Description

The Cordyceps Cs-4 extract may be the most versatile of all medicinal mushroom supplements. Hot-water/alcohol extracts provide the immune health benefits normally associated with medicinal mushroom supplements, but also provide a host of other important health benefits including balancing the HPA axis and improving energy, stamina and endurance.* Wild harvested Cordyceps mushrooms were once reserved exclusively for the emperors of ancient China because of their scarcity. The imperial family used Cordyceps mushroom extracts as a tonic drink because of its evident ability to replenish energy and improve and maintain overall good health.

The wild harvested mushrooms are still relatively scarce and very expensive, and the process of harvesting the wild fruit bodies in the Himalayan highlands can be environmentally damaging – so modern use and research has focused on hot water/alcohol extracts of the Cs-4 strain of mycelium cultivated in liquid culture (then extracted, dehydrated to a powder and encapsulated). The Cs-4 strain of mycelium is the only strain of Cordyceps mycelium that provides all the active compounds found in the wild harvested Cordyceps mushrooms. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Cordyceps sinensis extracts are considered to be in the highest class of tonic herbs, balancing and strengthening the body’s internal systems.

In TCM Cordyceps extracts are thought to tonify both the Yin and Yang energy, so are considered safe for long term use. Today, Cordyceps supplements are commonly used for the many health benefits described and more, making Cordyceps extracts the number one selling mushroom supplement in the U.S.A. and the world. Cordyceps Mushrooms & Sports Used to increase energy and endurance, Cordyceps Cs-4 extracts have also become the supplement of choice among world class competitive athletes. In 1993, China’s Wan Jun-Sha broke the world record for the 10,000 meter run by an astonishing margin at the World Track and Field meet in Stuttgart, Germany. When asked how she was able to perform such an astounding feat, she gave credit to rigorous training and her daily use of a Cordyceps Cs-4 extract.

If properly extracted with hot water and alcohol, Cordyceps extracts help athletes to increase energy, stamina and endurance. Cordyceps extracts can also help with faster recovery from the physical stress experienced during training and competition. The sooner an athlete can recover from the stress of a workout, the sooner they can train again. The benefits for athletes requires consistent daily use of the supplement. It typically takes at least four weeks to start feeling the improvement in energy levels and recovery time. Cordyceps Extracts and Stress Because of the adrenal support Cordyceps extracts can provide, they may be especially useful for people dealing with excessive psychological or physical stress.

Cordyceps sinensis extracts help to balance the HPA axis. By helping to balance the HPA axis Cordyceps extracts may also help with other manifestations of stress such as reducing fatigue, anxiety and insomnia, helping to promote better sleep. Like the other medicinal mushrooms, Cordyceps must be prepared as a hot water extract to be effective for supporting immune health. Hot water extracts are the only supplemental form of Cordyceps ever used in TCM or tested in the scientific research. The beta glucan rich polysaccharides that provide the immune health benefits are locked up inside the indigestible cell walls of the mushrooms and mycelium. The only way to break these active compounds out into a bioavailable form is through hot water extraction or hot water/alcohol extraction.