What Are Some Fun Facts About Cordyceps?

What are some fun facts about Cordyceps? One of the fun facts about Cordyceps that people need to know is they are fungi.  Fungi feed on organic matter and include mushrooms, mold, and yeast.  Fungi are a kingdom and are not plants, animals, or bacteria.

Many facts concerning Cordyceps are fun and interesting:

• Cordyceps also go by these names: Chinese caterpillar fungus, dong chong xia cao, hsia ts'ao tung ch'ung, semitake, vegetable caterpillar, and yarsha gumba. 
• It is a sac fungus that grows on insects and other fungi. 
• There are around 400 species that can be found around the world in tropical forests and other temperate and humid places. 
• Most of the species can be found in China, Japan, Thailand, Nepal, and Korea.   
• On the television show Modern Marvels on the History Channel it was said that, in Nepal, an ounce of Cordyceps can be sold for $900.  

Medicine and Other Uses for Cordyceps

Some of the fun facts concerning the fungus Cordyceps include the fact that it has medicinal purposes:

• It has been known to the Chinese and Tibetans for thousands of years.
• The most widely known Cordyceps is the genus Cordyceps sinensis, which is used medicinally in China and Tibet. 
• It lives on the Tibetan caterpillar until it dies, and then produces mushrooms. 
• Most of the world had never heard of Cordyceps until the 1990s. 
• Three athletes from Nepal, in 1993, broke five world records at the National Games in Kathmandu, Nepal. 
• The records broken were in the 1500, 3000, and 10,000 metre events. 
• This was an amazing feat, so there was much suspicion about it. 
• Tests followed and no illegal substances were found. 
• Their coach, Bhim Shahi, told the press that his runners had been taking Cordyceps. 

Health Benefits of Cordyceps

Cordyceps must have some powerful health benefits to be so valuable. They do!

• It is considered one of the best traditional Chinese medicines, having the ability to help kidney and lung conditions and strengthen the immune system.
• It has actually been referred to as a miracle medicine and is called Cold Fire because it is powerful but gentle. 
• It may help a wide range of diseases and also prevents illness.
• Here are just some of the things that Cordyceps may be able to do: anti-oxidize, improve movement, relieve fatigue, fight cancer, lower high cholesterol, dilate blood vessels, calm the body, prevent and treat infertility and impotence, and improve strength and stamina.  When used with Spirulina, it can be effective against the symptoms of HIV/AIDS.

What Do Cordyceps Do

Facts concerning the way Cordyceps work may not be fun but can be important.  Here are just a few things that they do:

• Cordyceps increases the production of T-helper cells, enables lymphocytes to live longer, stimulates progesterone production, and are effective against certain tumors.
• Cordyceps is available in supplement form and no adverse reactions have been reported. 
• The most common type you will find is the Cordyceps sinensis. 
• Besides being an antioxidant and able to effectively treat many diseases, Cordyceps is said to be an aphrodisiac. 
• It also has the reputation of increasing endurance and stamina in athletes. 
• It is available in capsules, tincture, and extract forms and the recommended dosage is two to three grams taken with meals.  

Recent News About Cordyceps

Here is a summary of a story from March 19, 2010 in Natural News.  Cordyceps may be an effective treatment method for cancer according to researchers from the University of Nottingham.

It may help keep the cancer cells in the body from dividing and growing.  It does this by affecting the protein development in the cancer cells which stops the production of mRNA molecules.  It basically keeps the cancer cells from functioning properly and surviving.

The study was begun to make the drug cordycepin more effective.  It seems it degraded too quickly in the body to be very useful.  The researchers are encouraging more research into the cancer fighting effects of Cordyceps.