Cordyceps (Inonotus obliquus) : The ancient healing mushroom of vitality and longevity

What is Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) ?
Cordyceps are a type of medicinal fungus that differ from many other mushrooms you may be familiar with due to their unique growth cycle.

Cordyceps proliferate by dispersing their spores, just like other mushrooms do. However, the forest floor is not the optimal habitat for cordyceps, in contrast to those other mushrooms. Rather, these mushroom spores are searching for an appropriate host, such as insect larvae.

Cordyceps spores will begin to germinate as soon as the ideal circumstances are identified. During its growth cycle, it will devour the host, turning it into an endless supply of nutrients for itself. The life cycle of a cordyceps mushroom ends when the mushrooms sprout, but not before the host suffers the ultimate cost.

The infamous difficulty in locating wild cordyceps has led to their sometimes being more valuable than gold. Cordyceps militaris is utilized as a more economical and long-lasting alternative as a result.

Characteristics of Cordyceps

The fruiting body of cordyceps is strange and unattractive. Due to its size and, in many cases, its lackluster coloring, it is easily missed. Because of their striking orange pigmentation, certain species are simpler to locate than others. While the majority of cordyceps species are black, brown, or a very pale orange-tan-buff, the most well-known species are bright orange. However, there are ordinary club fungi that are even more colorful, so you might still miss the vibrantly colored ones.

Because of their similar look, cordyceps and club fungus are actually kept a little more under wraps. You can select the fungus like any other and call it a day, unless you know to look for the insect by digging beneath the soil's surface. It will easily separate from the insect body and fall off the ground like any other mushroom. The bug must be dug up because it is typically well buried.

Cordyceps: Benefits And Uses

Improves Exercise Performance

It is believed that cordyceps enhance the body's synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a chemical necessary for providing energy to the muscles.

Your body's ability to use oxygen may be improved by this, particularly when you exercise.

In one study, utilizing a stationary bike, researchers examined their effects on the ability of thirty healthy older people to exercise. For six weeks, participants were given a placebo pill or 3 grams of a synthetic strain of Cordyceps named CS-4 every day.

Those who took CS-4 experienced a 7% rise in VO2 max by the end of the research, but those who took a placebo pill exhibited no change (3).

One metric used to assess fitness level is VO2 max.

In a related trial, 20 elderly, healthy participants were given a placebo tablet or one gram of CS-4 every 12 weeks (5Reliable Source).

While VO2 max did not alter in either group, participants who received CS-4 showed improvements in other exercise performance metrics, according to the researchers.

Another study examined the impact of a combination of mushrooms containing cordyceps on young adults' ability to exercise (6Trusted Source).

In comparison to a placebo, after three weeks, participants' VO2 max had increased by 11%.

But according to recent research, cordyceps may not be useful for enhancing trained athletes' exercise performance.

It has been demonstrated that cordyceps enhance exercise performance metrics in both younger and older persons, but not in highly trained athletes.

Anti-Aging Support

Cordyceps have long been used by the elderly to increase sex drive, vigor, and relieve weariness.

its antioxidant concentration, according to researchers, may account for its putative anti-aging effects.

According to a number of studies, cordyceps boost antioxidant levels in old mice, which may enhance sexual and memory performance.

Free radicals, which can otherwise lead to illness and aging, are neutralized by antioxidant molecules, preventing cell damage.

Mice fed Cordyceps lived several months longer than mice given a placebo, according to one study (16).

Further evidence that cordyceps have anti-aging properties comes from a study that found the plant can prolong the life of fruit flies.

It's unclear, though, if cordyceps offer the same anti-aging advantages to people.

Mice research indicates that cordyceps may have anti-aging benefits. Although these results are encouraging, it's unclear if they apply to people.

Anti-Tumor Support Repercussions

The ability of cordyceps to suppress tumor growth has attracted a lot of attention lately.

The fungi may have many anti-tumor actions, according to researchers.

Numerous human cancer cell types, including those of the lung, colon, skin, and liver, have been demonstrated to be inhibited in growth by Cordyceps in test-tube experiments.

Additionally, research on mice has demonstrated that cordyceps can treat lung cancer, melanoma, and lymphoma with anti-tumor properties.

Additionally, cordyceps has the potential to mitigate the adverse effects of numerous cancer treatments. Leukopenia is one of these adverse consequences.

Leukopenia, which should not be confused with malignant leukemia, is a disorder where the body's white blood cell (leukocyte) count falls, reducing immunity and raising the risk of infection.

In one study, mice that acquired leukopenia following radiation therapy and treatments with the conventional chemotherapy medication Taxol were used to evaluate the effects of Cordyceps.

It's interesting to note that Cordyceps stopped the leukemia. These findings imply that the fungi might aid in lowering side effects related to some cancer therapies.

It's crucial to remember that test tubes and animals, not people, were used in these investigations.

Health professionals are unable to make any judgments at this time regarding Cordyceps' impact on leukopenia and tumor growth in humans.

Studies conducted on animals and in test tubes indicate that cordyceps may be able to treat cancer and some of its negative effects. Further research is necessary because these effects have not been demonstrated in humans.

