Cordyceps mushrooms come in more than 600 varietals and most of the Walgreen / CVS capsules are made from a synthetic Oligocordycep (not the real organic thing). They are fungi that are parasites — they eat plants and insects from the inside out. They can be grown anll over the world but primarily inhabit Asia, from Nepal, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, China, Korea and Bhutan.   The Cordyceps mushroom starts with a spore that lands on an insect and starts to germinate, its hyphae (thread-like filaments) begin growing into the body of the insect. These hyphae continue to grow, taking over the insect from the inside out eventually forming root like structures called mycelium before producing the mushroom cap/stem.

As the mycelium grows and forms the stem and cap of the mushroom head, the mushroom cap can release more spores which begins the process over and over again.

Cordyceps have become pop culture — even being showcased in the show The Last Of Us. But no worries, cordyceps can’t take over humans (yet).

Two types of Cordyceps mushrooms are most commercially available. Wild Cordyceps sinensis is the rarer of the two, even though it’s more widely known. It infects the caterpillars of Hepialus moths whose common name is ghost moth.

Cordyceps sinensis is very expensive and can cost up to $20,000 per kilogram. It’s also not very available in North America. Cordyceps militaris is the only Cordycep that is widely grown commercially in North America and Asia because it grows on so many different types of insects.

Cordyceps are widely used in Chinese medicine to treat Lung and Liver conditIons, detoxification, and respiratory illness.

Here are the most popular ways to eat Cordyceps:

• Tea. Place 5-8 Cordyceps fruit bodies (stems and caps) and a cup of water in a pan. Boil for 10-15 minutes in a low simmer. Try having 2 cups per day. You can take the whole mushrooms left over and add to a soup or salad or stir fry. Or you can let us do this for you and drop Tincture drops into your tea / coffee / drink / soup of choice.
• Raw. You can eat Cordyceps Mushrooms raw if you don’t mind mushroom taste. Many farmers markets have them.
• Supplement capsules. Fresh mushrooms like Cordyceps can be as much as 90 percent water, so figuring out the exact dosage by concentration is difficult — you can find good sources of organic 100-600mg capsules and take those. For general immune support, take two capsules in the morning and two at night. Cordyceps supplement capsules are readily available in supplement shops and online.  

Supposed health benefits/uses of Cordyceps:

• Exercise and energy. Cordyceps can help in exercise by increasing your ATP molecules store energy in the body, releasing it for use in small increments. (ATP is the chemical version of Sugar/Glucose after it’s picked up and stored by Insulin). Since it has a history of helping with tiredness / fatigue — people with altitude sickness have used cordyceps to treat.
• Anti-tumor activity. NIH published “Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects 2nd Edition,” says cordycepin, a bioactive protein of Cordyceps, is what helps Cordyceps inhibit metastasis (spread) in tumor cells and makes it a useful treatment in the management of some cancers.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine. For thousands of years Chinese Medicine has used cordyceps to treat liver or kidney problems, lung respiratory diseases, blood sugar hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and cancer or tumor disorders. In 1964 it was officially classified as a drug in Chinese Pharmacopoeia.
• Regulates blood sugar. Cordyceps, like many mushrooms, contain vanadium, a trace mineral which may behave like insulin in the body, or boost insulin’s effectiveness. So it can pick up sugar in the blood stream (which stores it in the body).
• Boosts libido. Male and female sexual dysfunction, according to a study reported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) acknowledges that many report successful treatment of sexual dysfunction with Cordyceps, but not proven scientifically. It also reported that cordyceps improve the sperm count and motility (movement strength) of sperm cells.
• Eases inflammation. Consuming cordyceps can ease inflammation. If you are experiencing inflammation, you might benefit from trying an anti-inflammatory diet.
• Immune and heart health. Cordyceps supplements are also thought to increase immunity and improve heart health.  

What about a downside, you may be wondering? Cordyceps mushrooms are generally thought to be safe to eat/consume. Possible negative side effects can include upset stomach, nausea and loose stools. Also, people with certain medical conditions should not consume Cordyceps mushrooms or supplements because they may activate the immune system. Folks who need to just say no to Cordyceps include those with autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease or rheumatoid arthritis. 

How to interpret all of this? Long story short, more studies are needed so proceed with care. Cordyceps has lots of potential and even some evidence-based properties or capabilities which may be helpful in easing particular conditions; Cordyceps also seem to have relatively few potentially harmful effects.