Winter tonic-taking is a traditional Chinese custom deriving from the Book of Changes, a custom which reflects the law of temperature changes throughout the twelve month in a lunar calendar. Around winter solstice in the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, the temperature drops to a low point, reducing accordingly metabolism in human body. Tonic-taking is beneficial to absorption of nutrition.

It is believed in traditional Chinese medicine that the changes of temperatures affect human’s physiological activities - a person will change physiologically in accordance with the temperature changes in different seasons. Winter is a cold season. According to traditional Chinese medicine, tonic-taking in winter has a great bearing upon the balancing of Yin and Yang elements, the unblocking of meridians, and the harmonizing of Qi and blood. As a result of the failing functions of organs, and the lowered resistivity, the elderly people are especially advised to take food tonics in cold seasons, which are beneficial to the improvement of nutritional conditions, the promotion of immunological functions of organs, and the facilitation of recovery from illness. In these aspects, food tonics often exert effects irreplaceable by medication.

Winter tonic-taking belongs to the category of preventive medicine. Taking food tonics before the occurrence of diseases in human body can on the one hand make people more resistant to illnesses and on the other hand accumulate energy for future use in the coming spring and autumn. Therefore, taking tonics in winter has been one of the healthcare methods for the Chinese nation.