Ginger - Is Fresh Okay?

Hi All,

I am trying to help the digestion and gas and bloat problems associated with lots of protein using ginger. Ginger tabs are very expensive here, but fresh root is dirt cheap. I was wondering, besides eating 1-2g of fresh root with a meal (gross!), is it as effective in beverage form? What I normally do is take a chunk, about 2cm x 2cm x 2cm so its fairly large, grate it very finely so that there's a large surface area, and put it in a glass of cold water to infuse for around 1/2 an hour. I end up with a wickedly delicious and very strong ginger drink - will it do the same job?? Must I use more/less?? Must I infuse it for shorter/longer??

Any advice appreciated! Thanks!