Next up is the Cordyceps mushroom, it was thought to be "magical" by the Chinese people. Traditional use dates back 2000 years in medical texts. It is actually not a mushroom in the same sense the others are. Cordyceps is a parasite that attaches itself to insects like caterpillars and larvae. The spores invade their body, killing them, then sprouting a club-like mushroom from their head. So it's basically a killer fungus.
Wild cordyceps is very rare but in places like China, Tibet and Nepal, especially in high altitude plateaus it is still possible. You should however be extremely skeptical if someone is saying they got wild cordyceps. If they are not asking godly amounts of money it's just not the wild variety, the price for wild cordyceps is said to be between 20 000 - 35 000 dollar per kilo.
The mushroom was made famous for improving athletic performance after the Chinese Olympics team sat 9 world records in the 1993 Olympics fueling speculation they had used performance enhancing drugs. After tests they came up clean and the only performance booster they had used was Cordyceps.
Traditionally it is said to it improve energy, appetite, stamina, libido, endurance, sleeping patterns in addition to being a longevity tonic. Something that modern science is catching up to.
Cordyceps can also be cultivated and grown on grains. However some of these companies just sell the ground up grain with the mycelium and not necessarily the fruiting bodies. So make sure you get the fruiting bodies. If buying as a supplement try to looks for either Cs-4 cordyceps sinesis or the cordyceps militaris as they seem to be the best and most studied strains of cordyceps.
I bought whole dried organic cordyceps militaris and capsuleted them myself(that way you can get higher doses a little cheaper), but there are some decent companies making both extract powders, capsules and tinctures. Like with all this stuff look for quality. Have tried the "Shroom Tech Sport" that Onnit makes many times, and think it's pretty good but it gets expensive if you want high doses. Link: http://www.xbrain.co.uk/onnit-products/supplements/shroomtechsport
Some of the interesting and beneficial compounds in Cordyceps include:
- Cordycepin (scientist made a drug of this back in the 1950's but when used as a isolated compound it didn't have the same effects as consuming the whole mushroom).
- Beta-glucans and bioactive polysaccharides
- Adenosine
- Ergosterol and ergosterol palmitate
- Cordycepic acid
Benefits of cordyceps
Anti-cancer properties
Strengthen the immune system by increasing the amount of the body’s natural killer cells
Improves stamina and athletic performance
Improves libido
Increases insulin sensitivity
Protecting the heart
Anti-aging effects
Protecting the kidneys
Lowers inflammation
Improves liver function and detoxification
Improves respiratory conditions.
Energy booster
The interesting thing about cordyceps supplements for athletic performance is that it helps the body utilize oxygen more efficiently and improve blood flow, which is important for physical health and sexual function. Improved endurance, VO2 max, anti-fatigue effects and lower levels of inflammation is much of why this makes number 2 on this top 4 list.
Since you most likely won't find this one in nature you have to go for the supplements. Remember to look for a quality company you thrust that sells the fruiting bodies, or extracts made from fruiting bodies.
Hope you enjoyed the read
Thank you this was helpful for me as I understand that when you get the cordyceps as a supplement it's been grown on grain right? And not out of ants heads or from caterpillar bodies? Cause that is so gruesome to me that I wouldn't want to take it anymore. Should I be looking for something specific to be sure it grew on grain?
That's crazy! I didn't know that they grew like that on insects! I have used cordyceps in the Foursigmatic Teas. I felt a nice 'calm' from the Adaptogen Blend and their Beauty Blend helped out my skin a ton!