Cordyceps militaris

What You Should Know

Cordyceps militaris is a type of fungus in the Cordycipitaceae family and is known as the Zombie Mushroom because of its unique growth pattern. Instead of growing like other mushrooms, its spores infect the larvae of ghost moths, and the fungus grows inside the caterpillars, killing them. The bright tendrils of the fungus then grow out of the caterpillar's head and up through the soil. It is a common species found throughout the northern hemisphere, with fruiting bodies appearing in Europe from August to November. The club-shaped fruiting bodies of the mushroom are covered with stroma, which has rough punctures on their surface. The actual fruit bodies, called perithecia, are inserted into the stroma, and the inner fungal tissue is whitish to pale orange in color. There are about 750 species of cordyceps, and a small fraction of those have known medicinal properties.

While North American field guides consider it inedible or "probably edible", it is commonly used as a food ingredient in Asia, particularly in chicken soup, pork bone soup, and hot pot. Cordyceps can also be consumed in powder form, extracts, tinctures, or pills. Mushroom coffee is a popular way to consume it, but the taste of the coffee is more noticeable than that of the mushroom.

Cordyceps is generally considered safe, but it may affect blood sugar levels, so people with hypoglycemia or diabetes should talk to their doctor before taking it. Additionally, it may increase the effects of blood-thinning medication, as noted by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Cordyceps militaris can be cultivated in different environments such as silkworm pupae, rice, and liquid nutrition. The demand for Cordyceps has turned it into a profitable industry, with the most expensive variety found in the Tibetan Plateau above 3,000 meters. Unfortunately, over-harvesting of wild Cordyceps militaris has made it scarce, and counterfeiting has occurred in the market. To ensure quality, consumers should look for dark brown products that smell earthy and bitter, as light-colored or sweet-smelling products may contain little of the beneficial parts of the mushroom.

Other names: Caterpillar Fungus, Cordyceps Mushroom, Zombie Mushroom, German (Puppenkernkeule).

Cordyceps militaris Mushroom Identification

1. Fruiting Body

   0.79 to 3.15 inches (2 to 8 cm) long; up to about 0.19 inches (0.5 cm) wide; club-shaped, with the top wider than the base; the upper portion orange and pimply, the lower portion smooth and orange to pale orange, often curved; narrowing at the base and arising from the buried pupa or larva; flesh pale watery orange, with an outer cortex.

2. Habitat

   Parasitic on buried larvae and pupae of insects (primarily moths and butterflies. Grows solitarily or in groups during summer and fall, and can be found throughout North America, although it appears to be more prevalent in the eastern regions of the Rocky Mountains.

3. Spore Print

   White.

4. Microscopic Features

   Perithecia embedded in a layer of loosely interwoven cells; sometimes appearing half-embedded or superficial. Asci 300-510 x 3.5-5 µ, with caps 3.5-5 µ thick. Spores segmented and threadlike; breaking into elliptical segments 2-4.5 x 1-1.5 µ.

15 Health Benefits of Cordyceps militaris

1. Arrhythmia

   It has been proven to be effective in treating arrhythmias by stabilizing the membrane, and reducing Ca2+ overload and free radicals.

2. Asthma

   It strengthens the kidneys and lungs, reduces inflammation in the airways, reduces phlegm, and increases the production of adrenal cortex hormones, which expands bronchial smooth muscles.

3. Atherosclerosis

   It improves the immune response of red blood cells, reduces inflammation, reduces circulating cholesterol, and improves the activity of white blood cells.

4. Auto-immune disorders

   It strengthens the immune system by stimulating natural killer cell activity, calms overactive immune systems, and improves autoimmune diseases such as diabetes and lupus.

5. Bronchitis

   It regulates the immune system, decreases inflammation in the lungs, stops coughing, and eliminates phlegm.

6. Cancer

   It reduces the growth of cancer cells, increases immunity, and may shrink tumor size, particularly with lung or skin cancers.

7. Diabetes

   It lowers blood glucose levels and increases blood serum levels, improving the symptoms.

8. Energy/fatigue/stamina

   It increases stamina, is an anti-fatigue supplement, improves the capacity of a subject to exercise, and increases resistance to fatigue.

9. Erectile dysfunction and female libido

   It acts as a kidney tonic, improves erectile function, replenishes sperm count, and improves libido.

