Cordyceps Fungus: Benefits Supported by Science

Cordyceps may have an unusual appearance, but their advantages are everything but weird! Learn more about the Cordyceps benefits and how to incorporate them into your daily health practice.

There seemed to be a mushroom for every purpose! Chaga mushrooms can help with immunity, reishi mushrooms can help with stress, and lion’s mane can help with brain health.

So, what makes Cordyceps different from other edible mushrooms? What are the health benefits of Cordyceps?

Here’s everything you should know about Cordyceps Fungus.

What do you understand by Cordyceps?

Cordyceps, like most useful mushrooms, don’t look like the ones you’d find in the supermarket and even emerge out of the ground in your neighborhood park. In fact, you’re unlikely to locate these somewhere near you as they only exist in the Himalayan grasslands, earning it the moniker “Himalayan Gold.”

Cordyceps has been utilized by herbalists and Tibetan medicine for millennia to cure a wide range of diseases, from the cold virus to cancer. Local herders were the first to identify the advantages of Cordyceps after noticing their animals becoming bigger after consuming the wild mushrooms!

So, what is it about Cordyceps that makes it so special? They’re a fungus that feeds on other organisms. It clings to a certain type of caterpillar before devouring its own host! It grows a dark, 6-inch stem from the caterpillar. Below are cordyceps benefits explained. Keep reading.

• Helps with fatigue: Cordyceps has been shown to stimulate the generation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a key source of energy for our cells, particularly our muscles. Mice fed Cordyceps militaris raised their ATP levels and showed a delay in weariness throughout swimming and running testing, according to one study. This could be because Cordyceps contains adenosine, which is required for the production of ATP.
• Works wonder for the heart: Although adequate human research is necessary, evidence suggests Cordyceps may be beneficial to the heart. After only eight weeks, one study found that Cordyceps reduced cardiac damage in rats with chronic kidney disease. This is essential because chronic renal illness is thought to induce heart damage, which can lead to heart failure. Cordyceps has also been shown in other trials to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride levels. (High LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels are both linked to heart disease.) Cordyceps is also approved in China for the treatment of arrhythmia, a disorder that changes the rate at which your heart beats.
• Boosts libido: Another factor Cordyceps can help your heart race is that they improve your sex drive! This small fungus, like maca (also known as the “Viagra of superfoods”), has been proved to boost your endurance both on and off your feet. The impacts of Cordyceps on mice were studied in a six-week animal study. They discovered an adequate blood supply, vitality, and endurance, all of which are crucial aspects of physical wellness!
• Offers anti-aging properties: Cordyceps is high in antioxidants that fight damage caused by free radicals and help reduce the aging process. Cordyceps is linked to increased memory, brain function, and a rise in antioxidant properties in the blood, according to research published in the “British Journal of Nutrition” in 2000. Another Chinese study discovered that giving Cordyceps extract to apple flies reduces their peroxidation and so increases their lifetime.

Make Cordyceps a part of your daily life

Cordyceps were difficult to come by until a few years ago. In fact, just a small part of the wild mushrooms would need local communities to traverse the Himalayas.

So, what’s the big deal? Because they recognized what they were worth, both medicinally and financially! Cordyceps used to be worth $50,000 a pound.

Thankfully, scientists have discovered a way to grow the mushroom artificially, making it more accessible and famous as a medicinal herb.