🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Anti-Aging and Longevity Formulas
Since ancient times, people have desired health and long life, even resorting to mystical rituals, but these efforts proved futile. From modern scientific standards and current material and cultural living levels, extending human lifespan universally is possible, with the key being anti-aging. As Dr. Gerald Greulich, director of the U.S. National Institute on Aging, said: "So far, our greatest effort lies in better understanding the aging process. This effort will inevitably lead to new technologies that will greatly extend average human lifespan."
Currently, through research, organization, and improvement of traditional medicine, many folk remedies and proven formulas effective in anti-aging have been discovered. Here are the main ones:
[Formula One]
60 grams of black sesame seeds, 90 grams of honey, 120 grams of corn flour, 50 grams of white flour, 2 eggs, 15 grams of yeast. First, stir-fry black sesame seeds until fragrant, grind into powder, mix with corn flour, honey, flour, egg liquid, and yeast. Add water to form dough, ferment at 35°C for 1.5–2 hours, then steam for 20 minutes.
This formula strengthens the stomach, protects the liver, and promotes red blood cell growth. Regular consumption can delay aging. According to *Biography of Immortals*, an ancient woman named Lu, though over eighty, remained youthful, walking 300 li daily and outpacing deer and rabbits. Her secret? Eating sesame-based cakes regularly. Black sesame is especially superior. *Compendium of Materia Medica* states: "After consuming black sesame for 100 days, all chronic illnesses disappear. After one year, complexion becomes radiant and hunger-free. After two years, white hair turns black. After three years, lost teeth grow back." Black sesame contains the highest level of vitamin E among plant foods. Vitamin E promotes cell division and delays cellular aging. Regular use counters or neutralizes the accumulation of aging substances ("free radicals") in cells, thus exerting anti-aging and longevity effects. Scientific experiments show vitamin E can extend animal lifespan by 15% to 75%.
[Formula Two]
15 grams of yam, 120 grams of black sesame seeds, 125 grams of rock sugar, 60 grams of glutinous rice, and milk as needed. Wash and soak rice for 1 hour, drain. Cut yam finely, toast sesame seeds. Mix all ingredients, add water and milk, blend into a fine paste, strain, pour into a pot, simmer over low heat until thickened, add rock sugar, stir continuously into a paste. Take 2 tablespoons twice daily.
This formula benefits the spleen and kidneys, moistens intestines, and relieves dryness. Suitable for arteriosclerosis, frail constitution, premature graying hair, constipation. Regular use by the elderly nourishes the body and resists aging.
[Formula Three]
100 grams of chicken breast, 75 grams of silver ear fungus, 100 grams of honey water, 50 grams each of milk, cucumber, carrot, 25 grams of starch, 5 grams of monosodium glutamate, 25 grams of sesame oil, 50 grams of peanut oil, 10 grams each of sugar and cooking wine, 5 grams each of ginger and green onion. Chop chicken breast into paste, add egg white, milk, and starch, mix well. Soak silver ear fungus in warm water, remove stems, wash clean, stew until tender and flavorful. Cut cucumber and carrot into slices. Heat peanut oil to six-tenths heat, add chicken paste mixture, wait for it to float, then remove, blanch in boiling water to remove surface oil, drain. Heat sesame oil, sauté green onion and ginger, add chicken paste, silver ear fungus, cucumber slices, carrot slices, chicken broth, and seasonings, boil, simmer briefly, add sauce, drizzle with clear oil, serve.
This formula tonifies all five organs. Ideal for spleen and stomach weakness, lung yin deficiency. Especially suitable for the elderly, with benefits for health, longevity, and anti-aging. Recent studies suggest silver ear fungus enhances human immune function; its polysaccharide BC inhibits cancer cells to some extent.
[Formula Four]
50 grams of wolfberry, 500 ml of white wine. Wash wolfberries, place in a jar, pour in wine, seal tightly, store in a cool, dry place, shake every 3 days. After 15 days, drink. Take 10–30 ml each time, adjust according to personal tolerance, avoid overconsumption, twice daily.
This formula nourishes the liver and kidneys, suitable for liver and kidney essence deficiency and early aging.
[Formula Five]
1 live softshell turtle, 10 grams of cordyceps, 20 jujubes. Cut turtle into 4 large pieces, boil in a pot, remove, cut open limbs, remove leg fat, wash clean. Clean cordyceps, soak jujubes in hot water. Place turtle in a bowl, top with cordyceps and jujubes, add seasoning, wine, salt, green onion segments, ginger slices, garlic cloves, and chicken broth. Steam for 2 hours, remove green onion and ginger, serve with meals. Twice daily.
This formula nourishes yin, boosts Qi, tonifies the kidneys, and consolidates essence. Regular consumption by the elderly strengthens constitution, prevents aging, and extends life.
