For diseases that are prone to seasonal changes, it is advisable to diagnose and treat them during the stable period of the disease, which is known as "treating winter diseases in summer". This approach helps prevent diseases in advance and achieve long-term therapeutic effects.
As one enters old age, due to the "deficiency of all five organs", most diseases in the elderly are characterized by deficiency patterns. In the treatment, the principle of "replenishing the deficient" should be followed. "For those with insufficient form, warm them with qi; for those with insufficient essence, nourish them with taste." Taste refers to the five flavors. When the five flavors are well balanced, they can nourish the essence and qi. This indicates that the method of nourishing includes both medicinal and dietary approaches. Deficiency patterns primarily manifest as insufficiency of qi, blood, yin, and yang in the whole body, which often correlate with the decline of certain organ functions. "The prosperity of a person lies in either qi or blood, and the five viscera and six bowels cannot be excluded." Therefore, in terms of treatment, it is necessary to first differentiate between four types of deficiencies: yin deficiency, yang deficiency, qi deficiency, and blood deficiency. Then, connect them with the organs and differentiate the deficiencies of the five organs: heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Through differentiation, treatment can be done with medication, diet therapy, or a combination of both to achieve the goal of rejuvenation and longevity.
Selection of tonic medicines
The "Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica" records 70 medicinal herbs out of the 365 herbs with tonic effects. In terms of selecting tonics for anti-aging and longevity, medical practitioners throughout history have unanimously recognized that "kidney deficiency leads to aging". A preliminary analysis of the 1,892 medicinal herbs recorded in Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" found that there are 117 herbs explicitly described as having anti-aging, longevity-enhancing effects, accounting for more than 28% of the commonly used herbs. Among these, there are approximately 50 tonifying herbs, accounting for more than 28% of the total, including 28 kidney-tonifying herbs, 13 spleen-tonifying herbs, and 6 heart-nourishing herbs. This indicates that kidney-tonifying herbs and spleen-tonifying herbs are the main focus for deficiency patterns. Regarding the composition of compound medicines, an analysis of 13 representative medicinal books found 124 prescriptions recorded as having rejuvenating, anti-aging, and longevity-enhancing effects. Among them, approximately 87 prescriptions focus on warming and tonifying kidney yang, accounting for 70.2%. These prescriptions often use gentle and non-drying warming tonics in combination with kidney yin-nourishing, essence-filling, and blood-nourishing medicines to form a prescription that warms kidney yang, nourishes kidney yin, and fills essence and nourishes blood. Approximately 28 prescriptions focus on nourishing kidney yin, accounting for 20.2%, and approximately 11 prescriptions focus on strengthening the spleen and enhancing qi. It can be seen that the main focus of traditional Chinese medicine in terms of anti-aging and longevity is on tonifying the kidneys, with the spleen as a supplementary focus.
Tonic in winter
People have observed the regularity of spring birth, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter storage through long-term observation of the changes in the climate throughout the four seasons. They also regard the kidneys among the five organs in the human body as the main organ of the winter season because "the kidneys preserve and dominate hibernation". Winter is a season for preservation, and taking tonics during this time allows for preservation without leakage. Therefore, people have a habit of taking tonics in winter, such as consuming medicinal pastes, ginseng, donkey-hide gelatin, black and white fungus, deer antler, seal kidney, cordyceps, various proprietary medicines, and various foods for tonification. Due to the variety of tonics available in winter, including single herbs and compound formulas, the choice of tonic should be made under the guidance of a doctor based on the individual's condition and constitution.
Tonic in the dog days
The dog days are the hottest period of the year. Traditionally, people tend to take tonics during the winter, known as winter tonic. After the winter solstice, the weather is cold and people do not sweat, so taking tonics allows for absorption without loss. On the other hand, taking tonics during hot days may cause the tonic ingredients to be lost through sweat, thus rendering the tonics ineffective. However, in fact, taking tonics during the dog days can be just as effective as in winter. This is because during the dog days, the weather is hot, the days are long, the nights are short, people get less sleep, work hard, and sweat more, making them more prone to fatigue and internal deficiency. In addition, the scorching sun and hot weather can cause damage to the qi, leading to deficiency of both qi and yin in most cases, especially in the elderly. At this time, taking tonics can effectively replenish and absorb the deficiencies. In terms of medicinal tonics, it is advisable to choose cooling tonics rather than nourishing tonics to avoid burdening the stomach and promoting dampness. Among the cooling tonics, ginseng is the most ideal, as it tonifies qi and generates fluids, and other tonics can be selected based on the individual's condition and constitution. Particularly for diseases that are prone to seasonal changes, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and coronary heart disease, it is advisable to diagnose and treat them during the stable period of the disease, which is known as "treating winter diseases in summer", in order to prevent diseases in advance and achieve long-term therapeutic effects. In this way, summer and winter tonics complement each other and enhance their effects.
