Cordyceps are a type of fungi that grow in higher altitudes in the Himalayan regions of China, Nepal, Tibet and India. There are over 750 different kinds, but so far 35 of them have been shown to have health benefits.
Yes, Cordyceps are parasitic in nature. However, it is only parasitic to insects.
“Here’s how it works: A cordyceps spore lands on and infects its host. It then starts to spread mycelia (or tendrils) throughout the insect’s body. Those tendrils replace the host’s internal tissues and feed off of its nutrients. Once the insect is fully paralyzed or dead, the cordyceps fungus erupts out of the insect’s body with a fruiting body (the visible reproductive structure of cordyceps). This fruiting body then spreads its spores to other insects of the same species” (Cleveland Clinic).
The fruiting body is what gives us the health benefits from Cordyceps. This can be ground up and added into our foods and/or drinks.
Cordyceps come in many different forms for consumption. These include but are not limited to: capsules, powders, teas, and coffees.
The two major Cordyceps that contain health benefits are C. sinensis and C. militaris. These have been shown to decrease inflammation, which can in turn help with our cholesterol levels as well.
Not only that, but Cordyceps has been shown to help increase exercise performance. It improves our VO2 max, which shows how much oxygen our bodies absorb during exercise. It also improves our ATP production, which provides energy to our muscle groups.
Cordyceps also contains anti-aging properties by regulating energy metabolism.
Some studies also show that it regulates blood sugar, as well as providing anti-cancer properties.