• Log in with Facebook Log in with Twitter Log In with Google      Sign In    
  • Create Account
  LongeCity
              Advocacy & Research for Unlimited Lifespans

Photo
* * * * * 1 votes

Cordyceps sinensis / Reishi


  • Please log in to reply
22 replies to this topic

#1 drmz

  • Guest
  • 574 posts
  • 10
  • Location:netherlands

Posted 30 October 2007 - 12:56 PM


Anyone using Cordyceps sinensis or Reishi, seems to be interesting stuff (?)


Cordyceps, one of the well-known traditional Chinese medicines, consists of the dried fungus Cordyceps sinensis growing on the larva of the caterpillar. It is commonly used for the replenishment of body health. One of the known pharmacological effects is its anti-oxidation activity. However, there is a great variation of the quality in different sources of Cordyceps. Here, the water extracts of various sources of natural C. sinensis and cultured Cordyceps mycelia were analyzed for their anti-oxidation activity by using three different assay methods such as the xanthine oxidase assay, the induction of hemolysis assay and the lipid peroxidation assay. The results showed that Cordyceps, in general, possesses a strong anti-oxidation activity in all assays tested. However, both natural and cultured Cordyceps showed the lowest inhibition in the lipid peroxidation when compared with the other two assay methods. The cultured Cordyceps mycelia had equally strong anti-oxidation activity as compared to the natural Cordyceps. Besides, the anti-oxidation activities were increased to 10-30 folds in the partially purified polysaccharide fractions from the cultured Cordyceps mycelia, which suggested that the activity could be derived partly from Cordyceps polysaccharides.

#2 krillin

  • Guest
  • 1,516 posts
  • 60
  • Location:USA

Posted 30 October 2007 - 05:11 PM

Cordyceps feels like ephedrine, so don't take large doses until you know how you react.

sponsored ad

  • Advert
Click HERE to rent this advertising spot for SUPPLEMENTS (in thread) to support LongeCity (this will replace the google ad above).

#3 drmz

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest
  • 574 posts
  • 10
  • Location:netherlands

Posted 30 October 2007 - 06:35 PM

thanks for telling me telling krillin, i have some cardiac problems and i usually react bad to ephedrine, caffeine and other stimulants

#4 stayin_alive

  • Guest
  • 84 posts
  • -1

Posted 31 October 2007 - 12:21 AM

"Cordyceps feels like ephedrine."

I've not abused Cordyceps, but taken in suggested amounts, I've never noticed anything from it. I take 25 mg ephedrine once sometimes twice a week, never on the same day and a few days apart. I don't take, ever, more than 500 mg of caffeine a day, and I always feel caffeine and I always feel ephedrine.

#5 health_nutty

  • Guest
  • 2,410 posts
  • 93
  • Location:California

Posted 31 October 2007 - 05:35 AM

"Cordyceps feels like ephedrine."

I've not abused Cordyceps, but taken in suggested amounts, I've never noticed anything from it. I take 25 mg ephedrine once sometimes twice a week, never on the same day and a few days apart. I don't take, ever, more than 500 mg of caffeine a day, and I always feel caffeine and I always feel ephedrine.


I would second that. It feels nothing like caffeine to me.

#6 synaesthetic

  • Guest
  • 230 posts
  • 0
  • Location:San Diego

Posted 31 October 2007 - 06:46 AM

I've taken Cordceps and it definately helped with my chronic fatigue... there is a study that shows it helps to increase oxygen uptake.

#7 graatch

  • Guest
  • 390 posts
  • 5
  • Location:the USA

Posted 31 October 2007 - 11:22 PM

I took 500-700mg of cordyceps 2x (day and night) and it seemed to help over time with stress resistance, and, yeah, chronic fatigue. I feel that it could indeed become stimulating at much higher dosages than I used.

#8 quarter

  • Guest
  • 132 posts
  • -1

Posted 02 December 2007 - 07:12 PM

If you wanted to use Cordyceps for a performance boost would it be best to save it for a one off acute effect?

