Understanding Aging in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Perspectives and Anti-Aging Formulas

China has long had descriptions of aging, but the systematic theoretical discussion of aging came from China's first medical work, the "Huangdi Neijing". In the "Huangdi Neijing", the fundamental substance that determines the aging process from growth, vitality, reproduction to aging is called Tian Gui, which means the life substance bestowed by heaven. Tian Gui exists in the form of kidney essence or kidney qi in the human body. Men follow an eight-year rhythm, while women follow a seven-year rhythm. As Tian Gui declines, people gradually age. For example, when men are 16 years old, their kidney qi is abundant and they have reproductive capability; at the age of 48, their kidney qi declines and they show signs of aging; by the age of 64, Tian Gui is exhausted and people become old. The corresponding ages for women are 14, 42, and 49.

With the development of society, the understanding of aging in traditional Chinese medicine has also been constantly updated. After the "Huangdi Neijing", concepts such as deficiency of qi and blood, dispersion of spirit and qi, and stagnation of meridians have been developed to explain the aging process in the human body. In recent years, modern Chinese medicine scholars have summarized the experiences of ancient practitioners, combined with clinical observations and experimental research on patients, and proposed the theory of aging caused by kidney deficiency and blood stasis. According to this theory, aging is mainly caused by kidney deficiency and blood stasis, and other abnormalities are developed as a result.

Combining various concepts of aging in Chinese medicine, Professor He Ren has proposed a new perspective on anti-aging in traditional Chinese medicine: spiritual cultivation is important, yin and yang need to be balanced in the body, adaptation to natural laws in daily life, moderation in diet, regular exercise and rest without excessive fatigue. By doing so, both the spirit and the body will be vigorous, and one can "live a long life and reach the age of one hundred".

In order to harmonize the yin and yang, qi and blood, cold and heat, deficiency and excess in the human body and maintain relative balance and coordination, various medicines are commonly used to prevent disease and anti-aging, as mentioned by ancient medical practitioners for maintaining health. At the same time, the following are six commonly used traditional Chinese medicine formulas for anti-aging, which aim to delay aging by regulating the body's qi and blood and supplementing kidney yang.

1. Qibao Meiran Dan

Ingredients: 500g Polygonum multiflorum, 500g Fallopia multiflora (soaked in rice water for three to four days, peeled and sliced, steamed with 2 liters of black beans until cooked, remove the beans, dry in the sun, repeat this process nine times), 500g Poria cocos (peeled, ground into powder, mixed with breast milk and dried), 250g Achyranthes bidentata (soaked in wine for one day, steamed with Polygonum multiflorum from the 7th to 9th steaming, dried in the sun), 240g Angelica sinensis (soaked in wine, dried in the sun), 240g Lycium barbarum (soaked in wine, dried in the sun), 240g Cuscuta chinensis (soaked in wine until it sprouts, ground into paste, dried), 120g Psoralea corylifolia (fried with black sesame seeds).
Effects: It treats premature graying of hair, loose teeth, spermatorrhea, and weak muscles and bones caused by kidney and lung deficiency, insufficient qi and blood. It nourishes qi and blood, and when blood is sufficient, the hair becomes soft and beautiful, hence its name "Meiran".
Preparation: Grind the ingredients into powder, mix with honey, and make into pills the size of a Chinese parasol tree seed.
Dosage: Take 9g per dose, swallow with salt water or warm wine.

2. Fusang Zhibaodan

Ingredients: 500g mulberry leaves, 120g Semen Cuscutae, 500g white honey.
Effects: It preserves youthfulness, darkens hair, prevents diseases, and prolongs life. After taking it for half a year, energy is restored, and various diseases do not occur; long-term use leads to longevity. Elderly people who take it will have strong steps, clear vision, and improved phlegm production and essence replenishment.
Preparation: Make pills with honey, the size of a Chinese parasol tree seed.
Dosage: Take 100 pills twice a day, swallow with plain water.

3. Tang Zheng Xiangguo Fang

Ingredients: 300g broken old paper, 600g walnut meat.
Effects: It tonifies the kidney and lungs, treats deficiency cold, asthma, cough, and soreness in the waist and legs.
Preparation: Steam the broken old paper and grind into powder, crush the walnut meat and mix with honey.
Dosage: Take one tablespoon of the mixture with wine every morning. If you cannot drink alcohol, take it with boiled water. Avoid eating taro and lamb.

4. Goji Berry Wine

Ingredients: 200g goji berries, 500g white distilled liquor.
Effects: It promotes the regeneration of liver cells, prevents arteriosclerosis, lowers cholesterol, and reduces blood sugar. Long-term use can nourish deficiency and prolong life.
Preparation: Wash the goji berries, cut into small pieces, put them in a bottle, add the distilled liquor, seal the bottle, place it in a cool and dry place, shake it once a day, and it can be consumed after one week. Add white liquor while drinking.
Dosage: Take 10-20g per serving, before dinner or before bedtime, do not exceed the recommended amount.

5. Single Herbs

In addition to the above mentioned formulas, ancient Chinese medicine also advocated the consumption of single herbs to promote longevity. Ancient people used herbs such as Rehmannia, Polygonatum, sesame, Chinese yam, chamomile, walnuts, and Cuscuta chinensis to combat aging.

(1) Rehmannia (also known as Sheng Di)
Wash the Rehmannia roots, mash them, extract the juice, simmer until thick, add white honey and simmer again until it forms pills the size of a Chinese parasol tree seed. Take 30 pills with warm wine every morning. Cooked Rehmannia has a sweet taste and warm properties. It contains Rehmannia glycosides and various amino acids, especially high levels of arginine, which has the functions of strengthening the heart, stopping bleeding, diuresis, lowering blood sugar, and protecting the liver. It is good at tonifying blood and treating dizziness, palpitations, and irregular menstruation.

(2) Polygonatum
Grind the roots and stems of Polygonatum into powder, soak in water to remove bitterness, steam for nine times, and take daily. Alternatively, grind dried Polygonatum into powder and take a certain amount with water every day. Polygonatum contains Polygonatum polysaccharides and various amino acids, which can tonify the spleen and stomach, treat chronic cough due to lung tuberculosis, arteriosclerosis, diabetes in the elderly, weakness, and other conditions.