Potentially Aid in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes
A unique kind of sugar found in cordyceps may be used to treat diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition where the hormone insulin, which typically carries glucose into your cells for energy, is either not produced by the body or does not react to it.

Glucose cannot enter cells when your body does not create enough insulin or does not react to it properly, therefore it remains in the circulation. Excess blood glucose levels can lead to major health issues over time.

Consequently, it's critical that diabetics maintain proper control over their blood sugar levels.

Interestingly, by imitating the effects of insulin, cordyceps may help maintain blood sugar levels within a healthy range.

Cordyceps has been demonstrated to lower blood sugar levels in a number of experiments conducted on diabetic mice.

Based on certain findings, they might potentially offer protection against renal disease, which is a frequent consequence of diabetes.

Supplementing with cordyceps led to enhanced kidney function in an analysis of 22 trials, including 1,746 patients with chronic renal disease.

These findings, however, are not definitive. Many of the studies, according to the review's authors, were of poor quality. Therefore, it was not possible to draw any conclusions about how Cordyceps affected renal function in people who had chronic kidney disease.

People with uncontrolled diabetes frequently have persistently high blood sugar levels, which can have detrimental health repercussions. According to studies conducted on animals, cordyceps may one day be used to treat diabetes.

Potential Advantages for Cardiovascular Health
The advantages of the fungus are becoming more and more clear as studies on Cordyceps' impact on heart health surface.

As a matter of fact, China has authorized the use of cordyceps in the management of arrhythmia, a disorder characterized by an irregular, fast, or too slow heartbeat.

In rats with chronic kidney illness, cordyceps drastically decreased heart damage, according to a study. Reducing these injuries may help prevent heart failure, as it is believed that cardiac damage resulting from chronic renal illness increase the risk of heart failure (33Trusted Source).

These results were attributed by the researchers to Cordyceps's adenosine concentration. A naturally occurring substance with heart-protective properties is adenosine.

Additionally, cordyceps might be good for cholesterol levels.

Cordyceps reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol, according to a study on animals.

LDL causes a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries, which increases your risk of heart disease.

In a similar vein, Cordyceps has been demonstrated to lower mice's triglyceride levels.

Your blood contains a form of fat called triglycerides. Elevated levels are associated with an increased risk of cardiac problems.

Regretfully, there is not enough data to say whether cordyceps are good for human heart health.

Since they lower triglyceride and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels and can help avoid arrhythmias, cordyceps may be beneficial for heart health.

Possibility of Reducing Inflammation

Cordyceps is believed to aid in the body's battle against inflammation.

While some inflammation is beneficial, excessive amounts can cause conditions like cancer and heart disease.

Studies reveal that specific proteins that cause the body to become more inflammatory are reduced when human cells are exposed to Cordyceps.

Because of these possible benefits, scientists think cordyceps could be a helpful anti-inflammatory medication or supplement.

Indeed, cordyceps have been demonstrated to lessen inflammation in mice's airways, suggesting that they may be used as an asthma treatment. But compared to regularly prescribed medications, which are meant to relieve inflammatory regions of the body, the fungus seem to be less effective (43Trusted Source).

Moreover, cordyceps may be applied topically. Its anti-inflammatory qualities were further demonstrated by a study that indicated that applying it topically to rats decreased skin inflammation (44Trusted Source).

We have not yet seen any evidence of Cordyceps' possible ability to reduce inflammation in humans.

Other Benefits

Triterpenoids
Triterpenoids are abundant in chaga, as they are in other polypores like reishi. Numerous health benefits of these chemicals have been demonstrated, especially for immunological function. These are mostly betulinic acid, trametolenic acid, and inotodiol in chaga. The most significant is iotodiol, which has been demonstrated to strengthen immunity and act as an antioxidant.

Although betulinic acid and its precursor betulin are found in chaga, the Birch tree is the true producer of these compounds. These substances are strong antioxidants that support the immune system and aid with digestive problems.

Sterols
These are a different class of triterpenoids with intriguing bioactivity that are frequently present in fungus. Ergosterol is a sterol that has been shown to be very significant since it has anticancer and immune-supporting qualities. Precursor of vitamin D, as well. Chaga contains lanosterol as well, which is a precursor molecule used in the production of several steroids.

Chaga's Phenols and Antioxidant Properties
Chaga is widely recognized for its potent antioxidant qualities and is sometimes referred to as possessing over 1000 times the antioxidant content of blueberries. Although a lot of studies have demonstrated that chaga has a high antioxidant content, new research indicates that these results may not fully capture the antioxidative potential of these fungus. The phenols found in the fungus are primarily responsible for this high antioxidant concentration.

Significant amounts of melanin, a polyphenol-rich substance, are present in chaga. It creates this color on the canker's outside, probably to shield it from the long summer days in northern latitudes. It has been demonstrated that melanin has strong antioxidant qualities and is usually good for your health.

Beta-Glucans
Beta-glucans are also present in chaga, as they are in many other prevalent therapeutic mushrooms. They are recognized to have immune-boosting and anticancer qualities. As may be expected given that chaga is primarily composed of woody plant elements, it has a substantially lower beta-glucan content than other "mushrooms."