Cordyceps
A mushroom from the Tibetan high plateaus, long rare and precious, now also cultivated.
Introduction
The name "cordyceps" covers two mushrooms. Ophiocordyceps sinensis (formerly Cordyceps sinensis) grows on moth larvae buried in the soil, 3,000 to 5,000 metres up on the Tibetan Plateau. It is very rare and one of the most expensive natural products in the world. Cordyceps militaris, which is cultivated, is often used in its place. Check the packaging to see which species your product contains.
History
According to historical sources, the Tibetan physician Zurkhar Nyamnyi Dorje (1439–1475) described it as early as the 15th century. Tibetans call it yartsa gunbu, "summer grass, winter worm", because it seems to turn from animal into plant. In China it appears in Wang Ang's Ben Cao Bei Yao (1694).
Traditional uses
In Tibetan and Chinese tradition it is simmered in soups and broths or steeped. Today it is mostly found in capsules and drinks.
Scientific studies
A 2010 trial in healthy older adults (1 g a day of Cs-4, a cultivated cordyceps mycelium, for 12 weeks) found improved exercise thresholds, including the ventilatory threshold, with no change in VO2max. A small 2017 trial (28 adults) found some exercise measures improved after 3 weeks of a mushroom blend. Memorial Sloan Kettering describes the results as mixed. Cordyceps is a food supplement, not a medicine.
Precautions
- Take care with blood thinners: one bleeding case has been reported.
- It may change the effect of diabetes medicines and immunosuppressants.
- Talk to your doctor before taking it, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Further reading: Memorial Sloan Kettering
Videos
(Arabic) Dr Mohamed Ouhssineفوائد مادة الكوردسيبس العجيبةWatch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)Studies and sources
- Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Twelve-week placebo-controlled trial in healthy older adults (1 g of Cs-4 a day): improved exercise thresholds, including the ventilatory threshold, with no change in VO2max.
- Cordyceps militaris improves tolerance to high-intensity exercise after acute and chronic supplementation
Trial in 28 adults: after 3 weeks of a mushroom blend containing Cordyceps militaris, some exercise measures (VO2max) improved. Small study.
This information is for discovery only. It does not replace advice from a health professional.