Or does it need time to build up in your system? like creatine for example.

Cheers.

#9 aaron_e

  • Guest
  • 117 posts
  • 13
  • Location:.

Posted 31 October 2008 - 06:14 AM

thanks for telling me telling krillin, i have some cardiac problems and i usually react bad to ephedrine, caffeine and other stimulants


i take cordyceps and they don't feel stimulating to me, and i'm extremely sensitive to stimulants

#10 Jacovis

  • Guest
  • 247 posts
  • 1

Posted 31 October 2008 - 10:48 AM

I've never tried Cordyceps but this product looks interesting: http://www.alohamedicinals.com/pm.htm. The company seems to be quite focused on Cordyceps as well which is unusual I think (though they do only sell Medicinal Mushrooms and Cordyceps would be one of the main ones)...

I took 500-700mg of cordyceps 2x (day and night) and it seemed to help over time with stress resistance, and, yeah, chronic fatigue. I feel that it could indeed become stimulating at much higher dosages than I used.


How would you rate it for ADHD symptoms graatch?

#11 Dorho

  • Guest
  • 354 posts
  • 56

Posted 10 December 2009 - 09:35 AM

I would like to know what brands of Cordyceps you are using or have used. I just ordered Doctor's Best Ultra Cordyceps as it had quite favorable reviews in iHerb, though one reviewer of the Doctor's Best said he didn't feel it had "the same 'oomph' as wild cordyceps" and gave it one star.

At least the way the Cordyceps is cultivated, what particular strain it is and how it is processed affects the potency of the product. I wish there were people who have tried different Cordyceps products so that comparison between them would be easier.

#12 Steve_86

  • Guest
  • 266 posts
  • 34
  • Location:Australia - Perth

Posted 10 December 2009 - 03:00 PM

Cordyceps is an MAOB inhibitor, does anyone know if its contraindicated with Deprenyl?

#13 VespeneGas

  • Guest
  • 600 posts
  • 34
  • Location:Oregon, atm

Posted 10 December 2009 - 05:01 PM

Cordyceps is an MAOB inhibitor, does anyone know if its contraindicated with Deprenyl?


Sample size n=1, taking cordyceps with dextroamphetamine ---> mild tachycardia and anxiety. I wouldn't recommend combining it with any dopaminergic agents (maybe your daily coffee/tea).

Haven't tried their cordyceps, but doctor's best is a pretty reliable brand IME.

#14 Cless986

  • Guest
  • 62 posts
  • -0

Posted 11 December 2009 - 04:06 AM

I take cordyceps in the traditional way, my grandmother uses the double steaming method http://en.wikipedia....Double_steaming to prepare the soup along with many herbs and ingredients. But not so frecuently because its very expensive (more than gold by weight) I drink at night and the day after I feel great with a lot of energy without any side effects,
I dont have proof to back it up but the chinese have the belief that this thing is the ultimate supplement (lol the price) for
people that can afford it. it helps the body fight diseases and recover from injuries, and prolongs life. my grandma is a living proof of that, almosth 85 and she looks like 60.

another awesome food, is the sea cucumber

#15 Dorho

  • Guest
  • 354 posts
  • 56

Posted 11 December 2009 - 08:39 AM

I take cordyceps in the traditional way, my grandmother uses the double steaming method http://en.wikipedia....Double_steaming to prepare the soup along with many herbs and ingredients. But not so frecuently because its very expensive (more than gold by weight)

More than gold by weight? That's gotta be wild Cordyceps sinensis. Apparently it grows only in Tibetan highlands in Nepal in places that are very hard hard to get to because of the harsh terrain.

Interestingly though, Madre Labs claims to cultivate cordyceps in conditions that resemble the habitat of the wild cordyceps in 5400 meters of elevation, thus leading to the most potent commercially available form of cordyceps. However, instead of selling pure cordyceps extract, they mix it only in proprietary blends that do not show the amount of cordyceps used. My guess is that it's a price issue. It must take ages to grow a mushroom in low temperature with little available oxygen and nutrients.

