"Definitions of Cordyceps"

Ingredients: Cordyceps sinensis

Pharmaceutical Name: cordyceps

Chinese Name: dong chong xia cao

Japanese Name: tochukaso

Processing: This product is manufactured from wild strains of Cordyceps sinensis, grown on organic brown rice. A three state, alcohol-water process in a 6:1 concentration of powdered herbal material to solvent is utilized to extract
both the mycelium and fruiting body of the live mushroom.

Traditional Classification and Use

Thermal Dynamic: neutral to slightly warm

Taste: sweet

Properties: replenishes Kidney yin (jing) and consolidates its essence + restores Kidney yang (the ming huo- Life Fire) + strengthens the Lung and supplements its moisture + transforms phlegm + checks bleeding + does not generate excess heat or dampness since it supplements both yin and yang

Clinical Indications: withering and wasting of moisture, marrow, and tissue; prolonged recovery or debility following illness; severe deficiency of the Lung and Kidney characterized by chronic asthma and cough, with or without bloody sputum; deafness; hemorrhoids; spontaneous or night sweating; susceptibility to external illness; lumbago; leg pain and weakness; infertility; impotence;
involuntary seminal discharge; accelerated signs of aging (forgetfulness, withering of skin, hair, and flesh), lowered resistance to respiratory infections; allergies.

Modem Bio-Medical Classification

Active Compounds: cordycepic acid; cordycepin; glutamic acid; amino acids (phenylalanine, proline, histidine, valine, oxyvaline, and arginine), and unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acids); carbohydrates (d-mannitol); vitamin B-12.

Physiologic Actions: adreno-tonic; anti-asthmatic (bronchio-dilating); anti-spasmodic; tranquilizing, hypnotic, soporific; anti-bacterial (resistant to tuberculosis, pneumococcus, staphylococcus, streptococcus, streptococcus pnumoniae, and subtilis bacilli); anti-fungal; anti-hypertensive; anti-cancer (inhibits growth of human naso-pharyngeal tumor cells).

Clinical Indications: bronchial asthma; insomnia; nervousness; adrenal hypo-function; malignant tumor; bacterial infection; hypertension; hyperactivity of intestines, uterus, or heart; tuberculosis; hemoptysis; anemia; excessive sweating,

Commentary and General Applications: Cordyceps sinensis, another famous fungus from the Chinese pharmacopia, has been shown by modem research to promote phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages, enhance the function of the reticula-endothelial system, and reduce cholesterol levels. In the wild, cordyceps grows in the Himalayas from moth larvae. Its Chinese name - dong chong xia cao - literally means “summer grass, winter worm”.

After many years of effort, a biologist in Northern California has succeeded in taming a rare, wild strain of cordyceps gathered in the mountains of China, persuading it to grow on a substrate of organic whole-grain brown rice under laboratory conditions. Because the cordyceps’ life cycle peaks in both winter and summer, it is considered to have the unique property of balancing the primal powers of Water and Fire in the body, nourishing both yin and yang, soma and psyche. It is an essence tonic that invigorates the breath and guards against premature aging by fostering the body’s capacity to reproduce, grow, and regenerate.

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