From Experience to Evidence: AI Decodes Anti-Aging Herbal Secrets, Yiling Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule Validates TCM’s Heritage Wisdom

The Fifth TCM Anti-Aging Conference of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies was recently convened. A key finding from a National Key R&D Program of China, presented at the conference, attracted considerable attention: the Yiling Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule, through modern scientific evidence, substantiates the millennia-old TCM principle of tonifying the kidney to counteract aging. Notably, it achieves a reversal of biological age by 15 years and offers a TCM-based therapeutic solution for stress-induced premature aging in contemporary populations.

Photo: Scene of the 5^th TCM Anti-Aging Conference

From extending the total lifespan of 1,200 mice—an effect superior to that of NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) —to reducing the mortality rate from 72% to 28% in a stress-induced aging model, and further to the AI-based elucidation of anti-aging constituents in traditional Chinese medicine formulas, the findings presented at this year's conference collectively point to a single conclusion: TCM-based anti-aging is transitioning from empirical description to evidence-based medicine.

I. Is Kidney Tonification Essential for Anti-Aging? The Qi Collateral Theory Elucidates the Biological Essence of Aging

"If an individual begins taking the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule at age 30, his or her DNA methylation age could be over a decade younger by age 50," stated Wu Yiling, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, reporting findings from a DNA methylation age study presented at the conference. He further noted that after administering the anti-aging formulation "the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule" to aged mice for 11 weeks, their biological age exhibited a "reversal"—equivalent to a human becoming 15 years younger. The question remains: can aging truly be reversed in humans? And what strategies are available for the general population to combat aging?

It is reported that the Yiling Pharmaceutical (002603.SZ) Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule is a traditional Chinese medicine compound formulation developed under the guidance of the "Essence-Qi-Spirit Theory" within the theoretical framework of the Qi Collateral Theory. At the conference, Academician Wu Yiling noted that this theory originates from his empirical synthesis of TCM anti-aging principles. He further proposed that, from a pathophysiological perspective, deficiency and decline of Kidney Essence constitute the root of debility, depletion of Primordial Qi represents the key mechanism of aging, and impairment of both Form and Spirit manifests as the phenotypic expression of aging. The Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule achieves its anti-aging effects through four therapeutic mechanisms: "tonifying the kidney to replenish essence, harmonizing Yin and Yang, warming and supporting Primordial Qi, and nourishing both body and spirit."

Photo: Wu Yiling Elaborating on the Scientific Basis of the "Essence-Qi-Spirit Theory" within the Theoretical Framework of the Qi Collateral Theory

"Kidney Essence" is not an ill-defined concept; it can be correlated with concrete modern biological indicators such as those involving stem cells, epigenetic regulation, and telomeres. Guided by the original theoretical framework of TCM anti-aging principles, innovative traditional Chinese medicines continue to yield new clinical outcomes and breakthroughs. For example, at the conference, the research team led by Academician Wang Hongyang reported that the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule can also activate the intracellular "immune surveillance system" within macrophages, thereby contributing to slowing aging at the cellular level.

Whether it is the 15-year reversal of biological age or the validation of multi-dimensional anti-aging mechanisms including autophagy and immune activation, the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule is continuously establishing a scientific evidence chain for TCM-based anti-aging. Collectively, these clinical findings demonstrate the scientific foundation of ancient TCM principles in a framework that resonates within the global scientific community.

II. From Single-Pathway to Holistic Anti-Aging: Innovative TCM Unlocks New Scenarios in Aging Intervention

Aging is not a linear process. Research from Stanford University has shown that individuals experience "cliff-like" aging at approximately ages 44 and 60. Meanwhile, the rhythms of modern life—characterized by late nights, extended working hours, and chronic stress—have become the daily reality for hundreds of millions of individuals in China. A 2025 study conducted within the framework of the All of U.S. Research Program demonstrated that prolonged stress exposure is associated with accelerated biological aging.

In response to stress-induced premature aging, innovative TCM provides a "Chinese solution." At the conference, Professor Hou Yunlong, Secretary-General of the Anti-Aging Professional Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, presented two studies. The first showed that in natural aging research, the Yiling Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule extended the total lifespan of mice by nearly 11 months. The second, a study on stress-induced aging, demonstrated that the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule reduced the mortality rate in mice under high-stress conditions from 72% to 28%, thereby establishing a new paradigm for aging intervention and providing a science-based option for addressing "burnout-related premature aging" in modern populations.

Photo: Hou Yunlong presents New Findings in Natural Medicine Intervention Against Stress-Induced Accelerated Aging

What accounts for the remarkable anti-aging effects of the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule? Research has shown that among the 14 internationally recognized hallmarks of aging, the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule acts on multiple hallmarks, including telomere attrition, stem cell exhaustion, and mitochondrial dysfunction. "Ultimately, compounds such as acarbose and NMN—recognized by mainstream international medical journals—each target only a single pathway, and their clinical evidence often fails to replicate the efficacy observed at the animal level," noted Professor Hou Yunlong. He further elaborated that aging is more fundamentally a reflection of compromised genomic integrity and dysregulated quality control mechanisms. When it comes to counteracting cellular aging, an integrative approach achieves the best outcomes—a feature that embodies the distinctive characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine in therapeutic practice.

Market data indicate that the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule has been granted regulatory approval for marketing in eight countries, namely Canada, Singapore, and Thailand. It has also entered markets in Europe and the United States through platforms including Amazon, thereby gaining broad recognition in both domestic and international markets.

AI Drives the Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Facilitating the Transition from "Living Longer" to "Living Better"

The 15^th Five-Year Plan outlines that by 2030, China's average life expectancy should be raised to 80 years. As life expectancy continues to rise, the transition from "living longer" to "living better" is gradually emerging as a national strategy. Against this backdrop, can innovative traditional Chinese medicine serve as a novel solution to support the realization of Healthy China?

At the conference, Professor Jia Zhenhua from the Hebei Province Luoxue Innovation Institute of Medicine and Pharmacy introduced that a National Key R&D Program has been initiated in China specifically to investigate the scientific evidence for TCM-based anti-aging. In his presentation, he reported that the research team has established a database of anti-aging formulas spanning ancient and modern times. Using the "AI Molecular Materia Medica Platform," they identified the core chemical constituents responsible for the anti-aging effects of the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule, thereby providing a more comprehensive chain of scientific evidence for the TCM anti-aging principle of "tonifying the kidney to replenish essence."

Photo: Liu Xiaopeng Interprets the AI-driven Revolution in Systems Medicine on Site

"Currently, the medical paradigm driven by artificial intelligence is shifting to version 3.0—namely, systems medicine. The underlying logic is to enable everyone to live a healthy life, rather than treating diseases only after they occur," stated Professor Liu Xiaopeng from Beijing Geriatric Hospital. He further noted that AI is driving a paradigm shift in medicine, and the integration of traditional Chinese medicine with systems medicine represents the future direction of anti-aging medicine. Innovative TCM products such as the Bazi Kidney-Tonifying Capsule are providing core support for the implementation of the Healthy China strategy through an integrated Chinese-Western medicine anti-aging approach.

Transitioning from millennia-old wisdom to evidence-based science, and in addressing the contemporary challenge of "healthy aging," TCM-based anti-aging is opening a new avenue of possibility.