What are the effects and functions of "insect-fungus complex" cicada flower? How much to eat at one time? Can it treat kidney disease? Who is suitable to eat it?

Cicada flower is commonly known as large cordyceps, cicada pupa grass, cicada rong, crown cicada, hu cicada, tiao, tang tiao, tang cicada. Like cordyceps sinensis, it is also an insect-fungus complex. Some people believe that eating cicada flower has an immune-regulating effect. So what are the effects and functions of cicada flower? One time how much to eat? Can it treat kidney disease?

What is cicada flower?

Cicada flower is a wondrous organism with both animal and plant characteristics. The root is the body of a cicada pupa or mountain cicada larva, and the flower grows from the head of a single cicada larva or 2-3 cicada larvae, about one cun or more in length, flowering and branching from the top. According to related research, cicada flower is a biological pathological phenomenon and a combination of insect and fungus dependent on each other. When autumn comes, cicadas burrow into the soil and gradually become cicada pupae. Before eclosion, they are parasitized by cordyceps fungi. When living conditions are suitable, the fungi begin to germinate into mycelium, absorbing nutrients from the insect body, until the insect body is completely occupied by the mycelium and only an empty shell remains.

Effects and functions of cicada flower

Domestic and international studies show that cicada flower has multiple effects such as improving immunity, resisting fatigue, protecting the kidneys, improving sleep, resisting tumors, protecting the liver, resisting radiation and improving eyesight. It is a miraculous ancient Chinese medicine. Artificially cultivated cicada flower contains mannitol 2.18%, polysaccharides 21.73%, amino acids 19.76%, cordycepin 0.005%, adenosine 0.05%, which is similar to natural cordyceps sinensis, but toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and lead are not detected, making it safer than natural cordyceps sinensis. Therefore cicada flower can be used as a substitute for cordyceps sinensis and can also achieve a tonic and health-preserving effect.

[Pharmacological effects]

1. Brain system: Intraperitoneal injection of dilute alcohol extract of natural cicada flower or artificially cultivated products in mice can significantly reduce their spontaneous activity, prolong the sleep time caused by pentobarbital sodium and chloral hydrate, increase the sleep onset rate of mice with subthreshold hypnotic dose of pentobarbital sodium; prolong the latency time of convulsions in mice caused by central stimulants strychnine and pentylenetetrazol. Intraperitoneal injection in normal rats and yeast-induced fever rats has an obvious cooling effect. This shows that cicada flower and its artificial culture have obvious analgesic, analgesic and antipyretic effects.

2. Fetal system: nourishing and strengthening, anti-fatigue, anti-stress, hypoxia tolerance, high temperature tolerance;

3. Liver system: Clinical observation found that cicada flower can promote protein synthesis, lower urea nitrogen levels, and correct negative nitrogen balance; it can increase plasma albumin, hemoglobin and hematocrit in patients with chronic renal function; it can improve patients' triglycerides and lower serum cholesterol levels as well as lower blood sugar. In addition, it also has effects such as improving eyesight, improving lipid metabolism and protecting organ tissues.

4. Chest system: enhances the body's immune regulatory function; cicada flower has anti-radiation, anti-tumor and other effects.

5. Kidney system: Cicada flower has a relatively good therapeutic effect on renal interstitial tubular lesions, and can protect renal tubular cell Na-K-ATPase. It reduces cell lysosome and cell lipid peroxidation damage, improves renal hemodynamics, and reduces endothelial cell damage and blood coagulability. It has obvious effects on treating chronic renal failure, gout, lowering blood creatinine and urine creatinine, improving renal function, and improving the three highs (high blood lipids, high blood pressure, high cholesterol). Cicada flower mycelium can significantly delay the progression of chronic renal failure in rats, and artificially cultivated cicada flower mycelium also has the same effect. A famous doctor in Shanghai used cicada flower instead of cordyceps for clinical research and found that it has functions such as lowering blood and urine creatinine, increasing endogenous creatinine clearance, improving serum protein content, and reducing urine protein excretion.

6. Heart system: Literature reports that adenosine in cicada flower has the effect of lowering blood pressure and slowing heart rate. It promotes hematopoietic system function.

How much cicada flower to eat at one time?

Generally, the dosage is 6-9 grams, and it should not be used in too large an amount. For fungi, it is still better to use a small amount over a long period, but too large a single dose will burden the body.

Cicada flower for treating kidney disease

Improving renal function: Clinical research on cicada flower indicates that it has functions such as lowering blood and urine creatinine, increasing endogenous creatinine clearance, improving serum protein content, and reducing urine protein excretion. Therefore, it has definite effects on patients with early and middle-stage chronic renal insufficiency. Cicada flower has a relatively good effect on renal interstitial tubular lesions, can protect renal tubular cell Na+-K+-ATPase, reduce cell lysosome and cell lipid peroxidation damage, improve renal hemodynamics, and reduce endothelial cell damage and blood coagulability. Therefore it is believed that cicada flower can improve renal function.

How to eat cicada flower

1. Boil in water and drink as tea, rather than steeping in boiling water. This method is simple and useful. Generally, boil cicada flower for about 40 minutes. Note that you should first use high heat and then low heat, and drink it once the water boils.

2. Stew with meat products; 5-8 cicada flowers can be stewed together.

3. Use to make medicinal liquor and drink.

4. Use a grinder to grind cicada flower into powder, put it into capsule boxes and carry it with you, and take it on time every day.

Who is suitable to eat cicada flower?

Suitable groups for cicada flower:

Cicada flower is cold in nature, sweet in taste, and non-toxic; it has the functions of dispersing wind-heat, stabilizing menstruation and relieving pain, improving eyesight and promoting eruption, and nourishing and strengthening. Clinical application research confirms that the unique pharmacologically active substances of cicada flower have preventive and therapeutic effects on the following diseases, and it is suitable for the following groups:

1. Chronic kidney disease, renal insufficiency, proteinuria, etc., significantly preventing and slowing the occurrence of uremia.

2. Neurasthenia, insomnia;

3. Adjuvant treatment of tumors; prevention and treatment of toxic and side effects of tumor chemotherapy and radiotherapy;

4. Diabetes, hyperlipidemia, myocardial ischemia, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure;

5. Treating vision decline, preventing and treating cataracts and other ophthalmic vision diseases

6. Beauty and skincare effects, anti-aging and life-prolonging effects; it has an excellent comprehensive health-cultivating and health-care effect on sub-healthy people and middle-aged and elderly people.

Finally, the editor reminds: if you want to eat cicada flower, you should first ask a doctor whether it is suitable for you, and then obtain it through proper channels.