A very ancient mushroom that grows naturally in the Himalayas not only has incredible therapeutic virtues but is considered one of the most powerful natural Viagra. The only problem: it risks becoming extinct. Which are we talking about
? Of the Cordyceps sinensis (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), also known by the name of Yarsha-gumba. But it is not the classic mushroom that we find while we go for a walk in the woods. This is a very special product. Here because. Cordyceps sinensis or Yarsha-gumba, the Natural Viagra
The Cordyceps sinensis mushroom is very particular because it grows inside some caterpillars. For this reason it is practically impossible to grow it. Scientists have tried several times to inoculate it in the same caterpillars but there is no way to make it grow and replicate. The only way to have it available, therefore, is to wait for it to grow spontaneously in its natural habitat. Cordyceps sinensis or Yarsha-gumba, Natural Viagra sold by weight in gold
Cordyceps sinensis or Yarsha-gumba, is also known as the mushroom caterpillar. Experimented for millennia by Chinese medicine and Tibetan medicine, it has been successfully used for the treatment of numerous ailments. For some years it has been the subject of scientific studies which have done nothing but confirm its properties. Local doctors also call it DongChongXiaCao winter worm and, at the moment, it is sold for practically its weight in gold: it starts at as little as $ 20,000 per kilogram. It appears that its price is not only due to the risk of extinction but has seen a marked increase since science has validated virtues similar to those of Viagra. The properties of Cordyceps sinensis or Yarsha-gumba
As mentioned, oriental medicine has been using it for a very long time but many of its virtues have been confirmed by modern science. More than thirty bioactivities have been associated with the fungus, including immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic ones. Among the most important components, we find extracellular and intracellular polysaccharides, cordycepin, adenosine, mannitol, sterols, peptides (cordymin and myriocin), melanin, lovastatin, γ-aminobutyric acid and cordisinine. The chemical constituents of Cordyceps sinensis
Being part of the Cordyceps, DongChongXiaCao also contains “cordiceic acid, glutamic acid, amino acids, polyamines, cyclic dipeptides, saccharides and sugar derivatives, sterols, nucleotides and nucleosides, 28 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, derivatives of fatty acids and other organic acids, vitamins and inorganic elements. Palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid and ergosterol are the main components of natural and cultivated Cordyceps, these fatty acids and 14 compounds studied can be used to discriminate the hierarchical aggregate, since palmitic acid and oleic acid content in natural Cordyceps are significantly higher than in cultivated Cordyceps, ‘explain the researchers. According to recent scientific investigations, it avoids arteriosclerosis, depression, diabetes and osteoporosis, reduces intestinal lesions, improves memory and learning. Accelerates leukocyte recovery, stimulates lymphocyte proliferation and improves kidney injury. “It has been shown that O. Sinensis can be used to treat conditions such as hypoexuality, night sweats, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, asthenia, arrhythmias and other heart, respiratory, kidney and liver diseases” .The dosage of Cordyceps sinensis
As for all drugs – natural and not – the dosage can be different depending on the person, body weight, age and health conditions. The average dose is in any case between 2 and 5 grams. In any case, some extracts are more concentrated in active ingredients than others, so it is good to read the manufacturer’s advice carefully. It is rare to be able to buy the whole mushroom, in Italy it is generally found in the form of a food supplement. Cordyceps sinensis , the natural Viagra that risks extinction
Since the mushroom is known as a powerful natural Viagra the demand has increased dramatically and with it, also its price, reaching over 100 dollars for every single gram. This is leading to many problems also from an environmental / ecological point of view. To understand the negative effects of harvesting the mushroom, scientists from the University of Massachusetts (Boston) interviewed more than 200 harvesters in western Nepal. The results showed that annual trade decreased by more than 50% from the peak of 2009 until 2011. This is because producers say that it has become particularly difficult to find the mushroom. “The villagers spend more time in the field but get fewer and fewer mushrooms,” said Shrestha. But not only: the researchers found that about 94% of the mushrooms collected by the villagers had not yet reached reproductive maturity, which is when the spores form and disperse in the soil. “This probably did nothing but reduce the yield the following year. There is a similar trend in other Himalayan countries, such as China, India and Bhutan, ”explains Liu Xingzhong, a mycologist at the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.The problem of climate change
According to some theories, the dangerous climate changes we are witnessing could be at the root of everything. The rise in temperatures that would have occurred between 1979 and 2013 in the areas where the mushroom is found, especially in Bhutan, make it increasingly difficult to find the product. Scientific sources
[1] Zhang Y, Li E, Wang C, Li Y, Liu X. Ophiocordyceps sinensis, the flagship fungus of China: Terminology, life strategy and ecology. Mycology. 2012; 3: 2-10.
[2] Sharma S. Trade of Cordyceps sinensis from high altitudes of the Indian Himalaya: Conservation and biotechnological priorities. Curr Sci. 2004; 86: 1614-9.
[3] J Tradit Complement Med. 2013 Jan-Mar; 3(1): 16–32. doi: [10.4103/2225-4110.106538] PMCID: PMC3924981 PMID: 24716152 A Systematic Review of the Mysterious Caterpillar Fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis in Dong-ChongXiaCao (冬蟲夏草 Dōng Chong Xia Cǎo) and Related Bioactive Ingredients Hui-Chen Lo,1 Chienyan Hsieh,2 Fang-Yi Lin,3 and Tai-Hao Hsu
[4] Overharvesting leaves ‘Himalayan Viagra’ fungus feeling short Rising demand for yarsagumba threatens to cause ecological damage. Jane Qiu – Nature
[5] Shrestha B.; Weimin Z.; Yongjie Z.; Xingzhong L. (2010). “What is the Chinese caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Ophiocordycipitaceae)
“. Mycology. 1 (4): 228–236. doi:10.1080/21501203.2010.536791.
