Well according to some old stories, the native Americans in the NE used white pine, and others to increase their body's tolerance to the colder weather by eating it raw. I have a friend 3/4 Mohawk who told me that he was taught that if you eat the pine needles from fall into the winter it would help in resistance of your body temperature to the cold weather. He also said that if I were to be hiking during the winter, I should trail nibble it constantly and it would increase energy and body temp. I guess it makes sense with the consistent dose of vitamin C while walking. I do know that the spring shoots are very high in C and A not to mention the minerals and plenty of antioxidants.