Planetary Formulas Full Spectrum Cordyceps 450 the theory is that it may help your body use energy more efficiently by increasing blood flow to your liver and other organs and by improving your oxygen use. Cordyceps's antioxidant activity may alleviate fatigue.

Cordyceps is one of the most important tonifiers of Chinese herbalism. Planetary Formulas Full Spectrum Cordyceps 450 provides the same dosage of cordyceps (standardized to 0.1% adenosine) used in clinical studies. This is combined with cordyceps mycelia, grown on organic brown rice from spores originally gathered in the Himalayas. This combination insures a full spectrum of important cordyceps constituents.

Cordyceps sinensis is a type of fungus that has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. Cordyceps is also known as Chinese catepillar fungus, because it is a parasite that grows on the Tibetan caterpillar until the caterpillar dies, at which point it sprouts a mushroom. (Don’t worry, most cordyceps produced commercially in Western countries is actually grown on plant sources, such as soybeans.) The Chinese have long used cordyceps to promote overall good health, and modern research indicates that cordyceps does indeed support liver, kidney, heart, and immune system function. It also appears to act as an antioxidant in the body, protecting it from free radical damage.

Cordyceps sinensis has a reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac. Recent studies performed in both China and Japan demonstrated a 64 percent success rate among men suffering from impotence. Scientists have isolated two chemical constituents in cordyceps, (deoxyadenosine) and cordycepic acid (mannitol), which are thought to be the active compounds that increase sex drive. These same compounds are also thought to improve lung function and increase energy levels; it is well known that Chinese athletes use cordyceps to help increase their stamina and endurance. It has been theorized that cordyceps enhances athletic performance because it helps it increases blood flow and oxygen supplies throughout the body, which helps the heart, lungs, and other organs function more efficiently. In one study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers reported that athletes who took 4.5 grams of cordyceps daily for six weeks had double the rate of oxygen intake as those in the placebo group.

One double-blind study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in February, tested the energy and endurance of 110 healthy sedentary adults. In it, half took 3 g of cordyceps daily while the other half took a placebo. After 12 weeks, the cordyceps group could bicycle 2.8 percent longer than they could before taking the supplement, while the placebo group decreased the length of their rides by 5.6 percent.

In a double-blind study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise last year, researchers gave 30 male athletes either 4.5 g of cordyceps daily or a placebo. The athletes did not change their exercise routine during the study. After six weeks, the cordyceps group's oxygen intake was almost double the placebo group's. This increased oxygen intake helped their bodies work more efficiently.