What Do Cordyceps Do for the Body? Benefits and Side Effects

Cordyceps are mushrooms that are often used to ease the effects of stress on the body. Cordyceps is an adaptogen, it has antitumor activity, and it boosts immunity, but side effects include that it may interfere with medications and cause bleeding.

Cordyceps have a long history of use in traditional Asian cultures. These mushrooms are often used to ease the effects of stress on the body. Cordyceps supplements are popular and might have some health benefits, but more research is needed.   

Cordyceps are a type of fungus that grows on the larvae of insects, usually the caterpillar of a moth. There are about 500 species of cordyceps, but the most common type is Cordyceps sinensis. This species is common in China and Tibet and is an old component of Chinese medicine. 

Residents of Nepal, Tibet, India, and China have used cordyceps for hundreds of years to adapt to mountain conditions, like low oxygen and high atmospheric pressure. They also used it to treat infections, lung diseases, diabetes, liver and kidney diseases, and sexual problems. 

The indigenous peoples traditionally collect the cordyceps between May and June, dry them, and grind them up. Then, they add hot water to prepare an extract or to make cordyceps into a hot drink. 

Mushrooms have two key parts: mycelium and a fruiting body. The mycelium is the underground network of germ tubes called hyphae, which are like the roots of a plant. The fruiting body is the mushroom you see above ground. It carries the spores that grow mycelium. 

About 80 to 85 percent of all mushroom supplements come from the fruiting body, and only about 15 percent from the mycelium. However, cordyceps fruiting bodies are small, blade-like structures and are hard to harvest, so cordyceps supplements often contain only mycelium. 

While indigenous cultures harvest cordyceps from larvae, wild cordyceps are a limited resource. They take too long to grow naturally and are at risk of overexploitation because of the high demand for supplement products. 

To make up for this, companies use other similar species, like Cordyceps militaris, and grow cordyceps in warehouses using a mycelium culture in liquids or cereal grains. 

Fruiting bodies or mycelia are dried into a powder and made into capsules, powder dietary supplements, or extracts. 

People have used cordyceps for a long time as food and as medicine, and modern research also shows that cordyceps do indeed have some health benefits. 

Source of vitamins and nutrients

The fruiting body of cordyceps is rich in vitamins and nutrients, like B vitamins, vitamin K, carbohydrates, proteins, and fatty acids. It also contains essential amino acids, like lysine, threonine, and proline, which are the building blocks of protein. They’re also rich in fiber and low in fat and calories. 

Adaptogenic

Adaptogens are compounds in plants and mushrooms that help your body adapt to stress and fatigue. These compounds raise or lower your body's chemical reactions and help it return to its balanced state. By definition, adaptogens are non-specific, which means they influence the body through lots of different factors rather than a single process, and they are non-toxic. 

Cordyceps is an adaptogen and has antistress and anti-fatigue activity. In China, cordyceps is used after illness to restore health and recover from exhaustion. It’s also commonly used to improve physical stamina. 

A small study showed that cordyceps capsules can improve exercise performance. One group of older adults took cordyceps three times a day and exercised on a stationary bike, while the other took placebo capsules and engaged in the same exercise. After 12 weeks, the cordyceps group showed a significant change in metabolic and breath markers while the placebo group had no changes.

Still, while cordyceps is commonly used for endurance, other research shows it doesn’t help. In one study, cyclists took cordyceps tablets for 5 weeks and measured breath markers and time during exercise. The measurements didn’t change between the cordyceps and the placebo group, and they didn’t change after supplementation. 

The results are mixed, so it’s unclear how or whether cordyceps treat fatigue.

Antitumor activity 

Cordyceps contains a natural chemical called cordycepin, which participates in anti-tumor activity. In early lab dish research, cordycepin caused oral squamous cancer cell death. As the dose and length of treatment increased, the cancer cell’s survival rate lowered and it eventually experienced cell death. 

Cordyceps also might stop the spread of cancer cells. In animal studies, researchers injected cordyceps extract into mice with metastatic, or widespread, melanoma cancer. The extract lowered the number of metastatic masses in the liver in a dose-dependent manner and significantly lengthened survival. 

