Cordyceps

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Instructions for use:

1. General information
2. Chemical composition
3. Application in medicine
4. Action
5. Contraindications

Prices in online pharmacies:

from 3000 rub.

Buy

Cordyceps is a fungus belonging to the ergot family. There are more than two hundred types of cordyceps, among which one is distinguished, endowed with medicinal properties - Chinese Cordyceps, which will be discussed further. The rest of the species are not only useless, but even unsafe, like most plants in this family.

General information

Cordyceps is a unique plant, which in ancient China was considered a semi-plant, semi-animal. Now it is known for certain that this is not an animal, but a parasitic plant. Speaking of Chinese Cordyceps, they emphasize its high adaptogenicity, that is, adaptability to environmental conditions. Indeed, the mushroom grows both under normal conditions in the northwest of China and in the high-altitude climate at an altitude of 6500m.

Cordyceps has an unparalleled reproduction cycle in which insects are directly involved. The favorite host of this parasite is the caterpillar of the butterfly Hepialus armoricanus, or the fine moth. When a caterpillar appears near the mushroom, it shoots spores at it. Spores, with the help of active enzymes, dissolve the caterpillar's skin, and penetrate inside. Surprisingly, the caterpillar does not detect the parasite in any way, and at the right time buries itself in the ground to pupate.

This is where the mushroom begins its activity. Spores grow inside the caterpillar's body, using its body tissue to grow, until the mycelium fills it entirely, as a result of which it dies. Her body hardens and is not further destroyed, putrefactive bacteria do not survive there. Through the respiratory holes of the caterpillar, the fungus grows outward, reaching 6-8 cm in length. The leg is about 3 mm wide; the “cap” is represented by a clavate thickening.

There are reviews of Cordyceps that mention its pleasant taste and smell. Cordyceps are harvested and used together with caterpillars, they have medicinal properties equally.

Chemical composition

The unique chemical composition of the mushroom allows it to be used as a broad-spectrum drug. According to experts, Cordyceps contains the following substances:

Beta-carotene, a substance from which vitamin A is formed in the body. Beta-carotene is necessary for metabolism, for the skin to perform its protective function, for strengthening the vascular wall, for the normal functioning of the eyes, it is also an antioxidant, that is, it prevents the formation of free radicals, thus protecting the body against cancer and aging;
Vitamin E - antioxidant, strengthens the immune system, influences male potency;
A complex of B vitamins, necessary for the liver, nerve cells and normal tissue metabolism;
Ubiquinone, or coenzyme Q-10, which improves cardiovascular and kidney function;
Phospholipids and fatty acids, which are part of the cell membrane and are necessary for tissue regeneration;
Trace elements: zinc, selenium, iron, calcium, manganese, boron, etc.;
Polysaccharides that function as immunomodulators;
The antibiotic cordycepin, belonging to the nucleoside group, has an effect on streptococci and staphylococci, and has antitumor activity.

Application in medicine

The medicinal use of Cordyceps is by no means new, as the mushroom has been used as a powerful medicine in Chinese traditional medicine for at least 5,000 years. Chinese doctors attributed to him general strengthening properties, the ability to stimulate the body's own defenses, improve potency and strengthen the nervous system. Modern reviews of Cordyceps confirm this opinion, which led to an increasing interest in this plant.

The mushroom attracted increased attention after the 2012 Olympics, when the adviser to the Chinese Olympic team at a press conference said that Chinese tennis players were able to take first place thanks to the regular use of Cordyceps, which was part of their preparation for the competition.

Reviews of Cordyceps by representatives of traditional Western medicine are much more restrained, however, this is due to the fact that there are no official studies proving the medicinal effects of the mushroom on health, and not by the fact that contraindications to Cordyceps have been found.

A large number of dietary supplements are now being made on the basis of this plant. You should know that dietary supplements are not an independent drug, but only a supplement to food for medicinal purposes, or are used as an adjunct to ongoing therapy. Western doctors do not prescribe Cordyceps as a medicine, because they have no basis in the form of confirmed research in the scientific community.

The drugs used by representatives of oriental medicine are extremely diverse, and therefore it is not necessary to talk about a single instruction for Cordyceps, since it has its own for each of the drugs.

Action of Cordyceps

According to existing reviews, Cordyceps has the following effects on the body:

Strengthens the walls of blood vessels, while increasing their elasticity;
Prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques, promotes the resorption of those already formed, which significantly improves the functioning of the heart and the entire circulatory system;
Stimulates brain activity by improving blood circulation;
Improves blood formation;
Normalizes the immune system, eliminating autoimmune processes and allergic reactions, helps to heal chronic diseases;
Improves the condition of the skin;
Promotes the elimination of radionuclides and salts of heavy metals from the body;
It has antitumor activity.

The use of Cordyceps as an anticancer drug is quite justified, since in addition to the powerful antibiotic cordyceptin, it contains other anticancer substances, such as selenium and natural immunomodulators.

Contraindications

The description of the properties of this mushroom emphasizes the absence of side effects during its use, it is believed that there are no contraindications to Cordyceps. However, representatives of official Western medicine warn against the unlimited use of drugs based on it, especially for children, the elderly, pregnant and lactating women, since the effect of the fungus has not been studied, and the metabolism during these periods of a person's life differs from usual. In other cases, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the instructions for Cordyceps, if this is a drug produced abroad, for example, in China, when buying a medicine, you must definitely ask for instructions for Cordyceps in an understandable language.

There is another precaution that doctors insist on. The increased demand for this drug at its very high cost (the price of pure Chinese Cordyceps, according to some reports, reaches 25,000 euros per kilogram) has generated a huge number of counterfeits, so the dubious origin of drugs supposedly based on it should be considered an absolute contraindication to Cordyceps. It is also strongly discouraged to collect this mushroom yourself, without appropriate preparation, since there is a serious risk of making a mistake, and instead of the medicinal Chinese Cordyceps, stock up on its poisonous counterparts.

Cordyceps: prices in online pharmacies

Drug name

Price

Pharmacy

NOW Cordyceps Cordyceps 750 mg Capsules 90 pcs

RUB 3000

Buy

Information about the drug is generalized, provided for informational purposes only and does not replace the official instructions. Self-medication is hazardous to health!