[Formula Six]
10 grams each of silver ear fungus, black wood ear, and oyster mushroom (dried), 30 grams of rock sugar. Soak and wash all three mushrooms, remove impurities, place in a bowl, add rock sugar and sufficient water, steam for 1 hour until fully cooked. Can be eaten in portions or all at once, twice daily.
This formula nourishes yin, tonifies the kidneys, moistens the lungs. Suitable for vascular sclerosis due to kidney yin deficiency, eye bleeding, hypertension, cough due to lung yin deficiency. Regular consumption resists aging.
[Formula Seven]
Appropriate amount of American ginseng, thinly sliced. Add during cooking of soups or dishes, consume together with food.
This formula nourishes yin, invigorates Qi, strengthens the body, and treats deficiency. Regular use has anti-aging effects.
[Formula Eight]
100 grams of prepared Rehmannia root, 150 grams of thousand-year green, 120 grams of black mulberry, 60 grams of black sesame seeds, 200 grams of yam, 30 grams each of southern waxberry and Sichuan pepper, 15 grams of ginkgo nut, 45 grams of great victory seed, 2000 grams of good wine. Crush all herbs finely, wrap in clean gauze, place in a clean container, soak in wine for 7 days, filter out residue, keep the juice. Take 1–2 cups on an empty stomach, twice daily.
This formula nourishes the liver and kidneys, anti-aging. Suitable for liver and kidney deficiency, premature graying hair, declining vision and hearing, early aging.
[Formula Nine]
4 grams of oolong tea, 24 grams each of Sophora flower and winter melon rind, 40 grams of prepared rehmannia root, 20 grams of hawthorn flesh. Place oolong tea in a container, boil with remaining herbs, strain, use the liquid to brew tea, drink as tea.
This formula resists aging, prevents disease, and promotes health and longevity with regular use.
[Formula Ten]
100 grams of oatmeal, 15 grams of polygonatum rhizome, appropriate honey. Soak polygonatum in cold water, boil for 20 minutes, strain; boil again with fresh water for 20 minutes, strain. Combine both extracts, add oatmeal, simmer over low heat into a thick porridge, add honey to serve.
This formula clears heat, extinguishes wind, widely used for anti-aging, as this dietary therapy treats atherosclerosis.
[Formula Eleven]
5 grams of ginseng, 20 grams of astragalus, 80 grams of glutinous rice, 5 grams of sugar, 10 grams of white atractylodes. Clean ginseng, astragalus, and white atractylodes, slice, soak in water for 40 minutes, place in a clay pot, add water, bring to boil, then simmer slowly to concentrate into thick broth. Strain, add water again, boil and extract broth. Prepare glutinous rice porridge in the morning and evening, add sugar, eat hot. One course lasts 5 days.
This formula strengthens vital energy, treats deficiency, resists aging. Suitable for five-zang deficiency, long-term illness, poor appetite, early aging.
[Formula Twelve]
Appropriate amount of royal jelly and honey. Mix royal jelly and honey into a 1% solution. Take 20 grams each time, twice daily. One course lasts 20 days, repeat for three courses.
This formula strengthens and nourishes, benefits the liver and spleen. Suitable for post-illness weakness, old-age frailty. Regular use strengthens the body and resists aging.
[Formula Thirteen]
4.5 grams of white atractylodes, 3 grams of Ophiopogon root (remove core). Boil together as a decoction, drink as tea.
This formula strengthens Qi and spleen, suitable for elderly with spleen deficiency and poor appetite. Long-term use prolongs life and resists aging.
[Formula Fourteen]
15 grams of dried bird’s nest, 1000 grams of chicken broth, a small amount of edible alkali, appropriate salt. Soak bird’s nest in warm water (about 15 minutes), gently remove, pick out black hairs and roots with tweezers, wash with warm water to remove dust. Dissolve a small amount of edible alkali in 1000 grams of water, place cleaned bird’s nest in, gently stir with chopsticks for 5 minutes, then remove. Then soak in 1000 grams of boiling water for 5 minutes—the bird’s nest swells. Use 2000 grams of warm water (around 80% hot), soak the bird’s nest twice, then soak for 4 minutes to remove alkali residue. Remove, squeeze out water, place pot on high heat, add chicken broth, add salt, bring to boil, skim off foam, pour into a large bowl, place bird’s nest inside.
This formula tonifies the spleen and stomach, supplements Qi, clears heat. Suitable for lung deficiency patients. Regular consumption increases vitality, eliminates fatigue, prevents disease, and strengthens the body.
