SupplementsHerbs & MushroomsCordyceps
Cordyceps
organic cordyceps powder
Nicknamed the zombie fungus for how it grows out of insect larvae, it's now mostly grown in labs and taken for stamina.
- Builds up
- 3 to 12 weeks
- In your body
- Not known
- Per 1 capsule
- 500 mg
- 30-day supply
- $10.80One capsule a day, plus packing and delivery
What is cordyceps?
Cordyceps is a fungus with a famous life story. In the wild, it infects the larvae of insects high in the mountains of Southwest China and Tibet, then grows out of them. It's been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 1,500 years, for tiredness, aging and much else.
There are over 260 species. The two people use most are Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris. And no, most supplements today don't involve caterpillars: they're grown in labs instead.
Ours is organic cordyceps powder, 500 mg a capsule, with no animal products on the label. The label doesn't say which species it is, and that matters a little, because studies used different ones.
What it does
- StaminaTraditionally used to support energy and stamina.
- Immune systemSupports the normal activity of your immune cells.
- Everyday energyTraditionally used for tiredness and vitality with age.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
What people take it for
MixedStamina and exerciseTrained cyclists saw nothing. Younger adults on a mushroom blend improved after 3 weeks. It may help most if you aren't already very fit.
Early daysEnergy with ageIn a study of 20 healthy adults aged 50 to 75, the point where exercise starts to get hard moved up about 10% over 12 weeks.
Early daysImmune activitySmall studies in healthy adults found more active natural killer cells, a kind of immune cell, after 4 to 8 weeks.
How long it takes
It doesn't work like a coffee. In one study, a week changed little, and the first real shift came at 3 weeks. The study in older adults ran 12.
- First weekLittle measurable change in the main exercise test
- 3 to 8 weeksWhen exercise and immune changes showed up in small studies
- 12 weeksWhere the study in older adults took its final reading
How long it stays in your body
There's no clean number in people. Cordycepin, one of its signature compounds, gets broken down very quickly in the blood, which is one reason nobody's sure what does the work.
What's in a capsule
One capsule holds 500 mg. Commercial products usually suggest 500 mg to 4 g a day. Studies used about 1 g a day in older adults, 1.5 g for immune activity, 3 g in cyclists and 4 g of a mushroom blend in younger adults, so one capsule is less than any of those.
Wild, lab-grown, and what's actually in it
Wild cordyceps is rare and expensive, so nearly everything sold today is a fungus grown in a lab. Most supplements, and much of the research, use a lab strain called Cs-4. The contents include sugars, sterols, vitamins and unusual compounds like cordycepin, but no one knows for sure which of them matter.
The honest summary: lab and animal work looks exciting, and a US government liver reference says those benefits haven't really been proven in people yet. Results so far are small and mixed. Studies of well-trained cyclists found no gain at all, which may mean there isn't much to add when your fitness is already high.
Where it comes from matters more than usual. In one report, two people got lead poisoning from contaminated cordyceps powder, with lead at a startling 20,000 parts per million. Their levels returned to normal after they stopped, one of them with medical care. It's a good reason to look for products that test what's inside.
What it interacts with
- Transplant and immune-suppressing medicinesCordyceps may change how these work. In China, it's sometimes given alongside them, but only by the transplant team. Don't add it yourself.
- Blood thinners and antiplatelet medicinesCompounds from a cordyceps strain slowed clotting cells in a lab. Nobody knows if a capsule does the same in you, so ask, and mention it before surgery.
- Diabetes medicinesLab work suggests it could lower blood sugar, although one trial in healthy adults saw no change. It's worth a question.
- Kidney test resultsIn people with kidney disease, studies found lower creatinine, though the research quality was low. Tell whoever reads your results.
Goes well with
Side effects
- Usually mild and uncommon: stomach discomfort, diarrhea, dry mouth, nausea, poor appetite and rash.
Check first if
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: our label says to talk to your doctor first. It's for adults only.
- Kidney disease or a transplant: never start it on your own, however promising the research sounds.
- Immune conditions: because it may raise immune activity, talk to your doctor if your immune system is overactive or being managed with medicines.
- Liver: cordyceps is considered an unlikely cause of liver injury, though one woman on it for years developed a rare liver condition that improved after she stopped. Mention it if you have liver problems.
- Mushroom or mold allergy: this is a fungus, so check first if you react to them.
The blood tests that go with it
- LactateThe exercise study measured the point where lactate starts to build up.
- CreatinineFell in kidney disease studies, so it can shift your kidney result.