Edited by Dorho, 11 December 2009 - 08:40 AM.


#16 maxwatt

  • Guest, Moderator LeadNavigator
  • 4,949 posts
  • 1,625
  • Location:New York

Posted 11 December 2009 - 11:19 AM

The Chinese Cordyceps sinensis is parasitic on living caterpillars, eventually killing them, leaving a dried out caterpilar with a mushroom growing from its back.

Cordyceps are considered a male aphrodisiac in some cultures. Apparently the water soluble extract does not have this quality, but the other components appear to increase testosterone production in rodents and in isolated cells.

Posted Image

Life Sci. 2003 Sep 5;73(16):2127-36.
In vivo and in vitro stimulatory effects of Cordyceps sinensis on testosterone production in mouse Leydig cells.
Hsu CC, Huang YL, Tsai SJ, Sheu CC, Huang BM.

Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, 701 Tainan, Taiwan.
The in vivo and in vitro effects of Cordyceps sinensis (CS) and its extracted fractions on the secretion of testosterone in mice were studied. CS, F2 (water soluble protein), and F3 (poorly water soluble polysaccharide and protein) significantly stimulated in vitro testosterone production in purified mouse Leydig cells. However, F1 (water soluble polysaccharide) had no effect (p>0.05). F2 and F3 stimulated in vitro testosterone production in dose- and time-dependent relationships with maximal responses at 3 mg/ml for 3 h (p<0.05). An in vivo study illustrated that testosterone levels in plasma were significantly increased by CS, F2, and F3, respectively (p<0.05). Because CS, F2, and F3 stimulated both in vitro and in vivo testosterone secretions in mice, it is possible that CS might contribute to an alternative medicine for the treatment of some reproductive problems caused by insufficient testosterone levels in human males.

PMID 12899935



#17 1kgcoffee

  • Guest
  • 737 posts
  • 254

Posted 12 December 2009 - 06:06 AM

I drink reishi extract tea pretty frequently these days. Tastes yucky in a way that makes you crave it.

Like many supplements, you need to be taking mushroom extracts consistently to notice any benefit. It doesn't turn you into a superman, it's more of a balancing and rejuvenating effect that happens so slowly, it's hard to notice. My totally unscientific opinion is that it's pushing the body toward homeostasis.

#18 Dorho

  • Guest
  • 354 posts
  • 56

Posted 07 January 2010 - 05:11 PM

Well, I ordered Doctor's Best Ultra Cordyceps from iHerb and after a month of waiting, the package arrived. I didn't notice any kind of energy boost and I actually got bloody stools after two days of use so I had to ditch it. Hopefully it works better for others.

#19 Cless986

  • Guest
  • 62 posts
  • -0

Posted 19 April 2010 - 03:14 AM

But... why the pills are so cheap??? if you look at the prices
of tibetan cordyceps, it costs more than gold per weight (last time I bought from hongkong)
it cant be that laboratory cordyceps is the same.
they are the best luxury gift you can give to a chinese, it means you cares about their health :)

#20 Lufega

  • Guest
  • 1,810 posts
  • 274
  • Location:USA
  • NO

Posted 19 April 2010 - 04:42 AM

Been using eclectic institute cordyceps. Noticed the effect after a couple of days. More energy and endurance at the gym, libido is up and my erections are manlier. Actually, I feel like I have better oxygen saturation and my breathing is more efficient. (I get kind of dysneic because of the alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency thingy) It's a different feel from MACA, both increase libido really well, but they simply feel different. Im curious to see the effect if I combine cordyceps with maca and say catauba.

