zhu Yu
Strongly warms the Middle Jiao, expels Cold and descends rebellious Stomach Qi to treat Cold pain in the epigastrium and abdomen with hiccup, nausea and vomiting. Lack of warmth in the Stomach causing diarrhea with undigested food. For hiccup from Cold, powder 6g of each herb, decoct and sip.	Powdered with Chao Liang Jiang and thin rice gruel to treat Heart and chest Bi.	Coldness and pain in the epigastric region.
Cx. Cinnamomi Rou Gui Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui	Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis Hou Po Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui Cx. Cinnamomi Rou Gui	Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia Fr. Perillae Zi Su Zi Flos Caryophylli Ding Xiang Cx. Cinnamomi Rou Gui Fr. Evodiae Wu Zhu Yu
Sharp, stabbing pain in the chest and abdomen.	Intestinal cramps.	Nausea and vomiting due to Cold.
Fr. Foeniculi Xiao Hui Xiang	Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata Zhi Fu Zi Cx. Cinnamomi Rou Gui	Fr. Psoraliae Bu Gu Zhi Regulate the Middle Decoction Li Zhong Tang
Abdominal hernial pain.	Acute diarrhea due to Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency.	Chronic diarrhea due to Deficiency Cold.
Rz. Atractylodis Cang Zhu
Stomach ache.

Notes

1. A strong dispersing agent, this herb is used much like other hot, spicy herbs for either a Cold syndrome or congested Qi. When Qi is weak, use Qi tonics (see contraindications).
2. Research has shown that it inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
3. It is reported to cure frequent regurgitation accompanied by watery diarrhea with undigested food in the stool.
4. It is effective for nausea and diarrhea from Cold, acute gastroenteritis from sunstroke and stomach ache from Stomach Qi Deficiency.
5. This herb, Fr. Evodiae Rutaecarpae Wu Zhu Yu, and Rz. Zingiberis Gan Jiang each disperse Cold from the Middle Jiao and treat Cold pain in the epigastrium. Gan Jiang additionally warms the Lungs, transforms Phlegm and stops cough, and it warms the Spleen to stop Cold pain and diarrhea. Wu Zhu Yu additionally warms the Lower Jiao, treating hernia pain and diarrhea from Cold in the Lower Jiao, as well as belching and vomiting when the Liver is involved. Gao Liang Jiang warms the Stomach and treats Cold epigastric pain accompanied by belching and vomiting.
6. Gao Liang Jiang and Rz. Zingiberis Recens Sheng Jiang both warm the Middle, disperse Cold and settle nausea. In Gao Liang Jiang the warming quality outweighs the acrid-dispersing quality; it mobilizes the Interior, warms Stomach Cold and stops pain, treating nausea from intense Cold in the Stomach. In Sheng Jiang the acrid-dispersing quality outweighs the warmth; it mobilizes the Exterior, disperses Wind-Cold and harmonizes the Stomach to stop nausea. It also mobilizes Yang and disperses Qi.
7. Dry-fried Lesser Galangal Chao Liang Jiang is less acrid and dispersing, so it restrains the Middle and enters the Blood level.
8. Evodia-fried Lesser Galangal Wu Yu Chao Liang Jiang is more effective at warming the Middle and stopping nausea and vomiting from Stomach Cold.
9. Earth-fried Lesser Galangal Tu Chao Liang Jiang is better able to harmonize and warm the Middle.
10. It also sends rebellious Qi downward.