Cordyceps

What is Cordyceps?

In China, Cordyceps has been used for centuries. This goes back as far as 2,000 years ago. This makes the mushroom one of the most widely used ingredients in Chinese herbal medicine. The official spelling of the mushroom is 'Cordyceps' as opposed to 'Cordiceps'. In China, the mushroom is called the 'Dong Chong Xia Cao'. A lesson in Chinese shows that this name is a reference to 'winter worm and summer grass'. The reason is that the mushroom grows like a parasite on the caterpillar of a moth. This insect does not survive, and then the Cordyceps emerges from the caterpillar as a blade of grass. The Latin name for the mushroom is Cordyceps Sinensis. In Dutch, it means 'Chinese knotshoofd'. That knotshoofd is linked to the way the mushroom grows out of the caterpillar and kills the insect. Nicknames in Dutch are therefore also rupsendoderder or rupsenzwam.

Where does the caterpillar fungus grow?

Cordyceps is a special mushroom. In fact, the caterpillar mushroom is so special that it used to be allowed to be used only by Chinese emperors. The endangered mushroom is found only in the high mountains of southwest China and Tibet. So too in the Himalayan mountains! The mushroom is also known as 'the emperor of mushrooms'. The mushroom's spores cause insects to become infected. The insect's body is then used as food and shield. A while later, the insect is killed and the Cordyceps grows out of the body after this. The mushroom now produces new spores to then victimise new insects. Not only caterpillars become victims, but also grasshoppers, beetles and ants. With this, the mushroom ensures that nature stays in balance and a certain type of insect does not dominate the environment. Don't panic, the Cordyceps you plan to buy is not obtained this way!

Which countries use Cordyceps and why?

In China, the caterpillar fungus is used by many top athletes to enhance their performance. For instance, the Chinese Olympic team made an impressive showing at the 1992 Games. Several world records were broken and immediately people thought of using banned steroids. It soon turned out that Cordyceps was the key to this success.

A new version of Cordyceps

Because the mushroom was widely picked from nature, it is very difficult to come across this species in the wild. The rarity caused prices of the mushroom to rise, so an alternative was sought. A soaked and improved version of Cordyceps was the result. This mushroom is grown on a vegetable nutrient medium consisting of brown rice, soya and malt. The advantage is that the improved version contains no heavy metals. This is unlike the caterpillar mushroom that grows in the wild. For many supplements, the mushroom is therefore cultivated today.

Different variants: Sinensis and Militaris

There are two varieties of Cordyceps that are soaked: the sinensis and the militaris. The difference between these two varieties is the ratio of active ingredients in the mushroom. This involves looking at the balance between cordycepin and polysaccharides. The sinensis has more cordycepin, while the militaris has more polysaccharides. Then again, the sinensis can be divided into two types: CS-2 and CS-4. Because CS-4 is easier to grow and therefore more often found in products, this species is also the most commonly used in scientific research.

What are the active ingredients in Cordyceps?

It was told earlier that the active substances cordycepin and polysaccharides determine which species the mushroom belongs to. Other active substances in the mushroom include sterols, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals and the trace elements zinc, manganese and magnesium. The mushroom also contains several types of vitamins, including B12. This shows that the myth claiming that B12 is only found in meat is not true. In fact, this vitamin can also be found in a plant substance such as Cordyceps.

How do you use Cordyceps?

Cordyceps is threatened with extinction and is therefore mainly cultivated for food supplements. The mushroom is mainly available as extract, powder and capsule. If you want to use the product as medicine, we recommend contacting a GP or a phytotherapist. They can tell you more about its effects and possible side effects or risks.

Buy cordyceps

At HEMP i SHOP, you can buy Cordyceps products from different brands, such as Pure Mushrooms and Mushrooms4life. The products on offer are all certified organic. You can choose from capsules and tea bags. We can understand that you are curious about users' experiences. There are many experiences and reviews on our webshop and other websites. Take a look at the product reviews on our website and find out how users experience the effects of Cordyceps. Do you want to buy Cordyceps? Always read the packaging before using Cordyceps, so you are immediately aware of the maximum dosage, the effects, possible side effects and how to store the product.