- HemoglobinCarries oxygen in your blood, and rose in kidney disease studies.
- LymphocytesThe immune cell family that became more active in studies.
- ALTA general liver check. It didn't change in studies that measured it.
- Fasting glucoseWorth a look, since lab work suggested a blood sugar effect that one trial in people didn't find.
Work it out
Supplementation
Find Cordyceps in a ready-made protocol.
Start from one of these, or add it to your own. Everything comes in one pouch each morning.
Mind & balance
For a demanding day.
30-day pack · 6 a morning · 180 pills
$75.30 / month
Choose this packYour own
Build your own pouch.
Know what you want to take? Pick each ingredient, and we time it through your day.
Build your own
- cGMP-certifiedFacilities
- FDA-registeredFacilities
- Accredited labsIndependent testing
- Non-GMOIngredient options
- OrganicIngredient options
- VeganFormula options
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Want it more precise? Get the app.
A page can only tell you about Cordyceps. The app tells you about you: whether it fits, when to take it, and whether it's working.
- Checked against your blood work and everything you already take
- On your daily timeline, around your sleep, training and meals
- Followed over time, so you can see what moved
CordycepsOPEN 09:00Cordyceps against your blood work, your sleep and what you already take.
AIYour resting heart rate has been steady and your long runs are getting easier. Want to see what's changed since you started cordyceps?
ASK ABOUT CORDYCEPSFind the goal that's yours.
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Questions
What is cordyceps good for?
People mostly take it for stamina, energy and immune support. The research is early and mixed, so think of it as a possible small help, not a sure thing.
How long does cordyceps take to work?
Give it weeks. One study saw the first real changes at 3 weeks, and another ran for 12.
What are the side effects of cordyceps?
Usually few and mild: stomach upset, diarrhea, dry mouth, nausea, poor appetite and rash.
Who should not take cordyceps?
Talk to your doctor first if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, have a transplant or kidney disease, have an immune condition, or take blood thinners or immune-suppressing medicines. It's for adults only.
Can I take cordyceps every day?
That's how studies gave it, mostly for a few weeks to a few months. It's generally regarded as safe, but we know less about many years of use.
Is cordyceps really made from caterpillars?
In the wild, yes: it grows out of infected insect larvae. Most supplements are grown in labs instead, and our label lists no animal products.
Does cordyceps improve exercise performance?
Sometimes, in some people. Younger adults on a blend and older adults improved in small studies. Trained cyclists didn't.
Does cordyceps boost energy like caffeine?
No, you won't feel a quick lift. Any effect seems to build over weeks of regular use.
Is cordyceps good for your kidneys?
Researchers have studied it in people with kidney disease and the early numbers look interesting, but the studies were weak. It's not something to try on your own if your kidneys aren't well.
Is cordyceps safe for your liver?
It appears to be. A US government liver reference rates it an unlikely cause of liver injury, and studies that tracked liver tests saw no change.
Sources
- NIH LiverTox. Cordyceps.
- Hirsch KR et al. Cordyceps militaris Improves Tolerance to High-Intensity Exercise After Acute and Chronic Supplementation. J Diet Suppl, 2017.
- Chen S et al. Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med, 2010.
- Parcell AC et al. Cordyceps Sinensis (CordyMax Cs-4) supplementation does not improve endurance exercise performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2004.
- Earnest CP et al. Effects of a commercial herbal-based formula on exercise performance in cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2004.
- Kang HJ et al. Cordyceps militaris Enhances Cell-Mediated Immunity in Healthy Korean Men. J Med Food, 2015.
- Ontawong A et al. A randomized controlled clinical trial examining the effects of Cordyceps militaris beverage on the immune response in healthy adults. Sci Rep, 2024.
- Chen M et al. Cordycepin: A review of strategies to improve the bioavailability and efficacy. Phytother Res, 2023.
- Wu TN et al. Lead poisoning caused by contaminated Cordyceps, a Chinese herbal medicine: two case reports. Sci Total Environ, 1996.
- Zhang HW et al. Cordyceps sinensis (a traditional Chinese medicine) for treating chronic kidney disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2014.
- Hong T et al. Cordyceps sinensis (a traditional Chinese medicine) for kidney transplant recipients. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2015.
- Mao YH et al. Extraction, Characterization, and Platelet Inhibitory Effects of Two Polysaccharides from the Cs-4 Fungus. Int J Mol Sci, 2022.
Written by LifeFrom from these sources, and not yet reviewed by a clinician. Talk to your doctor before starting a supplement.
