Cordyceps Sinensis | LondonShiatsu

Cordyceps- Medicinal Mushroom

Cancer Support, Featured Articles, Mushroom Nutrition Comments Off

Jan 222010

Cordyceps
There has been increasing interest in the health benefits of mushrooms since the commercial success in the far east of mushroom extracts as non-specific immune modulators in the treatment of cancer.

Of these mushrooms one of the most interesting is Cordyceps sinensis.

Cordyceps is known in Chinese as Dong Chong Xia Cao, which means Winter Insect, Summer Grass, and in the wild grows parasitically on the larvae of moths at altitudes of over 3,000m.

For this reason it was historically an extremely rare and precious medicinal.

Now, thanks to the development of cultivation techniques using grain based substrates, Cordyceps is available at prices comparable to other mushroom nutrition products.

No other mushroom has the range of effects on the system that Cordyceps does.

As with all medicinal mushrooms, Cordyceps exerts a modulating effect on the immune system by virtue of its beta glucans and related complex polysaccharides, increasing its ability to respond effectively to cancers and virally infected cells.

In addition it possesses significant quantities of nucleotide derivatives such as deoxyadenosine, which have been shown to interfere with viral replication.

Traditionally Cordyceps was used to treat fatigue, in the elderly and in those recovering from long illness, and it was one of the substances taken by the record breaking Chinese athletes of the early 1990′s.

The ability of Cordyceps to act in this way appears to be due to its ability to increase the efficiency of ATP utilization.

There is also evidence for Cordyceps’ ability to boost performance in a different way through increasing levels of male sex hormones and it is used as a treatment for infertility and sexual dysfunction.

In one study a dose of 1g/day resulted in 46 of 155 patients being able to resume normal sexual activity with a total of 64.15% showing improvement vs. 31.57% with placebo.

Another area where Cordyceps has potential is in the treatment of liver disorders with good responses both in patients suffering from hepatitis and from lifestyle related liver damage.

Cordyceps sinensis- A "Magic" Medicinal Mushroom for Runners

Auricular Acupuncture, Cancer Support, Health and Fitness, Mushroom Nutrition Comments Off

Jan 172010

Cordyceps sinensis

    * English Name – Caterpillar fungus
    * Chinese Name – Dong Chong Xia Cao
    * Japanese Name – Tochukas

Sung et al. (2007) report that there are over 400 Cordyceps species worldwide, all of which grow parasitically on a range of hosts. Several of these have been reported to have medical properties but the species of greatest interest is that traditionally used China, Cordyceps sinensis. Cordyceps sinensis grows on moth larvae above 3,000m on the Tibetan plateau and has always a rare and precious commodity, to the extent that historically it was restricted for use by the Emperor and his family.

Clinical usage was greatly facilitated by the start of commercial cultivation in the early 1980’s and, although significant wild harvesting still goes on, most Cordyceps sinensis now used therapeutically is commercially cultivated, relieving pressure on wild stocks and avoiding substitution with other Cordyceps species.

More than most mushroom species quality control is critical with some mycellial products containing as much as 70% residual substrate and with high levels of lead found in some products derived from wild collected Cordyceps sp.
Clinical Application

    * Cancer
    * Heart Disease
    * Ageing
    * Ilow libido and poor sexual fuction
    * Hepatitis

Cordyceps is an excellent tonic mushroom, boosting energy levels, lung function, kidney function, immunity and sexual performance.

Cordyceps has a profoundly energising effect on different aspects of the body, at lease some of which may be accounted for by its ability to stimulate in vivo corticosterone production, and is the mushroom of choice for supporting energy levels and ability to respond effectively to stress.

It has a marked aphrodisiac quality, which is cumulative.

Among other classes of secondary metabolite, nucleotide derivatives from Cordyceps sinensis have been shown to interfere with DNA replication in tumour cells.

http://mushroomnutrition.com/cordyceps-sinensis