#21 Vee

  • Guest
  • 2 posts
  • 0
  • Location:London

Posted 16 September 2010 - 06:35 PM

Here is a link I have found that is very intuitive on the backgrounds and scientific studies done around the world. The document is 63 pages long is some part are pretty scientific based, but please do not be put off with that as I see it as a must read for anyone talking or looking to start talking cordyceps

you could righe click and 'save link as..' for a personal copy or click and have it load on your web browser.

http://www.earthpulse.com/cordyceps_inc/cordyceps_story.pdf


I was using Jarrow Formulas cordyceps 60x1000mg two tables one a day and found a somewhat better well being feeling. I had a boost in energy and that came in handy when going to the gym. The effects are subtle, like having a few cups of coffee, with out the shacks or any other miserable side effects from caffeine. I usually took it in the morning after breaky, or at lunch time after meals. I honesty think it's a great little pick-me-up and the benefits are great. I have currently started to use another brand just for trial purposes and see how it goes :)

Well I hope the link works as it was something I stumbled upon and trying found remarkable.

Happy reading.
  • dislike x 1
  • like x 1

#22 Aka Poe

  • Guest
  • 26 posts
  • 11
  • Location:Mountain Top

Posted 12 May 2014 - 11:57 PM

Cordyceps

I have friends who study Cordyceps in Tibet and the Amazon. Cordyceps naturally grows on underground buried insect larva, and the tiny above ground, fingerlike  protusion (carpophore) is very rare and time consuming to collect. For that reason, any true Cordyceps from the wild is extremely expensive.  The Tibetan variety recently got a lot of world press in magazine articles and also increased in popularity as more Chinese can afford it, so the price has sky rocketed.

 

Most cheaper alternative commercially grown Cordyceps is not from the surface fruiting bodies at all, but instead is an extract from the underground mycelium only. The surface mushroom is just the sexual apparatus of  the larger, vast underground thread network which few ever see, called mycelium.  So far no one has suceeded in growing the fruiting bodies since burying living insect larva is problematic and not cost efffective if possible at all. So rather than the hand picked Tibetan fingers,  most commecial Cordyceps is grown on non insect substrates such as rice hulls, and then the mycelium is extracted and concentrated.  Now whether these extracts from myecelium have the same benefits as the true surface fruiting bodies found in Tibet is in dispute.

 

I received a gift from an herbalist who has a company specializing in Chinese Herbs, of a small amount of Tibetan Cordyceps listed in his catalogue for $140!  A quarter teaspoon in the morning  was moderately stimulating, gave physical endurance that lasted hours and also instilled noticable sexual prowess.  After I ran out of that, I bought commercial Cordyceps extract powder which was grown on rice hulls, and have to say it's effects pale in comparison, seems to do nothing for endurance, energy nor for sex. Who knows, maybe it is pure bunk. Never the less, I take a half teaspoon each morning.

 

I presume that the Cordyceps grown from natural insect larva substrate  transforms some chemicals from within  the insects into the  fruiting body which then have unique medicinal properties that may not occur in rice hull grown Cordyceps mycelium.

 

For more reading Dan Winkler has good info online on his studies.

 

Reishi and Lion's Mane

 

Reishi has no particular subjective effect in me, but I trust the few thousand years of usage in Asia so I take a half teaspoon a day for benefits. Lion's Mane I can feel, it seems to feel somewhat like Piracetam, slightly sedative or even cloudy if I overdo it.  Somewher it was mentioned it has uridine in it I believe.

 

I have friends who grow both Reishi and Lion's Mane, both are fairly easy to grow. Reishi is grown commercially indoors in clean rooms and Lion's Mane can be grown outdoors in humid cooler areas. Both prefer wood chips so are not problematic to grow like Cordyceps which needs insects to fruit. Paul Stamets has some good guide books if you re intereted in growing your own, and you can also find kits to grow Lion's Mane at home if you live in a temperate, moist region, it is fun to do and just requires water!



sponsored ad

  • Advert
Click HERE to rent this advertising spot for SUPPLEMENTS (in thread) to support LongeCity (this will replace the google ad above).

#23 calm--

  • Guest
  • 127 posts
  • 6
  • Location:Jakarta, Indonesia

Posted 07 May 2015 - 10:15 AM

I just took 2 caps Now Cordyceps 750 mg this morning after breakfast, and while I noticed a nice motivation boost, I also experienced slight anxiety and irritability for about 2 hours. Anyone experienced this as well?






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users