Cordycep is a fungi that exists in about 400 different species. The most popular specie used for nutritional supplements today is Cordyceps sinesis, also known as “catepillar fungus.” It often acquires nutrients from catepillars and grows at high altitudes in the mountains of China, Nepal and Tibet. It first gained international recognition after the 1993 World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Germany. A total of nine world recrods were broken by a group of Chinese female athletes, whose coach revealed that they have been taking Cordyceps-based traditional Chinese tonic regularly. They found that Cordyceps have the effects of boosting levels of energy, staima and endurance. Ever since, Cordyceps have become one of the top selling dietary supplement for competitive athletes in the world.
In Chinese traditional medicine, Cordyceps are believed to be good for the lung and kidneys. Current researches have shown that they present benefits to the heart, by lowering serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels, and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. As well, Cordyceps can enhance the nutritional blood flow to the brain, heart, and other organs. Various promoters of Cordyceps have claimed that they can improve appetitie, vitality, sexual drive, symptoms related to aging, and asthma.
It is very difficult to acquire Cordyceps from the wild. Hence, most of Cordyceps are dervied from commerical cultivation methods using “submerged cultures.” Mycelium, the vegetative part of the fungus, is grown on a liquid medium through asexual reproduction. The specific strain, Cordycep Cs-4 mycellium, is isolated by hot water extract. This strain is identified as the mycelium that produced the same active compounds as the wild Cordycep fuit bodies that grow on catepillars.
Under recommended dosages, the side effects of Cordyceps, so far reported by users have been very minor. Symptoms may include nausea, slight stomach upset, and dry mouth.
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References: (1)http://www.healthline.com/natstandardcontent/cordyceps-1 / (2) http://www.cordyceps.net/ (3) http://www.medicinehunter.com/cordyceps.htm