[Formula Fifteen]
250 grams of schisandra, 500 grams of ginkgo leaves, 250 grams of jujubes, 1000 grams of honey, 50 grams of rock sugar or sugar. Wash schisandra, ginkgo leaves, and jujubes separately. Chop ginkgo leaves, tear jujube skins and flesh. Soak all in water for 2 hours, enough to submerge. If ginkgo leaves float, press down with weight. Pour schisandra, ginkgo leaves, and jujubes with soaking liquid into a large clay pot, boil over medium heat, then reduce to low heat for about 1 hour, until reduced to about one bowl of thick syrup. Filter out the first decoction. Add three bowls of fresh water, simmer for about 1 hour until reduced to one bowl of liquid, filter out second decoction, discard residue. Combine first and second decoctions in a clay pot, simmer over low heat for half an hour to further concentrate. Add honey and rock sugar, do not cover, simmer for about half an hour, remove from heat, cool, bottle, seal tightly. Twice daily, 2 spoonfuls each time, after meals, dissolve in warm water. One course lasts 3 months.
This formula nourishes the five zang organs, supports heart blood, soothes liver Qi, unblocks meridians, moistens dryness, softens hardness, dilates blood vessels, regulates blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, resists aging. Suitable for atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, etc.
[Formula Sixteen]
10 grams of poria powder, 100 grams of cornmeal, 40 grams of soybean flour, 4500 grams of wheat flour. First mix wheat flour and cornmeal, gradually add warm water, knead slowly. Once fermented properly, adjust alkali, mix in poria powder and soybean flour, knead well, shape into buns, steam until cooked.
This formula strengthens the spleen and stomach, nourishes Qi and blood. Regular consumption resists aging and promotes longevity.
[Formula Seventeen]
Appropriate amounts of American ginseng, polygonatum rhizome, wolfberry, angelica root, Buddha’s hand, white wine, and mimosa bark.
Process American ginseng, wolfberry, polygonatum rhizome, angelica root, and Buddha’s hand, use Henan Linhe Daqu as base liquor, follow traditional brewing techniques, naturally age, carefully blend. Available commercially. Take 5–10 ml, three times daily, for one month.
This formula strengthens and nourishes, delays aging and preserves youth. Many users report feeling lighter, increased physical strength, improved appetite, better sleep, and no dreams at night.
[Formula Eighteen]
Appropriate amounts of ganoderma, shiitake mushrooms, and sugar. Extract active components from ganoderma and shiitake via hot water immersion. Combine the concentrated extracts with sugar, cook into crystals. Dissolve in boiling water, take twice or thrice daily.
This formula enhances brain function, promotes blood circulation, boosts immunity, prevents aging. Suitable for neurasthenia, insomnia, thrombocytopenia, hepatitis, etc. Regular use prevents aging and promotes longevity.
[Formula Nineteen]
4775 grams of black sesame seeds (lightly stir-fried and crushed). Soak in 20,000 ml of good wine overnight, drink freely.
This formula prolongs life and prevents aging.
[Formula Twenty]
500 grams of winter melon seeds, 1000 ml of white wine. Place winter melon seeds in a double-layered gauze bag, tie securely, immerse in boiling water for 5–10 minutes, remove, dry. Repeat soaking and drying three times. Then soak the treated seeds in white wine for two days, remove, dry, grind into fine powder, store in a bottle. Take 6 grams each time, dissolve in boiling water, once daily.
Winter melon seeds, also known as winter melon kernels, are the seeds of winter melon. They contain abundant fatty oils, sweet in taste, rich in moisture, highly moisturizing. Historically praised as a beauty food: "Makes face rosy and fair, strengthens Qi, prevents hunger, long-term use makes body light and resilient" (*Shennong Bencao Jing*). Also "removes skin roughness, dark spots, and nourishes skin" (*Rihua Ziben*). As recorded in *Jiyan Liangfang*: "Long-term use makes skin smooth like jade, prevents aging."
[Formula Twenty-One]
10 grams of poria powder, 100 grams of cornmeal, 40 grams of soybean flour, 500 grams of wheat flour. Mix wheat flour and cornmeal, gradually add warm water, knead slowly. Once fermented properly, adjust alkali, mix in poria powder and soybean flour, knead well, shape into buns, steam until cooked.
Poria buns were developed from the recipe for small steamed buns in the imperial kitchen by adding poria powder and wheat flour. Poria strengthens the spleen and stomach; its poria polysaccharide enhances immune function and has strong anticancer effects. Corn contains glutathione, a longevity factor, which has anti-aging and disease-preventing properties.
[Formula Twenty-Two]
250 grams of loofah, 30 grams of dried mushrooms, 1 pig trotter, 100 grams of tofu, appropriate ginger threads, salt, monosodium glutamate. Soak mushrooms in water, wash clean, cut loofah into slices, wash pig trotter, split. First boil pig trotter with water for 10 minutes, then add mushrooms, ginger threads, and salt, slow-cook for 20 minutes, add loofah, cook until tender, add monosodium glutamate, serve.
This formula unblocks meridians, promotes lactation, nourishes blood. Mushrooms also have anticancer and anti-aging effects. Suitable for postpartum weakness, insufficient milk. Also beneficial for hyperlipidemia and cancer patients as supportive therapy.^Anti-Aging