Are you looking for a natural way to enhance your energy levels, antioxidant intake and immune response? It’s time to meet cordyceps, a mushroom that’s most commonly found in the Himalayas as well as in dense forests in Europe and North America. Let’s learn more about cordyceps and how it can help us achieve our health goals.
Meet cordyceps: A mushroom with a rich history
Dispersed across ancient forests, cordyceps, sometimes called Chinese caterpillar fungus, has traditionally been used in Ancient Chinese medicine for fatigue, respiratory health, and longevity, as well as supporting conditions of “low chi” or life force energy.
This mushroom has 350 species, but the two main ones used for medicinal purposes today are called Cordyceps militaris and Cordyceps sinensis. In modern science, cordyceps has been studied for its effects on energy levels, exercise performance, immune function and antioxidant protection. These studies often focus on the effects of cordyceps on those who are experiencing excessive stress and aging populations.
Medicinal mushrooms like cordyceps are known for their medicinal properties thanks to their composition. They contain active compounds like beta-glucans, triterpenoids, ergosterol and statins. These compounds help with immunity, are antibiotic and antiviral, and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Discover the benefits of cordyceps
Whether it’s immune support or exercise performance, cordyceps may be the key to supporting your health goals.
Energy and exercise performance
Looking to support exercise performance or gym gains? This medicinal mushroom might be able to help. Studies are currently underway to understand how it may impact exercise performance by supporting cellular energy production. In supporting our energy levels, cordyceps may decrease muscle fatigue during and after workouts because it may help increase the production of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), the primary carrier of the body’s energy. Research also shows that cordyceps may improve oxygen utilization and reduce fatigue during high intensity workouts.
Immune function
Protecting and regulating your immune system is key to maintaining overall health. Just like other medicinal mushrooms, cordyceps is widely known for benefiting immune system modulation thanks to the presence of compounds like beta-glucans, which are known to help with immune cell function. When it comes to immune health, cordyceps has been shown to potentially reduce infection risk and support respiratory health conditions as well as aid in the production of cytokines, which are proteins found in the immune system that help regulate immune cell activity.
Antioxidant support
Along with immune support, cordyceps is known for its rich antioxidant properties. This mushroom contains antioxidants like polyphenols and cordycepin, which are known to fight oxidative stress and inflammation.
Further areas of research on cordyceps
Each day, we learn more about how cordyceps may support our health. Studies are underway to learn how this medicinal mushroom may help us with:
- Preventative care for diabetes
- Supporting anti-aging and reducing oxidative stress
- Improving kidney-health related illnesses
- Supporting metabolic balance to improve weight management
Adding cordyceps to your daily routine
Looking to add an energy-boosting, immune-supporting, multi-benefit fungi to your life? In addition to foraging for cordyceps in dense wooded areas, you can find cordyceps at online retailers, specialty health food stores and local Asian supermarkets. Although they can be consumed raw, they’re commonly prepared in teas or added to soups and stews.
Supplementing with cordyceps
If you want a way to get your daily dose of cordyceps, another option is taking a supplement. In order to get the best quality, it’s good to read up on product sourcing and ingredients. While the entire mushroom can be used, some supplements only use the fruiting body extracts (from the cap and stem), the mycelium (the root system), or a combination of both. The extraction method also plays a key role, with the most common methods being alcohol extraction and hot water extraction. When combined, the mycelium and fruiting body extract ensure you get a highly potent dose of powerhouse antioxidants, filled with all the beneficial compounds to support your health goals.
CanPrev’s Cordyceps Full Spectrum
Our daily cordyceps supplement is made with organic mushrooms sourced from both the mycelia and fruiting body. CanPrev’s fruiting body extracts utilize both hot water and alcohol extraction methods to maximize the bioavailability of active compounds found in the fruiting body of the mushroom. They’re guaranteed to contain key bioactive compounds, using industry-leading “fingerprinting” testing. Combining the mycelium and fruiting body extract means you get the full spectrum of medicinal compounds for a full spectrum of benefits. It’s a simple dose of one capsule per day, delivering 250mg of cordyceps fruiting body extract and 200mg of cordyceps mycelium.
Cordyceps is an ancient mushroom that’s proving itself as a key player in modern wellness thanks to its many benefits–including some we’re still learning about! If you’re looking to support specific health goals like boosting your energy levels and exercise enhancement or regulating your immune system, it might be time to incorporate cordyceps to your daily routine.
Sources:
Cordyceps sinensis (a traditional Chinese medicine) for treating chronic kidney disease
Cordyceps as an Herbal Drug
Beneficial Effect of Cordyceps militaris on Exercise Performance via Promoting Cellular Energy Production
Cordyceps militaris improves tolerance to high intensity exercise after acute and chronic supplementation
Cordyceps spp.: A Review on Its Immune-Stimulatory and Other Biological Potentials
Anti-inflammatory effects of cordycepin: A review
Glucose-lowering and hypolipidemic activities of polysaccharides from Cordyceps taii in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice
Cordyceps sinensis oral liquid prolongs the lifespan of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, by inhibiting oxidative stress
Cordyceps militaris Improves Chronic Kidney Disease by Affecting TLR4/NF-κB Redox Signaling Pathway
Effect of Cordyceps militaris extract and active constituents on metabolic parameters of obesity induced by high-fat diet in C58BL/6J mice
Leave A Comment