CORDYCEPS (Cordyceps militaris)
Cordyceps sinensis are so highly valued in Traditional Chinese Medicine that they were exclusively available to the emperor’s family in ancient China. Traditionally Cordyceps was used as an adaptogen and immunosupportive herb, to support the kidney and lung systems. Cordyceps are found all over the world, but are most commonly found in Asia, with the highest density of species found in tropical rain forests. The traditional Cordyceps Sinensis grows naturally on caterpillars high in the mountains of China.
The genus has a worldwide distribution and most of the approximately 600 species that have been described are from Asia (notably Nepal, China, Japan, Bhutan, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand). Cordyceps species are particularly abundant and diverse in humid temperate and tropical forests. Cordyceps mushrooms are parasitic, needing a living host which will eventually be killed by the fungus. The host is typically an insect or, tree, or even another fungus. It infects and then devours the pupal stage (or caterpillar) of ghost moths. From this caterpillar, it grows a grass-shaped fruiting body, which then releases spores for reproduction. Due to the unique nature of its development, the Chinese named it “winter worm summer grass.”
The mycelium of Cordyceps sinensis can be cultivated on grain, or in liquid fermentation. Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of using plant, animal, and fungal materials for their medicinal values. Different Cordyceps species, most notably Ophiocordyceps sinensis, have a long history of use and have been found growing only from the head of a subterranean caterpillar above 3000m altitude on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.
Both anecdotal reports and scientific evidence show that compounds within Cordyceps mushrooms can improve our well-being in a number of different ways. Like many other medicinal mushrooms, Cordyceps contain Beta-d-glucans which have been shown to naturally modulate and boost the immune system to help resist disease and illness. Cordyceps is able to increase your body’s supply of ATP (the primary carrier of energy in cells), which is the main source of energy for your cells during exercise. This has the effect of increased exercise performance, energy and liveliness. Cordyceps has thus been used to improve athletic performance and stamina by increasing the body’s ability to absorb oxygen and use it more efficiently. Studies have shown the ability of this mushroom to increase VO2 max (maximum rate of oxygen the body its able to use during exercise) in athletes making this one of the most commonly sought-after effects of Cordyceps. Cordyceps may improve tolerance to high intensity exercise, more noticeable through consistent chronic supplementation.
Cordyceps has been linked to improving the action of anti-oxidants, reducing the effect of oxidative processes which can therefore boost as an anti-ageing effect.
Cordyceps may also improve brain function and sex drive. They also have anti-tumour and anti-cancer potential where in studies done all solvent extracts, except hot water extract, showed a significant and dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the proliferation of four cancer cell lines, MCF-7 breast cancer, B16 mouse melanoma, HL-60 human premyelocytic leukemia and HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma.
Cordyceps may also help to control type 2 Diabetes; the results of one study revealed that fruiting body of Cordyceps reduced the diabetes-induced weight loss, polydipsia and hyperglycemia, and these improvements suggest that fruiting body of Cordyceps may be a prospective to be a useful food for those with diabetes.
There have been many reports of Cordyceps helping people who suffer from asthma and other immune related disorders. Studies in mice have shown Cordyceps militaris to be effective in reducing airway inflammation.
Cordyceps has traditionally been used to help improve fertility and act as a remedy for impotence, making it a natural aphrodisiac, this is thought to be because of the Cordyceps mushroom’s ability to increase blood flow. Cordyceps has many other benefits that have been found to assist and improve kidney health, liver function and lowering Triglyceride and LDL Cholesterol (Bad Cholesterol) levels.
The safety of the use of Cordyceps in humans has not yet been studied. However, Cordyceps sinensis long-standing use in traditional Chinese Medicine suggests that it is not toxic and safe to use.