Cordyceps sinensis – this is our zombie predator. In China, they call it "winter insect, summer herb". Imagine a fungus that shoots out its spores (seeds) during reproduction in summer, which then attach themselves to the body of an insect. It gradually overgrows the insect's body and parasitises it, literally eating it from the inside, while the insect continues to live, changing its external appearance but continuing to hunt for food until it burrows underground, where it dies and mummifies. The fungus can survive in it for a long time. The fungus literally takes over the host's body, growing out of it in the summer and forming slender "sticks" 5-20 cm high. This inspired the Last of Us video game series, where the Cordyceps fungus turns humans into zombies. In real life, this video game takes place in the real life of insects. The victims are butterfly larvae, large ants, spiders...
In Tibet, the entire family makes a living by foraging for Cordyceps bars for short periods of time, which they then sell to Chinese pharmacies, where they are literally weighted down with gold and considered more valuable than women. However, Cordyceps is also "growing" (more like emerging) in Japan, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Mexico, Russia, Italy... However, it is located at high altitudes, around 3500 mn
Cordyceps is taken
against exhaustion, fatigue, stress and to support lung function. It supports immunity and is used for respiratory problems, liver cirrhosis, rheumatism, rosacea... It is also used for oncological diseases and has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. One study even examined its effect on skin ageing and anti-ageing. Although Cordyceps was first introduced in Europe in 1726 at a mycology conference in Paris, it seems that its time has yet to come in our country.
It contains a large amount of polysaccharides, which have wide anticarcinogenic and antioxidant uses. Nucleosides - Cordiceps contains more than 10 of them, plus related compounds (adenine, adenosine, cytidine, guanine...). These are used in anticancer and antiviral procedures. Sterols, proteins, amino acids and peptides. The latter are used for the treatment of hypertension.
The components of Cordyceps enable our bodies to utilise oxygen more efficiently, which is why active athletes use it. A study examining the effects of Cordyceps in the 50-75 age group showed improved performance in individuals who took Cordyceps daily. Twenty-two different studies involving 1,746 people with kidney disease showed positive progress when taking Cordyceps.
Suitable dosage is a capsule a day, before meals, or use two capsules in 2dcl of water. It should not be taken by pregnant women or those with sleep disorders. There are over 300 different species of Cordyceps mushroom and it is also cultivated artificially, as humans have collected over 90% of the wild mushroom.
The most popular species are Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris. We recommend not exceeding the recommended daily dose of 1000 mg (athletes can take a maximum of 2000-3000 mg). This interesting mushroom can also be taken daily, as no adverse side effects have been found even with long-term use. Of course, it is important to monitor your health closely if you are taking any supplements long-term. Cordyceps can be purchased in various forms and packages; we recommend choosing a reputable store that specialises only in nutritional supplements and vitamins.
