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The not-so-scary story of cordyceps
Cordyceps mushrooms are among the most wild, revered, and misunderstood in the functional mushroom space. Contrary to what you may see in zombie TV shows, this mushroom is not dangerous. In fact, it holds numerous benefits for humans.
Cordyceps is getting some infamous press right now for its fictional appearance in zombie TV shows or video games like “The Last of Us.” This is a fictionalized take on the fact that wild cordyceps grows off of insects. 🐛
Zombi Fungus For Medical Uses
Don’t worry, it is not a zombie fungi that will harm humans in real life! Not only will it not hurt you, but many of the 600+ species of cordyceps are powerful medicinals that humans have used for thousands of years.
The cordyceps we use (functional, not fictional) are:
- 100% vegan 🌱
- Organically grown
- Beneficial for energy, endurance, and stamina ⚡
- Delivers fuel for your day, without caffeine
The quick and dirty:
At Four Sigmatic, we use the fruiting body of Cordyceps militaris, organically grown on a plant-based substrate, and extracted for highest potency. This is your best ally for pre-workout, post-workout, endurance, and energy, all without caffeine or other stimulants.Traditional uses paving the way
Discover how to use cordyceps
If you’re not afraid of this fungus, keep reading and you’re in for a treat! In this section, we’ll go over:
- Traditional uses
- Proper sourcing for highest quality
- Effective dose
- Best time to take
- Four Sigmatic products with cordycepts ☕
- How to maximize benefits by pairing with the right ingredients
Traditional uses of cordycepts
Cordyceps were first discovered by yak shepherds or sherpas of the Himalayan mountains ⛰️ over 2,000 years ago. As legend goes, the sherpas upon reaching altitudes of 13,000 ft+, would watch as their yaks roamed the hills. When the yaks started munching on things they found in the grasses, they nearly instantly went into heat!
It wasn’t long until the sherpas tried these small, strange looking fruits of nature for themselves. And it turns out that the energy and stamina inducing effects observed in the yaks was also experienced by the sherpas.
The result: they realized they could breathe easier at higher altitudes, had greater endurance, a lift in physical energy, and experienced a sense of ease and lowered physical stress on long treks.
Cordyceps: The Athlete's Secret Performance Booster
The emergence of Cordyceps to the West, and especially among the athlete community, was sparked by a team of Chinese Olympic athletes in 1993. A female running team broke 3 world records and the industry thought they must be doping. How could they achieve such profound performance without the assistance of performancing-enhancing drugs?
While rumors spread, the false allocations were stopped by the women’s coach who shared that he had added cordyceps to their training protocol. Athletes have been using cordyceps ever since. 🍄🏃💨
Curious about other super-ingredients for energy? Read our blog on eluthero.
Today, cordyceps is used for much of the same benefits originally discovered by the sherpas and further confirmed by the runners of ‘93. We now have several thousand years of experience using the mushroom, as well as research to validate the compounds in the mushroom responsible for its energizing benefits.
Ethical Dilemmas of Wild Cordyceps
These original, wild cordyceps used by the sherpas were actually growing off of insects out in the wild. With the rise in popularity of cordyceps, places where the mushroom grows naturally (including northern India, Tibet, China, and Nepal), there is intense competition to collect the mushrooms.
Unfortunately, wild-harvesters are not paid fair wages.
The price of wild cordyceps has literally surpassed the price of gold, gram for gram. Due to these sustainability and ethical concerns, stay away from wild cordyceps.
Vegan cordyceps: No bugs are harmed!
Instead, most cordyceps you can find in your Western grocery store today are grown on a substrate (base that mimics the compounds found in the insects it grows on in nature). While we typically avoid any mushrooms grown on substrates other than what they are found on in nature, cordyceps is the exception.
Research shows that consuming the fruiting body of cordyceps, wild or grown on a substrate, has benefits nearly analogous to the wild varieties. This avoids the sustainability and ethical issues, as well as ensuring you are getting a fully vegan product!
Avoid mycelium (unless you like filler)
It's important to use the part of the mushroom called the fruiting body, and it should always be organic. If you want an effective boost, don't use the parts of the mushroom called mycelium. In simple terms, mycelium are the roots of the mushroom (which have 15x less active compounds than the fruiting body).
For a deeper dive on fruiting body vs mycelium, check out our blog here.
Often the mushroom roots grow on grains like oat or rice. Cordyceps products that use mycelium cultured on grains, actually contain a lot of the grains it was growing in. And very little mycelium. Plus, current studies show that the fruiting body of the mushroom contains 15x the amount of beneficial compounds. It’s the gold standard, to put it simply. Even worse, if it hasn’t been extracted, your body can’t access all the beneficial compounds in cordyceps that contribute to its energy and endurance benefits.
Before looking at dosage, make sure you know what you are getting! To ensure the highest potency and bioavailability for your body, check the supplement lable for:
- Fruiting body (AKA – the real mushroom)
- USDA certified organic
- Extracted, meaning its bioavailable
The effective dose of cordyceps
An effective dose of cordyceps extract is between 500 mg - 1500 mg. Always start small and slowly build up after a few days as your body allows. Benefits start plateauing around 3,000 mg/day.
👍Tip for use: you can combine cordyceps with vitamin C rich foods or adaptogens like schisandra or cacao to increase benefits.
Cordyceps is a perfect caffeine-free way to give your body the physical energy it needs to power through a big day, a workout, or get you past the afternoon slump without having to worry about a come-down later. Since an effective dose of Cordyceps extract is between 500 mg - 1500 mg, we always follow this range in all Four Sigmatic products containing cordyceps.
Not sure when to take Cordyceps, before or after a workout? There are benefits to both!
- Before: Cordyceps supports energy and stamina, so it’s a great addition to your pre-workout routine.
- After: Cordyceps is also an adaptogen, so it helps your body to adapt to any extra stress your workout is adding to your day. In this way it can help support recovery.
Four Sigmatic cordycepts for energy
We only use extracted, fruiting bodies of cordyceps mushroom, never wild-harvested or sourced from non-vegan sources.
- Our best-selling product with cordyceps is our Boost Cacao. It's like a European, better-for-you hot chocolate with an energizing effect.
- Caffeine-free Boost Elixir, which is a formula that combines cordyceps extract with rose hips (for all the vitamin C) and Schisandra and mint, which you can use on its own, or add into coffee, tea, or smoothies.
- If you want a high-caffeine, cordyceps combo, try Boost Ground Coffee. It’s like jet fuel to kickstart your day!!
- You can also find cordyceps in
