How Is Cordyceps Formed? A Detailed Explanation of the Latest Formation Process
Cordyceps is a precious tonic medicinal herb commonly used in Chinese folk medicine, also known as cordyceps or Chinese caterpillar fungus. Its nutritional content is higher than that of ginseng. It can be used as medicine or eaten, and has very high nutritional value. It can enhance the body's immunity and nourish the lungs and kidneys, and has a significant inhibitory effect on lung cancer, liver cancer and others. Now let us take a look at how Cordyceps is formed!
How Is Cordyceps Formed?
Cordyceps is a combination of an insect and a fungus. The insect is the larva of the cordyceps ghost moth, and the fungus is the cordyceps fungus. Every midsummer, on snowy mountain meadows at an altitude of more than 3,800 m, as the ice and snow melt, the small-bodied ghost moth leaves thousands upon thousands of eggs on flowers and leaves. The moth eggs then become small worms that burrow into the moist, loose soil, absorb nutrients from plant roots and stems, and gradually grow white and plump. At this time, the spherical ascospores encounter the cordyceps ghost moth larvae, drill into the insect body, absorb its nutrients, and germinate hyphae. The larvae infected by the fungus gradually wriggle to a place 2 to 3 cm below the ground surface, die with their heads up and tails down, and this is the “winter worm”. Although the larvae die, the fungus inside the body grows day by day until it fills the entire insect body. In late spring and early summer of the following year, a small purplish-red grass grows from the head of the insect, about 2 to 5 cm tall, with a pineapple-shaped cyst shell at the top, and this is the “summer grass”.
Where Is Cordyceps Produced?
Cordyceps is mainly produced in the upper reaches of the three river basins of the Jinsha River, Lancang River and Nujiang River, extending east to Liangshan in Sichuan Province, west to Burang County in Tibet, north to the Minshan Mountains in Gansu Province, and south to the Himalayas and Yulong Snow Mountain in Yunnan Province. Cordyceps production in Tibet accounts for about 41% of the national total, Qinghai Province accounts for about 33% of the national total, and Yunnan Province and Sichuan Province each account for around 11 to 16%.
What Benefits Does Cordyceps Have?
1. Regulating immunity: Cordyceps can both increase the number of immune system cells and tissues, promote antibody production, increase the number of phagocytic and killer cells and enhance their function, and also lower the function of certain immune cells.
2. Anti-tumor effect: Cordyceps contains cordycepin, which is the main component exerting its anti-tumor effect. In clinical use, cordycepin is mostly used as an auxiliary treatment for malignant tumors, and more than 91.7% of cases showed improvement in symptoms.
3. Anti-fatigue effect: Cordyceps can increase the energy of the human body's power plants - the mitochondria, improve the body's cold tolerance, and thereby reduce fatigue.
4. Regulating heart function: Cordyceps can improve the heart's ability to tolerate hypoxia, reduce the heart's oxygen consumption, and resist arrhythmia.
5. Regulating liver function: Cordyceps can reduce damage to the liver from toxic substances and can also play a beneficial role in viral hepatitis.
6. Respiratory system regulation: Cordyceps can regulate respiratory system function and has the effects of dilating the bronchi, relieving asthma, eliminating phlegm, and preventing emphysema.
7. Regulating kidney function: Cordyceps can reduce kidney lesions caused by chronic diseases, improve kidney function, and reduce damage to the kidneys from toxic substances.
8. Regulating hematopoietic function: Cordyceps can enhance the bone marrow's ability to produce platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells.
9. Regulating blood lipids: Cordyceps can lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, increase high-density lipoprotein, which is beneficial to the human body, and reduce atherosclerosis.
10. Other effects: Cordyceps also has effects such as direct antiviral action, regulation of central nervous system function, and regulation of sexual function.