Cordyceps

Cordyceps fungus belongs to the Clavicipitaceae family and many Cordyceps mushroom species are used in traditional Tibetan and Chinese practices. Cordyceps militaris is one of the more studied and utilized Cordyceps fungus species. Cordyceps militaris and other related Cordyceps fungus species are classified as endoparasitoid fungi, which means they are basically parasites. However, Cordyceps militaris, the species used for our Cordyceps mushroom extracts, does not need a host to grow and is able to grow on a substrate. In fact, Cordyceps militaris also contains much more Cordycepin than Cordyceps sinensis and other types of Cordyceps fungus, making it the preferred Cordyceps species for a Cordyceps supplement!

Cordyceps militaris mushrooms have a fruiting body that is elongated and finger-like. They can appear individually or they can grow as a cluster. The name ‘Cordyceps’ is derived from the Greek word “kordyle”, which means ‘club’. The Latin stem “ceps” loosely translates to “head”, which describes the Cordyceps fruiting body’s club-like appearance. Some of the first written records of Cordyceps mushroom benefits were from 15th century Tibetan medical texts, where Cordyceps mushrooms were used to enhance many aspects of health, and allowing better adaptation to high altitudes. At the time, Cordyceps mushroom was referred to as Yartsa gunbu, it was later named to Cordyceps sinensis. This species is currently referred to as OphioCordyceps sinensis. Now that we have access to modern research, many of the ancient Tibetan uses, are now being verified by science and many other Cordyceps extract uses have been discovered through modern research too.

Evidence shows that Cordyceps mushroom benefits extend to many areas of health. These areas of health include immune system health, cellular health, cardiovascular health and cognitive health. These Cordyceps benefits can be traced to one of the main bioactives in Cordyceps militaris, a unique compound called cordycepin. Cordyceps militaris in particular, contains a particularly high concentration of cordycepin in comparison to other Cordyceps species. So what Cordyceps health benefits does Cordycepin produce?

Source: Nootropics Depot