Other research shows that cordyceps can also enhance cancer drugs. Lab dish studies show that a combination of cordyceps and a chemo drug called cisplatin blocked cell growth and growth factors, leading to greater resistance against cancer cells. 

However, these are all early studies, and more research is necessary to understand how cordyceps can help treat cancer. 

Boosts immune system

Cordyceps can trigger your immune system and activate different immune cells. Based on research, the polysaccharides in cordyceps are the active chemicals with immune activity. 

In animal studies, these polysaccharides enhanced white blood cells called T cells and increased phagocytosis, a process where cells ingest disease-causing germs or particles and break them down. Cordyceps also stimulated cytotoxic T cells: immune cells that directly kill other, harmful cells. The study found that cordyceps could trigger these activities in both healthy and immunocompromised mice. 

Cordyceps extract also activates immune system pathways that stimulate natural killer cells: immune cells that kill cells infected with a virus and help find and control early signs of cancer. 

In animals, the extract also has been seen to increase certain enzyme activity in white blood cells that kill germs and clean up dead cells. 

Blood thinner

Blood thinners are medications that stop blood clots from forming. There are two types: anticoagulants and antiplatelets. 

Anticoagulants slow down the clotting process, and antiplatelets stop cells called platelets from clumping together and making a clot. Your doctor might recommend blood thinners to prevent blockages, heart attacks, or stroke.

The chemical cordycepin in cordyceps has demonstrated antiplatelet activity. In humans, the extract blocked platelet clumping in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting it could be useful for managing circulation and heart and blood vessel health. More studies are necessary, though.

Might protect your kidneys

Cordyceps shows protective effects on the kidneys in mice. In one study, experts blocked blood flow in mice kidneys for 60 minutes. They then brought blood flow back to the area, which caused worsened cell problems and death. The cordyceps extract, however, helped block this cell death and lowered inflammation. The result was better kidney function. 

Cordyceps might also be helpful for kidney transplants. Some studies show cordyceps extract improves kidney and liver function, lowers the rate of infection in kidney transplant patients, and lowers rates of organ rejection. On the other hand, other studies suggest cordyceps doesn't help kidney function after dialysis or transplant, though.  

Might help insulin resistance 

Insulin resistance occurs when your body doesn’t respond to insulin properly and your cells can’t take in glucose from your blood. Your body responds by making more insulin, which can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes. Cordyceps extract might help make you more sensitive to insulin and help lower your blood glucose levels.

In animals, treatment with cordyceps extract for 25 days increased insulin sensitivity and helped regulate insulin spikes after consumption of carbohydrates. Another animal study showed that taking a cordyceps extract for 17 days lowered fasting blood glucose levels by 27 percent and insulin levels by 37 percent.

Might help your liver

Cordyceps might also support your liver. Some early studies show cordyceps extract might boost your immune system and improve liver function during a hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis B is a virus that infects your liver and can cause scarring, cancer, and liver failure. 

In animals, cordyceps extract also blocked collagen activity and reversed the scarring process in mice with liver cirrhosis. People have used cordyceps for a long time to treat liver disease and protect the liver, but more research is needed to confirm their intuition. 

Cordyceps is a safe and edible mushroom. There are no reports of major side effects of cordyceps supplements, but there are potential risks. 

Might cause bleeding

Cordyceps can act as a blood thinner and might increase your risk of heavy bleeding. There are reports of cordyceps tonic causing excessive bleeding after a patient had a tooth pulled. It’s likely a good idea to avoid taking cordyceps if you have an upcoming surgery or procedure or if you have a bleeding disorder. 

Cordyceps might also enhance the effects of blood thinner medications. If you take blood thinners, talk to your doctor first before taking cordyceps supplements. 

Interferes with medications

Based on lab studies, cordyceps supplements might also increase the effects of diabetes medication and insulin. This could lead to low blood glucose levels. It’s not clear that these effects take place in humans, though. 

Might promote some types of cancer growth

Animal studies show that cordyceps increases the growth of immature red blood cells. If you have a type of bone marrow cancer, cordyceps could stimulate cancer growth, at least in theory. If you have bone marrow cancer, talk to your doctor before taking cordyceps supplements.

The research on cordyceps shows promising health benefits. There are potential risks, though, so talk to your doctor first before you start taking any supplements.