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The link between Cordyceps Militaris and Cardiovascular diseases

The heart is easily the most vital organ in any living organism. Throughout life, it needs to beat regularly for constant supply of blood to the body, but when this regular rhythm is lost, it really can be petrifying. Signifying this state, cardiac arrhythmia is that condition of improper electrical impulses that are unable to manage this organ’s blood pumping sequence.

In such a condition, the heart either beats too slow or too fast, on a regular or irregular basis. As a result, it may not be able to send adequate blood to the brain, itself and other organs. The risk of arrhythmia is known to rise with age, and this condition is most prevalent amongst individuals in their 50s. It is here the remarkable medicinal mushroom Cordyceps Militaris acts as a source of relief for patients.

[1] As per research published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, administration of Cordyceps Militaris can bring down high blood pressure and also rectify cardiac arrhythmia by increasing its latent period. In this manner, the duration of cardiac arrhythmia attacks can be reduced. [2] Similarly, scientist L Ganxhon has laid a claim that Cordycep Militaris also acts positively during protection attacks of hypoxia and ischemia

How Cordyceps Militaris is able to control cardiac arrythmia

[3] As per A. Pelleg, the reason Cordyceps Militaris is able to control arrhythmia is the existence of deoxyadenosine, adenosine and other adenosine-type nucleotides and nucleosides, all of which have a remarkable effect on cerebral and coronary circulation.

[4] A number of studies of chronic heart patients, published in the Journal of Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine 5 prove that administration of Cordyceps Militaris over long term, in conjunction with conventional treatments significantly improve cardiac functions and mental health.

[5] Apart from the above, different studies performed by D.G. Chen have proved that the administration of this wonder mushroom increases blood flow in coronary vessels to the heart, thereby decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease as well as myocardial infarction, as well as better brain functioning (enhanced cognitive ability and memory, less chances of ischemic strokes)

[6] D. G. Chen’s publications on Cordyceps Militaris effects also indicate relaxation of the aorta and the femoral artery during treatment with the extract of this mushroom, showing potential in the treatment of limb ischemia, recognized as one of the top causes of male disability today.

During the year 1995, Chen made us of the Cordyceps Militaris extract on 34 patients suffering from chronic heart failure, where he used echocardiography to compare their cardiac outputs with another group of 30 patients who had been administered regular treatment. Cordyceps Militaris clearly increased cardiac output by 60%, as compared to 25% in the control group.

References

[1] Zhu, JS, Halpern, GM, Jones, K. The scientific rediscovery of a precious ancient Chinese herbal regimen: Cordycep Militaris. Part II. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1998, 4(4), 429–457

[2] Ganxhon, L et al. The essentials of traditional Chinese herbal medicine (5th edition). USA: Foreign Language Press, 2003

[3] Pelleg, A. et al. The pharmacology of adenosine. Pharmacotherapy 10: 157-174, 1990; Toda, N. et al. Response to adenine nucleotides and related compounds of isolated dog cereberal, coronary and mesenteric arteries. Blood Vessels 19: 226-236 1982; Berne, R.M. The role of Adenosine in the regulation of coronary blood flow. Circ. Res. 47: 807-813, 1980

[4] Chen D.G. Effects of JinShuiBao Capsule on the Quality of Life of Patients with Heart Failure. Journal of Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine 5 (1995): 40-43

[5] (Chen D.G. Effects of JinShuiBao Capsule on the Quality of Life of Patients with Heart Failure. Journal of Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine 5 (1995): 40- 43)

[6] (Chen D.G. Effects of JinShuiBao Capsule on the Quality of Life of Patients with Heart Failure. Journal of Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine 5 (1995): 40- 43)

The role of Cordyceps Militaris in managing kidney functions

Kidneys are the essential filtering organs of the human body. Functions performed by them include the following:

• Reabsorption and production of water
• Maintaining acid-base balance
• Regulation of blood pressure
• Reabsorption of amino acids and glucose

When kidney dysfunctions occur, it affects other organs as well. Symptoms of degenerating kidney health include back and joint pain, impotence, high levels of blood sugar and fatigue. [1] Through recent studies, it has been seen that Cordyceps Militaris is able to uplift kidney potential with an increase in the levels of 17-ketosteroid levels and 17-hdroxy-corticosteroid.

[2] Administration of 3-5g of Cordyceps Militaris to the patients suffering from renal failure can significantly enhance kidney and immune functions. This has been observed in a study of 51 patients affected by chronic renal failure.

[3] Chronic renal failure may also result in anemia, proteinuria and hypertension. After one month of giving such patients the wonder mushroom, there was a substantial decrease in urinary protein and a 15% fall in high blood pressure.

