Alkaline Diet

Cordyceps – The Ancient Herbal Remedy

Posted on 30. Mar, 2010 by George Tee in Alkaline Foods, Blog

Cordyceps. For now, you probably couldn’t care less about what it even is until you find out what it is capable of. Not only is it capable of alkalizing your body, it is also gaining popularity for the recent breakthroughs on research about cordyceps, a few of which include the treatment of cancer and the detoxification of your body.

What are cordyceps?

Cordyceps is a wild mushroom that grows on caterpillar larvae. Although its use in medicine is not widely known, it has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. Unfortunately, most people biased toward Chinese medicine would easily dismiss its healing powers. This is especially true for Western medicine, which generally frowns upon the use of Eastern traditional medicine. This bias, however, has not prevented the growth of traditional medicine. If anything, it is even leading towards the bridging and understanding of the two branches of medicine. In this case, cordyceps is the obvious bridge.

In Eastern Asia, it is claimed to be an anti-tumor and immunostimulant agent. It also combats bacteria inside the body.The popular term for cordyceps is Dong Chong Xia Cao, after winter worm summer grass.

The healing properties of cordyceps can be explained by what it contains: polysaccharides, protein, vitamins, flavones, deoxyadenosine, cordycepin, and omega-3 fatty acids. All of these are beneficial to your health in one way or another. For example, fatty acids will reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and boost your immune system.

Because it is an adaptogen, cordyceps is known to increase endurance and relieve fatigue. This claim may sound erratic and even impossible, but numerous tests have proven such.

How is cordyceps beneficial?

As cordyceps is a type of fungi, it is used as herbal medicine. Herbs are generally alkalizing, and will help relieve the body of your acidic state. As an antioxidant, it will also clean the acid toxins pent up in your digestive system. This again just goes to show how alkalizing cordyceps can be.

Cordyceps can also help in promoting the health of your liver. A study in Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine proved the using cordyceps can treat liver fibrosis. Also, it has properties that can help manage diabetes. Using cordyceps on mice with diabetes showed a significant drop in the blood glucose levels of these mice.

The energy-boosting properties of cordyceps have also been extensively researched. By taking in cordyceps, the body’s blood flow to the liver is increased and the oxidation process in your body is optimized.

This is proven by a double blind research experiment published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in February 2010. Half of 110 health sedentary adults were asked to take in 3g of cordyceps daily, while the other half were asked to take placebo. The adults did this for 12 weeks and results showed that the adults who took cordyceps for 12 weeks could bicycle longer by 2.8% before the experiment. The placebo group, on the other hand, decreased their length by 5.6%. By steadily taking in cordyceps for a mere 3 months, the endurance of the adults increased.

The crowning glory of cordyceps, however, is its cancer treatment properties. This was proven by a group of researchers from the University of Nottingham. The research proved that cordyceps can stop cancer cells from growing and proliferating throughout the body.

How are cordyceps able to do something that other treatments have ineffectively done? When taken in, it interacts directly with the development of your body’s protein cells. It restrains the production mRNA molecules and, when taken in high dosages, can eliminate the production of cancer cells and its survival inside the body.

Ironically, cordyceps has been offered as a cancer drug before in the 1950’s. It was called cordycepin. However, because the drug has been found to promote degradation inside the body, its production was canceled altogether. The findings of the study suggested that cordycepin should instead be taken alongside other drugs.

The benefits of cordyceps do not stop there. They are also good in protecting the liver, lowering the cholesterol levels, promoting cardiovascular health, and sharpening your memory.

How often can I take them?

Cordyceps are becoming increasingly available in different stores. One of its variety is in powder form, with a price range of about $8 to $10. One gram to three grams of cordyceps in powder form daily is sufficient.

However, if you have low blood sugar, you must take extra caution before taking cordyceps. You might as well consult a physician before taking it as a daily supplement. This way, you can be sure that your intake of cordyceps will not be in conflict with other foods in your diet or with your lifestyle.

By now, you should know what to answer at the mention of corydceps. For centuries now, people have been ignorant to how capable they are of treating various illnesses and sicknesses in your body–even the dreaded C word! With its proven benefits, you should consider including it in your daily diet.

Tags: cordyceps, herbal remedy, natural remedy