Cordyceps Extract - A 2000-Year-Old Chinese Aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiacs and sexual potentiators have been all the rage since Viagra was introduced in 1998, and believers in natural remedies have been looking for herbal alternatives. The traditional Chinese 'herb' of choice for this purpose is called Cordyceps sinensis.
The mushroom Cordyceps sinensis does have a common name in English, Caterpillar fungus, although many more people know it by its Latin name as just "Cordyceps." In its natural environment, it can be found only at high altitudes in the mountains of China and Tibet. Considering its minute size, it is a 'small' (pun intended) miracle that anyone ever discovered it and thought to use it as a medicinal mushroom.
Since the time of Christ, Oriental physicians have administered Cordyceps sinensis to improve physical as well as sexual prowess and stamina. The earliest written record of this can be found in the book The Classic Herbal of the Divine Plowman. from around 200 A.D.
There is a reason why the common English name for Cordyceps is Caterpillar fungus. In nature, it grows as a parasite on silk-worm caterpillars, eventually killing them, and finally sprouting out of their dead bodies. Not very appetizing, is it? However, Cordyceps sinensis can now be grown on a rice medium and harvested free from any caterpillar carcasses, heavy metals, or contaminating bacteria and funguses. Cordyceps grown under these controlled conditions has been shown to contain the same therapeutic compounds as its wild counter-parts.
A Chinese paper published in 1985, thirteen years before the release of Viagra, found a statistically significant improvement in erectile dysfunction (64%) when the subjects were administered 1,000 mg of Cordyceps sinensis per day. [1]
There are three likely contributing factors why Cordyceps sinensis appears to have an effect on sexual dysfunction:
- Cordyceps sinensis has been shown to improve physical vitality and stamina in general. [2,3,4] In 1993, a group of nine Chinese women set world records at the Chinese National Games. When asked about the secret to their success, they attributed it to their use of Cordyceps. [5,6]
- Cordyceps sinensis helps dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow [7,8], which is certainly an important factor in erectile function.
- Last but not least, Cordyceps extract was shown in two studies to cause a significant increase in the testosterone production in male subjects. [9,10]
Note: This article is for scientific and informational purposes only. It is very important to always consult with a licensed medical doctor before using an herb to treat any medical condition.
The mushroom Cordyceps sinensis does have a common name in English, Caterpillar fungus, although many more people know it by its Latin name as just "Cordyceps." In its natural environment, it can be found only at high altitudes in the mountains of China and Tibet. Considering its minute size, it is a 'small' (pun intended) miracle that anyone ever discovered it and thought to use it as a medicinal mushroom.
Since the time of Christ, Oriental physicians have administered Cordyceps sinensis to improve physical as well as sexual prowess and stamina. The earliest written record of this can be found in the book The Classic Herbal of the Divine Plowman. from around 200 A.D.
There is a reason why the common English name for Cordyceps is Caterpillar fungus. In nature, it grows as a parasite on silk-worm caterpillars, eventually killing them, and finally sprouting out of their dead bodies. Not very appetizing, is it? However, Cordyceps sinensis can now be grown on a rice medium and harvested free from any caterpillar carcasses, heavy metals, or contaminating bacteria and funguses. Cordyceps grown under these controlled conditions has been shown to contain the same therapeutic compounds as its wild counter-parts.
A Chinese paper published in 1985, thirteen years before the release of Viagra, found a statistically significant improvement in erectile dysfunction (64%) when the subjects were administered 1,000 mg of Cordyceps sinensis per day. [1]
There are three likely contributing factors why Cordyceps sinensis appears to have an effect on sexual dysfunction:
- Cordyceps sinensis has been shown to improve physical vitality and stamina in general. [2,3,4] In 1993, a group of nine Chinese women set world records at the Chinese National Games. When asked about the secret to their success, they attributed it to their use of Cordyceps. [5,6]
- Cordyceps sinensis helps dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow [7,8], which is certainly an important factor in erectile function.
- Last but not least, Cordyceps extract was shown in two studies to cause a significant increase in the testosterone production in male subjects. [9,10]
Note: This article is for scientific and informational purposes only. It is very important to always consult with a licensed medical doctor before using an herb to treat any medical condition.
About the Author:
About the writer: Dr. Rafael has worked with natural health products since the mid-90's, as a researcher and writer specializing in mycomedicinals. Click Cordyceps extract for medicinal mushrooms and free articles, or to request a unique version of this article for your own web-site or publication. Cordyceps Article References A special thank you to Paul Stamets for reference material!
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