Benefits of Cordyceps

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Cornus Fruit

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Cordyceps

Cordyceps are a type of fungus or mushroom called Ascomycetes and has medicinal and beneficial qualities when consumed.

The scientific name is Cordycep Sinensis and has been a long time superfood that first began in Traditional Chinese Medicine dating back to over 5,000 years ago. The many uses of this fungus can be found in ancient Chinese medical books, and by traditional holistic healers which have been utilizing it to cure many illnesses without the use of any chemical medications.

In the Hindu religious ceremonies cordyceps have been linked to longevity and immortality. Within the Ayurvedic medicine mushrooms have been said to be beneficial for enhancing vigor and vitality. In the Journal of Aurveda and Integrative Medicine, they recommended fungus and mushrooms to treat "All illnesses as a tonic because it improved energy, appetite, stamina, libido, endurance and regular sleeping patterns."

Cordyceps are generally found in mountainous regions of the world such as China and can be found growing on the back of caterpillars. You read that right. They are considered to be a type of exotic healer and for quite some time these fungi were quite difficult to find due to the locations having to be above an altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level and only during certain times of the year where the caterpillars exist. These fungi have a name for them being a longevity-promoting herb.

Because of the natural ability found within the fungus to fight free radicals, infections and inflammation. These fungi are an amazing tool to use for fighting disease and has been used for many centuries to alleviate the symptoms of respiratory disorders, such as colds, coughs, and liver damage.

They are a super food in every sense of the word. They have also been utilized to increase the energy levels of individuals when consumed. This fungus is a parasitic mushroom found in nature where it finds it's way to the backs of a certain type of caterpillar and then ends up consuming the entire caterpillar. The way it forms is at the larva level and is a dark brown to black colorization. It then attaches to the larva and begins to grow to be about six inches long. When it finally matures the cordycep can consume more than ninety percent of the insect. Which then allows the mushroom to enlarge and become 300-500 milligrams in weight.

One of the first adventurers to discover the cordyceps began to observe the wild animals eating this fungus and began to grow stronger because of consuming it. Farmers and herders then began to use this same fungus in a powder form to begin create tonics and elixirs. Some of the first elixirs were used to increase the production of milk and improve the reproductive capacity of live stock.

Increases Immune Functions - Cordyceps can assist in fighting cancer and immunological disorders because of the inflammation-lowering polysaccharides and modified nuceosides. (Article)

Anti-Aging Effects - A study conducted by the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Peking University in Beijing concluded that cordycep extract began to have an anti aging effect when used on mice and improved the activity of antioxidants. (Article)

Improved Stamina and More Energy - A study published by the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed when supplementing with Corceps they began to see an improvement in endurance and contributed to the overall markers of wellness in older adults. When taken it began to have similar effects to maca powder. (Article)

AMPK Activator with Anti fatigue effects— Studies have successfully confirmed that Cordyceps militaris induces fatigue recovery via activating AMPK. (Article)

Substantial Antitumor Activities- Administration of polysaccharides derived from Cordyceps, demonstrated substantial antitumor activities in mice. In one study, the CO-N fraction of Cordyceps ophioglossoides showed a remarkable effectiveness against the sarcoma 180 cell line, which is a reference solid tumor used for laboratory assays of anti-tumor effectiveness. A single dose of only 0.5 mg/kg-injected i.p into mice inhibited tumor growth by an astounding 98.7%! (Article) (Article)

Fights Diabetes - Two active constituents in cordyceps, d-mannitol cordycepin and 3’-deoxyadenosine, are partially responsible for various physiological actions that help control insulin and blood sugar levels. In animal studies, cordycep supplements have helped combat hypoglycemic effects in normal and diabetic mice. (Article)

Improve Liver Function and Detox - Research conducted by the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the Academy of Chinese Sciences concluded that cordyceps have a positive influence on stress, energy metabolism and amino acids which can begin to assist the digestive organs function at a more optimal level. (Article)

Fighting Respiratory Infections - Research has shown that cordyceps began to alleviate symptoms of many respiratory illnesses and assisted as a natural remedy for chronic bronchitis, coughs and asthma. (Article)

MTOR inhibitor (both mtorc1 and mtorc2) —In studies, the AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) was shown to be activated. Inhibition of AMPK prevented translation repression by cordycepin and abolished 4EBP1 dephosphorylation, indicating that the effect of cordycepin on mTOR signaling and protein synthesis is mediated by AMPK activation. In contrast to rapamycin which inhibits just mTORC1, cordycepin inhibits the activities of both the mTORC1 and the mTORC2 complexes, affecting the activity of the protein kinase Akt. (Article)