Il Cordyceps sinensis it's a medicinal mushroom originating from the highlands of Tibet, where it grows to approx 5000 meters high.
It's an very rare mushroom and it has been used since 1760 in Traditional Chinese Medicine because of its amazing features and characteristics countless properties.
But in 1993 this mushroom was also known in the West: during the Chinese national swimming games, after setting three new world records that feared the use of doping substances, the coach of the young athletes revealed that their amazing performances were from attribute to a mix of Chinese herbs, which also included cordyceps.
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A little bit of history ...
Its name derives from the Latin "Cord", that means plant e "Ceps", that means head.
The etymology clearly refers to his very particular shape which extends from the mummified carcass of an insect larva, generally the Hepialis Harmoricanus.
It is also known as Caterpillar or DongChongXiaCao mushroom that mean "Plant in summer, insect in winter", with the hint of an ancient belief that attributed to the mushroom of magical powers, those that allowed it to transform itself from insect in winter to plant in summer.
Composition
It is considered with good reason a "Superfood" as it contains substances ad high nutritional power.
It is rich indeed vitamins (B, E and K), mineral salts (phosphorus, zinc, magnesium and iron), in addition to all essential amino acids ed some sugars, including mono, by and olysaccharides.
From a pharmacological point of view, it has some extremely interesting components that we list here:
Nucleotides
The main ones are considered cbioactive components of Cordyceps, among the molecules present we mention adenine, adenosine e cytosine is favor regulation , modulation of various physiological processes of the central nervous system.
There is also the cordycepin which plays a anticancer function as it is able to replace adenosine, thus preventing the synthesis of RNA and boasts anti-inflammatory properties.
Polysaccharides
They are macromolecules that play an fenergetic anointing or structural; in Cordyceps there are manoglucan, D-Glucan and espolisaccarides, on which many of the healing properties of the fungus depend: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, anticancer, immunomodulating, hypoglycemic, steroidogenic and hypolipidemic.
sterols
Especially ergosterol, a precursor of vitamin D2, present in large quantities in Cordyceps and which performs a powerful anticancer function.
Property
As we said at the beginning that
Cordyceps has proven useful in promoting tissue oxygenation, increasing ATP production (adenosine triphosphate), Moreover contributes to the relaxation of the bronchial muscles, increased blood flow at muscle and heart level, thus determining a more effective use of oxygen by the body (increase in VO2 max).
This is why it is widely used by athletes and some brands that have sensed its benefits have recently focused heavily on this mushroom.
It is also a vital energy tonic, for this reason it is strongly recommended during the season changes, where tiredness and exhaustion are the masters.
Think that in Japan it is used to prevent the so-called kiroshi, or the death from excessive workload.
Another property very dear to athletes is the Cordyceps' ability strengthen the immune system and to contribute to prevention and treatment of infections.
Athletes, in fact, are often subjected to intense training and are subject to the cd. "Open window syndrome", lowering of the immune defenses due to the intense effort over time.
The use of Cordyceps has proved to be an inhibitor of this effect thanks to the active ingredients such as cordicepine, adenosine, ergosterol which, as mentioned above, have an anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antioxidant effect.
Cordyceps against stress
Cordyceps is considered an adaptogenic remedy, therefore optimizes the response to stress and supports in case of psychophysical exhaustion or mood swings.
Some recent studies have shown that Cordyceps is "friend" of the kidneys, exercising one repairing function; its administration in fact allows you to reduce blood creatine and the quantity of protein in urine, two parameters often used to check for kidney damage.
Cordyceps and the sexual sphere
Last, but not least, we mention some properties of Cordyceps related to the sexual sphere.
In fact, in women, promotes sexual desire, improves libido, increases fertility e regulates the menstrual cycle and in menopause it helps reduce hot flashes and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
In humans, it increases i testosterone levels and sexual desire, improves erection and the ssexual satisfaction so much that it deserves the title of "Viagra of Hymalaia".
It also helps counteract impotence by promoting motility and sperm count.
Serving:
The effectiveness of Cordyceps is directly proportional to its method of intake: it is always necessary to choose a Cordyceps supplement in the form of extract in capsule or powder form.
Generally, the best intake remains thetitrated dry extract; always pay close attention to the origin, prefer organic cultivation because, being mushrooms, they have a marked ability to absorb the substances that surround them.
To date, there are no reported side effects related to its intake, however its use is not recommended for allergy sufferers and during pregnancy and breastfeeding, like most natural remedies.
Article written by: Alessandro Gribaudi
Hello everyone !
My name is Alessandro and I am a fitness enthusiast and bodybuilding, I collaborate with the Ironmanager site created by Fran Pignatti and I have been an Ironmanager Army athlete for about a year...
I am passionate about functional food, in fact I collaborate as a consultant for a Vegan food site, I really like to do research on the world of food and integration.
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