Search on the Internet and you will find a number of other studies that describe how renal functions were restored with the help of Cordyceps Militaris . However, make sure you consult your physician before administering the same.

References

[1] Zhu, J. et al. The Scientific Rediscovery of an Ancient Chinese Herbal Medicine: Cordycep Militaris The Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine [part 1] Volume 4, Number 3, 1998, pp. 289—303 [part 2] Volume 4, Number 4, 1998, pp. 429 – 457

[2] Guan, Y.J., et al. (1992). Effect of Cordycep Militaris on T- lymphocyte subsets in chronic renal railure. Chinese Journal of Integrated Medicine 12: 323, 338-339

[3] Jiang, JC, Gao, YF. Summary of treatment of 37 chronic renal disfunction patients with JinShuiBao. J Administration Traditional Chinese Med 1995: 5(suppl):23-24

Benefits of Cordyceps Militaris for liver and pancreas

The liver is clearly the largest organ in the human body. It is absolutely vital for filtration of blood and other fluids in the body. Additionally, it also aids in maintaining proper blood sugar levels, turning food molecules into energy upon breakdown, creation of vital enzymes and proteins, and many others.

[1] As per a clinical study carried out on 33 patients affected with Hepatitis B, the consumption of Cordyceps supplement demonstrated an improvement of 71.9% during the thymol turbidity test, as well an improvement of 78.6% in the SGPT test. Both of the above are enzyme tests that measure liver functions.

[2] Similar to the above, a study in China with 70 patients affected by Hepatitis B, when treated with Cordyceps or with another popular herbal medicine (the main ingredient here being Ganoderma applanatum) displayed better clinical response than alternative treatment.

Regulation of pancreas happens as Cordyceps Militaris stimulates the growth of antioxidants, beta cells, lipoproteins and pancreatic glutathione. All the above elements assist in the fight against diabetes. In comparison to drugs such as glibenclamides, Cordyceps Militaris is a lot more powerful.

References

[1] Zhou LT. et al. Short-term curative effect of cultured Cordycep Militaris (Berk.) Sacc. Mycelia in chronic hepatitis B. China J Chinese Materia Medica 1990;15(1):53-55

[2] Yang, YZ. et al. Short-term observation of treating chronic hepatitis B and post hepatic cirrhosis with XinGanBao. Res Chinese Materia Medica 1994; (1):19-20.

 

Regulation of cholesterol by Cordyceps Militaris

Cholesterol is defined as a wax-based fat generated in either the intestines or the liver and is present in all animals. It is actually an essential component for life, being used to create lining around body cells so that nutrients can pass in and out of them. High cholesterol can be attained with excess red meat, food prepared in generous quantities of oil, but then it is not always harmful. The problem occurs as several symptoms of excess cholesterol are visible only when bulk of the damage has already taken place.

The essential reason that causes problems after high cholesterol is that blood is unable to flow freely to different parts of the body owing to blockages. Though symptoms vary based upon the type of high cholesterol, you are likely to see one or more of the following:

• Tingling across the body
• Yellowish parts on the skin
• Frequent bulges on the skin
• Aches in the legs while walking
• Chest pains

The best way to keep this problem in check is to visit the doctor for a blood test on a regular basis. Another way is to consume the mushroom Cordyceps Militaris based upon your doctor’s recommendation. It is a recognized food which, amongst various benefits, aids in lowering cholesterol levels.

Experiments to verify lipid-lowering effects

One of the major components of the mushroom Cordyceps Militaris is cordycepin, its chemical formula being 3′-Deoxyadenosine. This bioactive component has been recognized to have a number of biological effects, such as preventing growth of tumours, activities for vasorelaxation and controlling immune responses. In order to understand its fat-lowering effects, hyperlipidemic rats and hamsters were administered high-lipid diet and another diet with cordycepin from Cordyceps Militaris , for a period of four weeks. The quantities of lipids in rats and hamsters were measured with the help of enzymes, both before giving cordycepin (12.5, 25 and 50 mg x kg(-1)).

In the results, it was measured that levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), serum, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) increased markedly in the two animal populations on the high fat diet. On the other hand, cordycepin brought down levels of TG, LDL-C, serum TC, LDL- C/HDL-C and VLDL-C, as well as TC/HDL-C ratios. As a corollary, an increase in hepatic lipase (HL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity due to cordycepin was understood as responsible for lipid profile regulation.

[1] Other clinical studies that involved 273 patients (across 9 hospitals) having high levels of cholesterol showed that Cordyceps Militaris is responsible for bringing down total cholesterol by 10–21% and triglycerides by 9–26%. Additionally, it also helped increase HDL (good’ cholesterol) by 27–30%.

