What are Cordyceps Mushrooms?
Cordyceps belongs to the parasitic fungi family Cordycipitaceae, and it resides on particular caterpillars of the high mountainous region of China. Once Cordyceps invades an insect's larvae, it starts replacing the insect's tissues and grows long, thin stems on the host's exterior.
The hosts survive while the fungi are hand-picked by experts, who then use them to treat multiple conditions. Some of the major ones are night-time urination and respiratory and kidney diseases.
There are around 400 known species of cordyceps worldwide, most of which are native to Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, China, Bhutan, and Korea. However, one specie that is specifically used for its therapeutic value is Ophiocordyceps Sinensis, commonly known as Cordyceps Sinensis. This long, orange-brown fungus is widely employed in Traditional Chinese Medicine and can also be artificially engineered to yield similar benefits as natural C.sinesis.
Other species of Cordyceps are just as valuable. However, their effects depend majorly on their concentration.
But how does Cordyceps exactly helps men? And for what purpose? Let’s take a look at it.
How Do Cordyceps Help Men?
As stated in this study, Cordyceps is excellent for men who wish to improve their physical and hormonal health. This superfood is used worldwide to treat male issues, including male impotence, inadequate sperm production, and chemical imbalance. And that too with fewer side effects than the pharmaceutical alternatives.
Cordyceps is one of the best organic stimulants on the market. It has the potential to improve your reproductive activity, boost immunity, fight fatigue, and reduce inflammation by increasing the production of relevant white blood cells and cytokines. You can check out this article to learn more about these benefits.
Benefits of Cordyceps for Men
What are some of the benefits this mushroom provides men? After thorough research, we devised the following:
Enhances Physical Performance
Many studies have emphasized the role of Cordyceps in enhancing physical performance. In addition, researchers have deduced that when men are given a supplement or product with Cordyceps, they experience improved lactate clearance which consequently enhances the lactate energy metabolism of the cell.
In simple words, Cordyceps' supplement allows the cells to produce enough energy for you to perform an extensive exercise without enduring muscle cramps. This is done by speeding up the lactate acid clearance from your blood.
So, if you are an athlete or a gym fanatic that frequently suffers from post-exercise spasms, investing in a Cordyceps supplement should be your next step.
Stabilizes Blood Glucose
According to research, this mushroom also helps steady blood glucose levels to easily carry on with your strenuous workout for prolonged periods. It promotes insulin secretion, a hormone responsible for lowering blood glucose and providing a hypoglycaemic effect.
Reduces Oxidative Stress
Studies have found that the polysaccharides present in Cordyceps can assist your body in getting rid of harmful free radicals through its antioxidant effects.
Antioxidants can protect your cells against cell damage, illness-causing, and aging effects of free radicals. Cordyceps prevents this by neutralizing free radicals and lowering the oxidative stress in our body.
Research proved that Cordyceps amplifies the antioxidant levels in your body and improves overall functionality.
Reduces Physical Fatigue
Another study proves that Cordyceps is also beneficial for fighting physical fatigue. It does this by increasing muscle and liver glycogen levels and, therefore, faster glucose combustion, which fuels your body and reduces fatigue.
Anti-aging
According to some investigations, Cordyceps, especially C. Sinensis, is thought to have anti-aging properties. For example, a study on mice demonstrated that animals injected with Cordyceps lived longer than placebo participants.
Therefore, this bioactive mushroom also possesses some anti-aging effects. It reverses gene expressions related to age changes and extends the life duration. However, further work is needed on human models to prove the authenticity of this hypothesis.
Promotes Brain Function
Mitochondria is a vital organelle that, like every other body organ, is an energy source of the brain and plays a key role in its proper functioning.
A lack of mitochondria can result in conditions such as cerebral ischemia. Cordyceps militaris can prevent mitochondrial injury and inhibit its apoptosis pathway to restore the mitochondrial membrane potential of the brain and hence is also neuroprotective.
Anti-Tumour Properties
Cordyceps can also potentially slow down tumour growth. Although not much study has been done, scientists are undoubtedly interested in the mushroom's potential for cancer. They believe that there are several ways in which these fungi feature anti-tumour properties.
For example, in test-tube studies, the mushroom has been seen to prevent the growth of several types of human cancer cells, including lung, skin, liver, and colon cancer cells.
Moreover, scientists observed that this mushroom can also reverse chemotherapy side effects. For example, this study tested how mice with leukopenia react to Cordyceps. The researchers visibly noted the reversal of side effects of Cordyceps.
However, it is essential to note that most of these tests have been performed on animals, not humans. Human testing is still under consideration; thus, its effect is still uncertain.
Helps in managing Type-II Diabetes
Diabetes occurs when the human body stops producing insulin or responding to its release. Insulin is an important hormone that controls your blood sugar level, so this condition is severe. Not producing enough can lead to high blood sugar levels and circulatory, immune, and nervous system disorders.
Mainly, type-II diabetes occurs due to lifestyle-related, and it develops over a passage of time. Insulin resistance is pretty common around the world. For instance, in the US alone, 32.2% of the population might suffer from this condition.
However, simple lifestyle changes can exponentially improve diabetes. One such change is to incorporate Cordyceps in your diet, as it mimics the action of insulin and keeps your blood sugar levels in check.
Many studies on diabetic mice revealed that this mushroom can decrease blood sugar levels and protect mice against diabetes-induced kidney diseases.
Another study revealed that out of 1746 people who had chronic kidney issues, those who had Cordyceps noticed an improvement in their kidney function.
How Does Cordyceps Help with Male Issues?
People have used cordyceps for years and have deemed it safe to be consumed by both genders. However, it is no secret that this adaptive fungus benefits men much more. It can potentially treat problems such as erectile dysfunction, imbalanced testosterone levels, and low sex drive.
The following are the five significant ways Cordyceps can help with male issues.
Improves Fertility
Cordyceps has been used for its reproductive benefits for a long time. One major one is its ability to improve fertility in men, which it does by increasing sperm count and motility.
A Natural Aphrodisiac
Since its discovery, men have used this fungus as a natural stimulant to improve their love lives.
Cordyceps possess natural aphrodisiac properties, which help in improving their sex drive. It does this by reducing fatigue and boosting strength in individuals.
According to some sources, Cordyceps can potentially act as a natural aphrodisiac if taken regularly for 40 days.
Cures Impotence
According to this research, fungi have notably cured impotence in many patients. Cordyceps was given to 189 impotent men, and 66% improvement was observed after ingesting one gram of the Cordyceps thrice a day.
Cordyceps improves impotence by suppressing muscle contractions in the erectile tissue "corpus cavernosum" and the penis area, which promotes blood flow and results in the stiffening of the organ.
Improves Testosterone Levels in Males
Cordyceps Sinensis and Cordyceps militaris are known for enhancing the reproductive hormones in men and women, as seen in many animal studies. Supplements containing these fungi directly impact the testosterone and serum luteinizing hormone (LH) by stimulating PKA and PKC regulating pathways which are responsible for steroidogenesis, or in simple words, testosterone production.