In traditional Chinese medicine, foods are divided into five group based on temperatures: cold, cool, neutral, warm and hot. This classification is determined on effects of food on body rather than nature of food actual temperature. Warm and hot food such as beef, coffee, ginger, hot chilies and fried foods, can bring heat to the bodies. The cold and cool foods such as salad, cheese, green tea, mung beans and beer, can cool down the bodies, There are also neutral foods, such as rice, pork and most kinds of fishes.

Chinese medicine concludes six excesses of pathogenic factors: Wind, Cold, Heat, Dampness, Dryness and Summer-heat. Any excess can creates an imbalance in body causing people sick. When people have more heat in their body, they usually feel hot, sweats and grumpy, and become sick. For example, “liver fire” (too much heat in the liver) can cause headache, hypertension, reddened eyes, dry mouth, constipation, and irregular menstruation. Eating cold or cool food, like mung beans, will help to reduce the hot symptoms. When people have colder in their bodies, they will feel cold on hands and feet, weakness and fatigue, and bad blood circulation.  Too much cold in the bodies cause people  cough, sinus, congestion, common cold, flu and pneumonia. Eating hot food, like Ginger, will help to reduce those cold symptoms.