10. Fatty liver

    Cordyceps may help normalize liver enzymes, inhibit steatohepatitis derived from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by lowering serum and tissue TNFa, reducing the over-expression of UCP2, and inhibit hepatic fibrogenesis derived from chronic liver injury as well as retard the growth of cirrhosis.

11. Hepatitis

    Studies suggest that Cordyceps may help the liver regenerate by increasing ATP levels, and also control liver fibrosis, and strengthen immunity function and anti-oxidation ability in patients with hepatitis C. 

12. Liver damage

    In a study on 14 patients, with alcohol-included liver steatosis, supplementation with Cordyceps at 3g/day resulted in a 70% reduction in AST, a 63% reduction in ALT, and a 64% reduction in GGT over 90 days. Animal studies also show that Cordyceps can inhibit alcohol-induced hepatic fibrogenesis, retard the development of cirrhosis and improve liver function.

13. Lupos

    In a study with mice that had Lupus, one group was given Cordyceps while the other group was not. The survival rate of control group showed a survival rate of 0% after 8 months, while the group that used Cordyceps showed a survival rate of 75%. After 6 months, the negative percentage of anti-ds DNA was measured, with 43% for the control group, and 87.5% for the Cordyceps group.

14. Renal failure

    In a human study involving 51 patients with chronic renal failure, the administration of 3-5g per day of Cordyceps to 28 patients improved renal and immune function.

15. Tinnitus

    In 23 cases of tinnitus treated with an infusion of Cordyceps, eight were reported as cured and nine significantly improved, while six found no improvement. The researchers concluded that Cordyceps was effective for tinnitus caused by fluid accumulation in the middle ear, while it was ineffective in cases with a long history of auditory nerve disorder. 

Cordyceps Militaris vs. Sinensis

The main difference between Cordyceps sinensis fungus and Cordyceps militaris is in the concentrations of 2 compounds: adenosine and cordycepin. Studies have shown that Cordyceps sinensis contains more adenosine than Cordyceps militaris, but no cordycepin.

Both Cordyceps sinensis and militaris have similar properties that make them a desirable supplement for a variety of purposes, including:

• Supporting a healthy immune system

• Supporting cardiac and respiratory health

• Supporting metabolic health

• Promoting exercise endurance and recovery

• Supporting sleep cycles

Cultivation of Cordyceps militaris

Cordyceps militaris is a fungus that is difficult to grow because it only eats certain insects in the wild. If you try to grow it yourself, it might not produce much or any fruit. That's why it's important to get the genetics from a supplier who has successfully grown it before. Even then, not all Cordyceps militaris strains will produce fruit, so it's important to make sure that the supplier has actually grown it successfully. The next steps are only for educational purposes and should be revised by a person who sells you mushroom strain:

Recipe: Cordyceps Tea

Ingredients

1. 7 grams cordyceps mushrooms or 1 tablespoon cordyceps powder

2. 1/2 lemon or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

3. 4 thin slices of fresh ginger

4. 1/2 cups water

Instructions

1. Heat water in a large pot on the stove until it reaches a rapid boil.

2. Add in the cordyceps pieces or powder and let steep for 10 minutes.

3. Turn the heat down to medium and add in the ginger slices and lemon juice. Steep for 5 additional minutes.

4. Use a fine-mesh strainer to remove the ginger and cordyceps mushrooms. Serve in a warm mug

Cordyceps militaris Taxonomy and Etymology

In 1753, the Scarlet Caterpillar fungus was described by Carl Linnaeus and was assigned the scientific name Clavaria militaris. Later, in 1833, the German mycologist Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link (1767 - 1850) renamed it as Cordyceps militaris, which has been widely accepted as its scientific name ever since.

The name Cordyceps is derived from two Latin words: "cord," meaning a club, and "ceps," meaning head, indicating that this fungus belongs to the club-head fungi family. The specific epithet militaris, also from Latin, may refer to the way in which this fungus attacks, overpowers, and occupies the pupae and occasionally larvae of moths.

Cordyceps militaris Synonyms

1. Clavaria gemmata Schaeff., 1774

2. Clavaria granulosa Bull., 1791

3. Clavaria militaris L., 1753

4. Corynesphaera militaris (L.) Dumort., 1822

5. Hypoxylon militare (L.) Mérat, 1821

6. Sphaeria militaris (L.) Ehrh., 1791

7. Torrubia militaris (L.) Tul. & C. Tul., 1865

8. Xylaria militaris (L.) Gray, 1821

Sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Hagen Graebner (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

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