Compounds produced from plants are still an indispensable ingredient in the production of contemporary medicines.

For a very long time, mushrooms have played an important role in both traditional and folk medicine. In order to help you decide whether or not you would benefit from taking a supplement, we are going to talk about the therapeutic properties of cordyceps today.

An explanation of the cordyceps mushroom

In traditional Chinese medicine, cordyceps mushrooms are used to treat a variety of ailments, including lethargy, illness, kidney conditions, and an inability to have sexual desire. 

Cordyceps Appearance

The body of the cordyceps mushroom resembles fingers, and its color can range from brown to an orange-brown hue. Cordyceps can be found in a large number of different species across Asia.

Cordyceps Sinensis and Cordyceps militaris are two species of fungus that are frequently employed in various medicinal contexts.

Advantages of using cordyceps

Cordyceps is a type of mushroom that is known to contain a bio-metabolite known as cordycepin. Cordycepin is known to have both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities. In the realm of alternative medicine, they are said to be effective energy enhancers.

Cordyceps advantages include:

1. Improve overall performance

Cordyceps pills are known to increase both a person's energy level and their libido. Athletic performance can be improved by enhancing oxygen utilization by Cordyceps.

There have been two human clinical trials based on solid preclinical results.

In a study that was carried out in 2010, healthy volunteers ranging in age from 50 to 75 were given Cordyceps Sinensis over the course of a period of twelve weeks. 10.5 and 8.5 percent, respectively, surpassed the expectations of the placebo.

Supplementing with cordyceps militaris mushrooms improved the endurance of participants in a research done in 2016.

2. Cordyceps for people who have diabetes

Although there is a long history of utilizing cordyceps as a treatment for diabetes in China, there has been no official research undertaken on the topic. Though, in 2012, diabetic mice were given cordyceps supplements and showed improvements in both their cholesterol levels and their body weight.

Blood sugar levels and insulin resistance were not affected in any way, either by the vitamins or the weight gain. In addition to lowering cholesterol levels, increasing insulin sensitivity is a desirable side effect of this healthy lifestyle choice.

3. High blood pressure, asthma

The plant has a component called cordycepin, which relaxes blood arteries. This results in enhanced circulation, which also contributes to a reduction in blood pressure.

According to research from China that was completed in 2017 and released that year, the anti-inflammatory properties help the respiratory system. In a clinical study including 120 asthma patients, the use of cordyceps Sinensis supplements resulted in an improvement in asthma symptoms as well as lung function.

Immune-boosting in traditional Chinese medicine, Chaga mushrooms are frequently used as an adjunctive treatment.

Cordyceps and turkey tail have similar anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties.

The dangers of cordyceps

It's all about the doses. Oral doses of cordyceps ranging from three to six milligrams may be safe for consumption for a period of up to one year.

Milder side effects include things like diarrhea, constipation, and stomachaches.

The highest-quality Cordyceps products available

Cordyceps supplement quality varies greatly, so be sure you know precisely what you're receiving before you buy!

The mycelium of cordyceps mushrooms is not to be purchased, but the capsules and extracts are. Check the back of the bottle to see if it says "mushrooms."

It is reasonable to anticipate that prices will reflect the reduced potency of mycelium in comparison to that of mushrooms.

Make an educated guess as to whether the substance in question is an extract or a powder. Extracts contain up to 15 times more beta-glucans than powders, are much more easily absorbable, and typically contain a very high amount of novel antioxidants.

Your product must have a starch level of less than 5% in order to be classified as low. Mushrooms are frequently included in supplements since they do not contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. If it wasn't specified, we would steer clear of starch because there is a possibility that it is 70 percent filler.

Not all companies are open and honest about their products. Do not make any purchases if you are unsure about the components of the product. You should also steer clear of items that have not been examined by an independent party to ensure their efficacy and purity.

It's critical to understand that the two cordyceps species are distinct from one another.

Cordyceps in comparison to Militaris

Cordyceps Sinensis is where you'll find adenosine, whereas cordyceps militaris is where you'll find cordycepin.

Because it can be cultivated more easily on a commercial scale, Cordyceps militaris is the herb that the vast majority of companies that produce dietary supplements opt to utilize. In spite of the fact that it has a different Latin name, Cordyceps Sinensis shares many of its therapeutic properties.

Some researchers believe that the militaris species have larger levels of cordycepin and adenosine in it than the lab-grown Cordyceps Sinensis; however, this is still debatable.

Consequently, tablets containing authentic cordyceps Sinensis grown in the Himalayas will be more expensive than those containing cordyceps militaris, which can be grown with less effort. A kilo of Cordyceps Sinensis might cost upwards of $20,000 in the Chinese market.

Before you purchase low-cost cordyceps militaris mushroom caps, check to make sure they were grown with care.

Consequences of agricultural production on a commercial scale

The goal of businesses that harvest cordyceps militaris is to complete the process as rapidly and cost-effectively as possible. Toxic pesticides may accumulate in the final product if they are present in the growing substrates (wood chips, sawdust, or compost).

To put it another way, mushrooms are like sponges; they take in everything in their environment. Cordyceps supplements have been linked to two incidences of lead poisoning due to low-quality production practices.

Make sure you know how and where your supplement's mushrooms were farmed, and that the final product is evaluated for purity and efficacy.