About Cordyceps

 

Cordyceps sinensis, also known as Cordyceps mushrooms or 'caterpillar fungus,' are tiny spindly shaped mushrooms. They range in size from about four to ten cm. in length. These highly sought-after mushrooms earned the name 'caterpillar fungus' because they are a type of parasitic mushrooms that literally grow on the backs of caterpillars— high up in the mountains of Tibet, Nepal and India. 

 

Sure, it seems a little gross, but don't worry; as you will soon find out, people have been eating them and using them medicinally for years.  

 

For thousands of years, Cordyceps fungi have been a much-loved and highly regarded staple in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, Cordyceps were not officially recognized as herbal medicine until 1964. Yet, researchers found records of Cordyceps being used for their medicinal properties in the New Compilation of Materia Medica written by Wu-Yiluo in 1757AD during the Qing dynasty. 

 

Cordyceps are also longtime comrades to Ayurvedic practitioners. Nevertheless, both ancient traditions cherished these funny little fungi and used them extensively to treat and cure many illnesses. Some of the top uses of Cordycepsthroughout multiple civilizations and ages include conditions associated with the kidney, heart, liver, fatigue, stamina, and the lungs, but there's so much more to be said about that.  

 

Truth be told, TCM understood the tremendous power of Cordyceps long before science began corroborating their benefits— lauded as a super endurance mushroom of virility or a 'Jing' enhancer. In TCM, the body's energetic fields are equally as important, and even a part of one's physical health state. Jing energy is an essence, deemed the root of all life, which originates in the kidneys.

 

Jing Energy and Cordyceps

 

Traditional Chinese Medicine places a lot of emphasis on energy, particularly lifeforce energy. You have probably heard of Chi or ‘Qi’ before. Chi is said to be ruled by the lungs, which just so happens to be another vital organ bolstered by Cordyceps sinensis (C. sinensis).

Jing is the most solid of energy fields. It is the foundational energy reserves of the body, and it is this energy that determines the vitality, quality, and quantity of your lifespan. As you grow older, your Jing energy depletes. Jing is responsible for cellular density, energy stores, sex drive, and creativity. As it’s associated with the kidneys, Jing plays a significant role in our response to fear, confidence, and our ability to handle stress.

 

Cordyceps and the FlowState

 

Now, this is interesting because here is where we can start to link the traditional uses of Cordyceps to modern science.

A 2014 review of clinical data of 1746 participants proved favorable for Cordyceps’ ability to treat chronic kidney disease-associated complications, such as increased haemoglobin and serum albumin. (1) So here we have validation that Cordyceps actually do strengthen the kidneys just like the ancient traditions said. 

 

But how does this figure into the FlowState?

 

The "fight or flight response" is essentially a string of chemical reactions driven by the kidneys and adrenals, which happen to sit on top of the kidneys. (2) It's a perfect symmetry between your sympathetic ("fight-or-flight") and parasympathetic ("rest-and-recover") system, both parts of your autonomic nervous system. Being in the FlowState is the ability to control and balance these very real energies.

 

The ability to control this energy exchange or "FlowState" is one hundred percent backed by science, and it's not even new science. In fact, it dates back to the early 1900s. Researchers like Harvard's Willam James and Walter Bradford Cannon were the first to establish links between the flight-or-fight responses and how they work within the brain and body to influence physical and mental performance.

The FlowState emerges from this cascade of chemical reactions initiated by the kidneys and adrenals, generating an intense alteration in normal brain function. As attention deepens, the brain's slower and energy-consuming conscious processes exchanges with the faster and more efficient subconscious processes. (3) 

 

Taking a small step back for just a minute, you can simplify everything by saying, "the FlowState is a transformation of core energy."

It's kind of funny that Traditional Chinese Medicine seemed to recognize these reactions long before modern science became the official authority over these affairs.

 

Cordyceps and Brain Function

 

FlowState involves the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain responsible for intricate cognitive functions, and C. sinensis also support these functions in many ways.  

 

Cordyceps are nootropics, which means they help improve memory, focus, comprehension and alertness. They can even reduce the risk of stroke and brain damage. These exceptional capabilities exist in part because these bodacious fungi increase blood flow to the brain as well as to the rest of the body, which in turn improves cognitive and emotional health.

 

Many of the cognitive benefits of Cordyceps are also attributed to their dense nutrient composition. Cordyceps mushrooms are chock-full of antioxidants proven to help fight free radicals such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. (4) They can also enhance anti-inflammatory activity in the brain (5), allowing for better concentration, memory, and focus. These same processes also help improve the cascading chemical happenings, and the whole cycle comes full circle.

Free radicals and oxidative stress are major contributing factors to stroke, brain damage, impaired cognitive function, and many other health problems like cancer and chronic disease. Also, these oxidative agents can cause massive damage to your DNA. (6,7).

 

Remember the mention of Jing being associated with cellular density earlier?