References

[1] (Zhu, JS, Halpern, GM, Jones, K. The scientific rediscovery of an ancient Chinese herbal medicine: Cordycep Militaris. Part I. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1998, 4(3), 289–303.)

How Cordyceps Militaris helps in controlling diabetes

Today diabetes is a known disease for about 25.8 million women, men and children in the world. Of this number, 7 million have still not been diagnosed, and about 80 million persons show symptoms of prediabetes. The disease is more common in males than in females, and increases at a drastic pace with age. Statistics claim that more than 25% of individuals aged more than 65 years are affected by diabetes. Not only is it very common, but treatment is also on the expensive side.

Factors that cause risk

If one considers avoiding diabetes as a whole, it is probably next to impossible. That being said, a fair number of changes can be made to regular lifestyles in order to reduce the chances of contraction. These include:

• Changes to diet
• Regular exercise
• Cut out smoking and drinking, with alcohol only in moderation

Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have been proven to be hereditary. Type 1 seems to get active upon viral infection. Type 2 is strongly related with genes, and people with Type 2 relatives are quite likely to contract the same.

Now as mentioned above, diet is one of the ways to control diabetes. Consumption of the fungus Cordyceps Militaris can be a saving agent, as clinical trials on both humans and animals have shown its potential of regulating blood sugar. [1] In a particular study, one group that received 3 grams of the fungus per day showed better regulation of blood sugar as compared to another group that was given conventional treatment. 95% of the first group showed improvement in blood sugar, as compared to just 54% in the latter.

A fair number of animal trials have shown that Cordyceps Militaris enhances insulin sensitivity, improves metabolism of blood glucose, and also increases the liver’s output of the glucose-regulating enzymes hexokinase and glucokinase. [2] Cs-4 from Cordyceps Militaris enhances glucose metabolism and brings up insulin sensitivity amongst normal rats.

References

[1] Guo QC, Zhang C. (1995) Clinical Observations of Adjunctive Treatment of 20 Diabetic Patients with JinSHuiBao Capsule. J Administration Traditional Chinese Medicine 1995:5(suppl):22

[2] (Zhao CS. et al. J Altern Complement Med. 2002 Aug;8(4):403-5; Kiho T. et al. Hypoglycemic activity of a polysaccharide (CS-F30) from the cultural mycelium of Cordycep Militaris sinensis and its effect on glucose metabolism in mouse liver. Phytother Res 2000 Dec;14(8):647-9; Tai-Hao, H. et al. Biological activity of Cordycep Militaris (Fr.) Link Species (Ascomycetes) Derived from a Natural Source and from Fermented Mycelia on Diabetes in STZ-Induced Rats. Inter J of Med Mush 4; 111-125

Some of the common Cordyceps Militaris benefits are :-

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Cordyceps Militaris as the protector of the respiratory system

As per traditional Chinese medicine, Cordyceps Militaris has been talked about as the protector of the human respiratory system since more than a thousand years. [1] In his book, L. Ganxhon describes the ability of the extract from Cordyceps Militaris to reduce symptoms related to asthma, COPD, pneumonia, phlegm, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory troubles. It also displayed the capability to relax bronchial walls and was able to improve oxygen utilizing efficiency of humans. [2] Similar positive treatments have also been done on humans by Zhu.

Cordyceps Militaris is extremely useful for tracheal contractions and is able to generate a higher degree of airflow to the lungs than earlier, which is especially helpful for asthmatic patients.

[3] Another clinical study with 50 asthma patients showed how a group treated with Cordyceps Militaris showcased an improvement of 81.3% rate within just 5 days, in comparison to 61% and an average of 9 days for the group treated with regular antihistamines.

[4] Apart from the above, when mice fed on the mushroom and were placed in an extremely low oxygen environment, it was found that they could utilize oxygen more efficiently (30–50% increase), tolerate acidosis as well as hypoxia (unavailability of oxygen), and were able to survive 2–3 times more than the control group.

References

[1] Ganxhon, L et al. The essentials of traditional Chinese herbal medicine (5th edition). USA: Foreign Language Press, 2003

[2] Zhu, J et al. The Scientific Rediscovery of an Ancient Chinese Herbal Medicine: Cordycep Militaris The Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine [part 1] Volume 4, Number 3, 1998, pp. 289—303 [part 2] Volume 4, Number 4, 1998, pp. 429 – 457

[3] Halpern, G. Cordycep Militaris, Chinas healing mushroom. Avery Publishing 1999: 63-70.

[4] Talbott, SM. A guide to understanding dietary supplements. New York: Haworth Press, 2003