The western world is gradually becoming aware of the celebrated, ancient dietary supplements that have been used in China and India for thousands of years. Some of them are more mysterious than others.
So, are you willing to consume a fungus that grows on caterpillar larvae? If you are not too afraid to try it, more information about that above-mentioned supplement is available here.
What if someone told you the dried fungus cordyceps sinensis, which grows on the larva of the caterpillar, is reputed to have amazing health benefits for anyone willing to consume something so bizarre? Recent studies on this legendary fungus have revealed, according to researchers, “a great number of fungal species present in the mycobiota [. . .] and many of them may represent undescribed lineages” (Zhang et al., 2010). This naturally occurring substance has been around for ages, but it is still quite new to the western scientific community.
Your interest in this odd nutritional option probably depends on how far you are willing to go to find the supplements that will optimize your health. Three Chinese athletes used it before the 1993 National Games in Beijing, and they broke five world records in one day. People all over the world are using it to combat aging, fatigue, memory loss, and a host of other ailments for which it is supposed to be beneficial. Cordyceps is taken as an aphrodisiac, strong antioxidant, and immune booster.
Even the growing market for energy/concentration supplements is beginning to incorporate the use of cordyceps sinensis extract into the formulas used for their products. The profound effectiveness people are experiencing with this “magical” fungus has even inspired one company to go beyond the energy supplement market and enter the realm of nutritional therapy by creating a dietary supplement that combines cordyceps with other powerful ingredients such as co-enzyme Q-10, Maca Powder, and 12 other active ingredients to provide 21st century nutrition enthusiasts with an experience unlike anything that has ever been available before: “BrainEffect Premium” (http://www.brain-effect.com/en)
References:
Wang YH, Ye J, Li CL, Cai SQ, Ishizaki M, Katada M. (2004). An experimental study on anti-aging action of Cordyceps extract. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15506292
Zhang Y, Zhang S, Wang M, Bai F, Liu X (2010) High Diversity of the Fungal Community Structure in Naturally-Occurring Ophiocordyceps sinensis. PLoS ONE 5(12): e15570.