 

A 2020 animal study looked at Cordyceps’ uses for brain injury, which demonstrated its ability to decrease damage caused by Cerebral ischemia. Further, that same study indicated that Cordyceps mushrooms could also help repair cognitive functions and prevent further damage. (8) From these studies, you can surmise that you most likely don't have to have an injury to experience the awesomeness of Cordyceps’ impacts on brain function.  

 

 

 Cordyceps and Physical Performance

 

Just as our bodies affect our minds, our minds affect our bodies.

A whole stack of mind-body sciences supports this ideology, including psychoneuroimmunology, neuroscience, and epigenetics, though we don’t really have time to get into it here. Still, it’s fascinating stuff, and if you are interested in the subject in any way, there is some mind-blowing knowledge to be had out there that may possibly change your whole perspective on how the body works and how you can hack it. 

Nutritionally, Cordyceps retain various essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Actually, these mushrooms are a complete source of amino acids! In addition, they're rich in vitamins like B1, B2, B12 and K, different kinds of carbohydrates, and various medicinally important.

Because of their vast medicinal and nutritional qualities, these unique mushrooms are thought to generally support the body’s production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), one of the primary sources of energy utilized during exercise. In addition, Cordyceps also help the body send energy to muscles after physical activity and exercise to support muscle recovery.

And of course, there are plenty of recent studies to support all of this. For example, one study showed that upon hydrolysis of phosphates from ATP, an excess of energy is released, which is then used by the cells. This means Cordyceps fungi may improve the way your body uses oxygen, especially during exercise (9).

 

One account repeatedly discussed in books and across the vast stretches of the internet is that this medicinal mushroom fell into the spotlight during the Chinese National Games in 1993 when a group of women athletes broke nine world records and credited their success to taking Cordyceps regularly during their training.

 

<Insert photo of bottle here<>If you are interested in jump-starting your physical performance or enhancing your “FlowState,” consider ShroomState (Mushroom 10 X). This potent blend is specifically formulated for the adventurous and those moments when you need to be hyper-focused. ShroomState contains Cordyceps along with nine other medicinal mushrooms aimed to boost your performance, concentration, and endurance.   

 

Sexual Health

 

It’s not really a far leap to understand how all of the physically enhancing characteristics of Cordyceps can also improve sexual health.

This freakishly fantastic fungi and libido have gone hand-in-hand since ancient times like many Cordyceps uses do. 

The Jing energy discussed at the beginning of this article is also interconnected with sexual energy, and sexual energy can likewise be creative, athletic, and passionate.

While Cordyceps mushrooms are known for increasing stamina, generally speaking, they seem capable of helping the body utilize oxygen more efficiently and improving blood flow, which translates to support for healthy sexual function and healthy cardiovascular function. Other important factors that help control this delicate balance are breathing, heart rate, physical agility and optimal brain function. 

And the proof is in the fungi, as animal studies show that C. sinensis does indeed stimulate the production of sex hormones suggesting its use for sexual enhancement and reproduction. (10)

 

Other Health Benefits of Cordyceps

 

Believe it or not there are even more Cordyceps health benefits.  Healers and local people of North Sikkim recommend this mushroom for ALL diseases either as a single herb or combined with other herbs. But it would nearly be a crime to say that in this day and age. So, let's instead take a look at a few other conditions to which this mushroom has proven to lend a helping spore.  

 

• Lowers Blood Sugar and Mitigates Depression - Diabetes and blood sugar problems accompany hormonal and neurochemical changes associated with anxiety and depression, leading to poor metabolic control and blood sugar fluctuation. Cordyceps have an antidepressant-like activity and ease the diabetes-induced upsurge in blood glucose levels. (11)

 

• Cancer - “Cordycepin” is a chemical component of Cordyceps. It is reported that cordycepin interacts in biochemical processes, including nucleic acid synthesis, platelet aggregation, metastasis, inflammatory reactions, apoptosis, and cell cycle signaling. In other words, cordycepin can help stop inflammatory biomarkers, reduce replication of cancer cells, and suppress their significance... maybe even more.  (12)

 

·      The Immune system – Cordyceps benefit the immune system in numerous ways because they are considered immunomodulatory, which means they regulate it, not just enhance it. These modulating actions, along with the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and superb nutrient composition, make these mushrooms a good fit for most everyone, even individuals with autoimmune diseases(13)

 

 

• Digestion – Many health problems originate in the gut, and Cordyceps improve gut health by improving the delicate gut microbiome. They also contain a good number of prebiotics which are basically food for probiotics.

 

• Heart Health – Multiple studies have demonstrated the positive effects these mushrooms can have on rhythm disturbances such as arrhythmia and heart failure. This regulation is conceivably, at least in part, due to Cordyceps' capacity to regulate blood pressure.

