How much does one cordyceps cost? What are its effects and benefits?
Cordyceps is a complex consisting of the stroma of the fungus Cordyceps sinensis (family Clavicipitaceae) parasitizing the larvae of moths of the family Hepialidae, together with the larval cadaver; its main active ingredients are cordycepin, cordycepic acid, cordyceps polysaccharides and other substances beneficial for human absorption. So, how much does one cordyceps cost? What effects and benefits does cordyceps have? How should cordyceps be eaten? Let's take a look together!
1. How much does one cordyceps cost?
Cordyceps is known as one of “China's three most precious traditional Chinese medicinal materials”. It contains a variety of substances beneficial to the human body and is extremely precious, so its price is relatively high. Moreover, the price of cordyceps changes with the cordyceps market, and prices differ from year to year and season to season. So, how much did one cordyceps cost in 2018?
September and October mark the peak sales season for cordyceps, and prices have continued to rise over the past two months. Taking cordyceps from Nagqu and Yushu in Tibet as an example, in October the price of dried cordyceps reached about 3000 yuan per kilogram, and the price of one cordyceps was about 100 yuan. Prices vary from region to region; in China, cordyceps is mainly produced in five provinces and autonomous regions: Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan. Among these, cordyceps from Tibet and Qinghai is of superior quality and commands higher prices.
2. What effects and benefits does cordyceps have?
1. Enhancing immune system function
The immune system can help the body clear aging and necrotic cells and tissues, resist the risk posed by tumors, and externally defend against infection by viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms. Long-term use of cordyceps can regulate the immune system and keep it in optimal condition.
2. Anti-tumor effect
Cordyceps is rich in cordycepin, which is the main component exerting the anti-tumor effect. Long-term use of cordyceps can effectively guard against the risk of tumor progression.
3. Refreshing the mind
Cordyceps sinensis can increase mitochondrial energy, improve the body's resistance to fatigue, and refresh the mind.
4. Improving kidney function
Cordyceps can reduce the likelihood of chronic kidney disease, eliminate kidney toxins, and improve kidney function.
5. Boosting liver function
Taking cordyceps can reduce damage to the liver from toxic substances. In addition, taking cordyceps can improve immune function and enhance resistance while also effectively resisting infection from viral hepatitis.
6. Lowering blood lipids
Taking cordyceps can lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood and reduce atherosclerosis.
7. Regulating the endocrine system
Taking cordyceps can clear blood waste, promote metabolism, and regulate the human endocrine system.
3. How is cordyceps eaten?
As an extremely precious tonic, cordyceps can be eaten in many different ways. The simplest is to steep it in boiling water or decoct it in water, or it can be eaten directly, such as by chewing it or grinding it into powder and swallowing it. If you are after better nutritional value and tonic effects, it can also be steeped in liquor with other tonics such as ginseng and fleeceflower root (Polygonum multiflorum), or stewed in soup with black-bone chicken, squab or turtle, all of which can achieve good tonic and health-care effects.
Cordyceps is expensive and has many health-preserving and health-care effects, but exactly how to eat it and how much to take still requires consulting a doctor. Never take it casually on your own.