Cordyceps

Once reserved exclusively for the emperors of ancient China, Cordyceps has become the supplement of choice among world class competitive athletes. This supplement is used to increase supporting respiratory and immune health, as well as a male sexual tonic.

Potency Guaranteed

Birkdale Medicinals™ extracts are among the most potent mushroom supplements in the world. Each product is manufactured to the exacting quality standards identified in the supporting scientific research. Our exclusive hot water extraction process guarantees the levels of the active compounds these mushrooms are famous for.

All-Natural Mushrooms

Our mushrooms are grown chemical free, cultivated and harvested according to traditional methods. These cultivation practices represent the source for these medicinal mushrooms and still produce the finest nutraceuticals in the world.

Product Information

Cordyceps sinensis is a highly valued medicinal mushroom in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern clinical practice. In China it is called "winter worm," "summer grass", and the "caterpillar mushroom". Cordyceps is found in the highlands of China, Tibet, and Nepal, above 10,000 feet.

Cordyceps attracted the attention of the general public and the health profession in 1993 when a group of Chinese runners broke nine world records in the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Germany. Afterwards the coach attributed those results to the athletes' regular use of a cordyceps-based tonic. Because Cordyceps helps increase stamina, energy levels, and endurance, it has become one of the top selling sports supplements amongst the worlds' elite competitive athletes.

Clinically, Cordyceps is used to support immune health.

Cordyceps Sinensis Cs-4

The wild fruiting form of Cordyceps used in Traditional Chinese Medicine is extremely rare in the wild, and because of this, it is very expensive. Chinese scientists spent many years looking for a vegetative form of Cordyceps that would produce the same active compounds as the fruit body; the result of that research is the Cordyceps strain Cs-4.

Clinical Research

There has been a significant amount of research done on the health benefits of Cordyceps. Studies have looked at the immuno-modulating and immuno-regulating activities, used in supporting renal health and respiratory health. 

Traditional Use and Preparation

Cordyceps is sweet and acrid in taste and warm in nature, acting through the lung and kidney channels. Cordyceps supplements invigorate the kidneys and protects the lungs, and are also used in cases of occasional fatigue. For most conditions Cordyceps is prepared as a decoction, although when used as a tonic in TCM the fruit bodies are often cooked into a chicken broth.

Active Constituents
Polysaccharides, Adenosine, Cordycepic Acid.

Extraction Information

Wild Cordyceps sinensis fruit bodies and cultivated Cordyceps sinensis mycelium have demonstrated equal levels of immune activity, neither being superior to the other. The modern clinical research has been conducted with hot-water extracts of the cultivated mycelium. The optimal preparation for both is a hot-water or hot-water/ethanol extract.

Our product is a hot-water/ethanol extract from the Cs-4 strain of Cordyceps. The mycelium is cultivated on an all-natural chemical-free nutrient base. This process yields all of the active constituents that make Cordyceps one of the most highly prized medicinal mushrooms.

References

1. J., et al., The Scientific Rediscovery of an Ancient Chinese Herbal Medicine: Cordyceps sinensis, Part 1. The Journal of Alt and Comp Med. 1998 (4); 3:289-303.
2. J., et al., The Scientific Rediscovery of an Ancient Chinese Herbal Medicine: Cordyceps sinensis, Part 2. The Journal of Alt and Comp Med. 1998 (4); 4:429-57.
3. C., Medicinal Mushrooms. Botanica Press. 1995.
4. Z., Huang, X., Lou, Z., Li, S., Zhou, L., Yuan, S., Yang, Z., Tang, Z., Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Commercial Press Ltd., Hong Kong. 1988.
5. B., Bau, Y., Fungi Pharmacopoeia. Kiniko Press. 1980.
6. D., et al. Effects of natural Cordyceps and the cultured mycelia of Cordyceps sinensis on murine immune organs and functions of mononuclear phagocyte system. Abstracts of Chinese Medicine, 1:371.
1985.