 

• Also, Cordyceps can lower cholesterol, specifically “LDL.” However, studies suggest this is because of the antioxidant activity of cordyceps rather than a reduction in serum lipid levels. (14)

·      Lung Heath – in Ancient Chinese Medicine, it is said that a deficiency in the lungs results from low Chi or “Qi.”  This age-old system was right again as Cordyceps research has recognized. Studies showed significant improvements in patients with advanced stages of COPD in clinical trials. Cordyceps sinensis seemed to be beneficial in reducing exacerbation and improving symptoms with few adverse events. (15)

 

·      Antiaging – The antiaging effects of Cordyceps are multifaceted. Much of it is due to their ability to clean up free radicles, which are proven to age our bodies and cause disease, and so does inflammation. Further, laboratory studies showed Cordyceps have the capacity to improve cognitive function and enzyme production and promote sexual function in aged mice. (16)

 

The Takeaway

 

The longevity of medicinal mushroom use alone should be enough to make one at the very least curious, if not thereby being a testament to their efficacy.  Cordyceps uses stem from a day and time when health and wellness were utterly dependent on trial and error.  Today we are lucky enough to reap the benefits off the backs of others before us and even possess the tools to obtain all we need with just the click of a button.  The question remains... Will you take advantage of it?

Nature alone is antique, and the oldest art a mushroom. ~ Thomas Carlyle

 

 

 

 

Sources:

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2. Goldstein DS. Adrenal responses to stress. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2010;30(8):1433-1440. doi:10.1007/s10571-010-9606-9https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056281/
3. Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). The concept of flow. In Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 239-263). Springer, Dordrecht.https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-017-9088-8_16
4. Chen, J., Zhang, W., Lu, T., Li, J., Zheng, Y., & Kong, L. (2006). Morphological and genetic characterization of a cultivated Cordyceps sinensis fungus and its polysaccharide component possessing antioxidant property in H22 tumor-bearing mice. Life Sciences, 78(23), 2742-2748.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002432050600083X
5. Bai, X., Tan, T. Y., Li, Y. X., Li, Y., Chen, Y. F., Ma, R., ... & Liu, Z. Q. (2020). The protective effect of cordyceps sinensis extract on cerebral ischemic injury via modulating the mitochondrial respiratory chain and inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 124, 109834.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S075333222030024X#bib0160
6. Siesjö BK, Agardh CD, Bengtsson F. Free radicals and brain damage. Cerebrovasc Brain Metab Rev. 1989 Fall;1(3):165-211. PMID: 2701375. https://europepmc.org/article/med/2701375
7. https://www.neurosurgery.columbia.edu/patient-care/conditions/cerebral-ischemia Liu, Z., Li, P., Zhao, D., Tang, H., & Guo, J. (2010). Protective effect of extract of Cordyceps sinensis in middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 6(1), 1-6.
8. (y) Bai, X., Tan, T. Y., Li, Y. X., Li, Y., Chen, Y. F., Ma, R., ... & Liu, Z. Q. (2020). The protective effect of cordyceps sinensis extract on cerebral ischemic injury via modulating the mitochondrial respiratory chain and inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 124, 109834.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S075333222030024X
9. AKIRA NAGATA, TAEKO TAJIMA, MASAYUKI UCHIDA (2006) https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jspfsm/55/Supplement/55_S145/_article/-char/en
10. Yung-ChiaChen^abYing-HuiChen^cBo-SyongPan^deMing-MinChang^dBu-MiinHuang (2017)Functional study of Cordyceps sinensis and cordycepin in male reproduction: A review - ScienceDirect
11. Guo, J. Y., Han, C. C., & Liu, Y. M. (2010). A contemporary treatment approach to both diabetes and depression by cordyceps sinensis, Rich in Vanadium. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 7(3), 387-389.https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2010/871546/
12. Nakamura, K., Shinozuka, K., & Yoshikawa, N. (2015). Anticancer and antimetastatic effects of cordycepin, an active component of Cordyceps sinensis. Journal of pharmacological sciences, 127(1), 53-56.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1347861314000024
13. Shashidhar, M. G., Giridhar, P., Sankar, K. U., & Manohar, B. (2013). Bioactive principles from Cordyceps sinensis: A potent food supplement–A review. Journal of Functional Foods, 5(3), 1013-1030.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464613001254
14. Yamaguchi, Y., Kagota, S., Nakamura, K., Shinozuka, K., & Kunitomo, M. (2000). Inhibitory effects of water extracts from fruiting bodies of cultured Cordyceps sinensis on raised serum lipid peroxide levels and aortic cholesterol deposition in atherosclerotic mice. Phytotherapy Research: An International Journal Devoted to Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Natural Product Derivatives, 14(8), 650-652.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/1099-1573(200012)14:8%3C650::AID-PTR675%3E3.0.CO;2-0
15. Yu, X., Mao, Y., Shergis, J. L., Coyle, M. E., Wu, L., Chen, Y., ... & Xu, Y. (2019). Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Cordyceps sinensis on Stable COPD of GOLD Stages 2–3: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative
16. Ji, D. B., Ye, J., Li, C. L., Wang, Y. H., Zhao, J., & Cai, S. Q. (2009). Antiaging effect of Cordyceps sinensis extract. Phytotherapy Research: An International Journal Devoted to Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Natural Product Derivatives, 23(1), 116-122.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.2576