Description

Food supplement in the form of a hard capsule containing a standardised extract of Cordyceps mycelia containing min. 7% of cordycepic acid. Cordyceps is a mushroom that has been used for millennia in China.

Do you want to rebalance your body, increase your energy levels and take care of your immunity? Reach for Cordyceps 1200 mg and check out the benefits of the Chinese hornwort, a parasitic mushroom from the Tibetan highlands.

Chinese cocklebur (Latin: Cordyceps sinensis), also known as Dong Chong Xia Cao / winter worm, summer grass [6]), is a fungus that parasitises insects – or, more specifically, grows on the larvae of caterpillars. It is worth noting that with today’s high demand, Cordyceps are grown on a microbial medium. This method of cultivation is much more environmentally friendly than harvesting wild mushrooms. The majority of clinical trials using Cordyceps are carried out precisely with cultured cordyceps. It is therefore assumed that it exhibits the same positive properties for the body as cordyceps growing on larvae. The name ‘cordyceps’ comes from the Latin words cord (mace) and ceps (head). 

Cordyceps has been known for thousands of years, with the origins of its use dating back to ancient China. Food supplements most commonly use an extract of the mycelium (Latin: mycelium), which is the part of the mushroom made up of mycelia. Unlike the pericarp, this is the form permitted in the European Union. The most important active constituents of cordyceps include cordycepic acid (D-mannitol), polysaccharides and cordycepin [1,7]. These substances are responsible for numerous properties of cordyceps that allow the body to restore balance. D-mannitol is considered one of the quality control markers and also one of the most important bioactive components of cordyceps. Polysaccharides are the most potent compounds responsible for the bioactivity of certain fungal species. They have immunomodulatory effects – affecting both the innate and adaptive human immune system [9]. Also, cordycepin shows regulatory effects on immune cells [10]. Therefore, it is believed that cordyceps can support the body’s immune function [1].

Cordyceps have many beneficial uses for the body. Due to its adaptogenic and endurance- and strength-enhancing properties, it can speed up recovery. There are speculations that it has ergogenic, or performance-enhancing effects. The positive properties of Chinese Cordyceps on athletic performance began to be noticed after the 1993 World Athletics Championships, when the Chinese women’s team broke many records attributing part of the success to the intake of cordyceps [1,2]. 

Chinese cordyceps is also believed to have antioxidant properties and to enhance sexual and reproductive function [1]. It has been shown that taking Chinese cordyceps can increase libido and sexual activity and restore impaired reproductive function in both sexes [1]. 

In addition, it has been shown to have anti-fatigue and anti-stress effects. Interestingly, given that chronic fatigue is often accompanied by depressed mood, cordyceps may also be helpful in offsetting symptoms of this type [1,3,4]. The anti-ageing [5] and anti-hyperglycaemic potential of cordyceps has also been noted [1]. Supplementation with cordyceps can therefore provide a number of benefits to the overall health of the body.

Our supplement contains an extract of the mycelium of the Chinese mycelium (Cordyceps sinensis). It is one of the best described species of the cordyceps family in the literature with a long history of use. The product is standardised to min. 7% cordycepic acid. This means that 1200 mg of extract was obtained from 3600 mg of Cordyceps sinensis mycelium. We recommend taking 2 capsules daily – one in the morning and one in the evening.