Cordyceps: What It Is and Why It Is in Mushroom Coffee

Cordyceps is a group of fungi used for centuries in Tibetan and traditional Chinese medicine. It is now one of the four or five mushrooms you will find in most mushroom coffees, usually because of its link with energy and exercise.

Cordyceps sinensis and cordyceps militaris

The wild cordyceps of the Himalayas (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) grows on caterpillar larvae at high altitude. It is rare and very expensive, so it is almost never what you get in a supplement. Most products, including mushroom coffees, use Cordyceps militaris, a related species that can be grown on a plant-based substrate. Some use a lab-grown strain called Cs-4. All three are sold as "cordyceps", so check the label.

What does the research say?

Cordyceps contains compounds such as cordycepin and adenosine. It has been studied for energy and exercise capacity, and the results in people are mixed: a few small trials found modest changes in older adults, while studies in trained athletes mostly found none. Research is still early, and no health claims are authorised for cordyceps in the UK.

In a mushroom coffee, any boost you feel in the morning comes first from the caffeine. Think of cordyceps as part of the blend, not the reason the coffee wakes you up.

Who should avoid cordyceps?

• People on blood thinners, or before surgery, as cordyceps may slow clotting.
• People taking diabetes medicine, as it may lower blood sugar.
• People with autoimmune conditions or on immunosuppressants.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women, as there is not enough safety data.
• Anyone allergic to mushrooms or moulds.

Cordyceps coffee

Cordyceps coffee is instant or ground coffee blended with cordyceps powder. Some brands use cordyceps alone, others combine it with lion's mane, reishi and chaga. Mataye Mushroom Coffee has 700 mg of cordyceps fruiting body per 6 g serving, with 700 mg each of the other four mushrooms.

To compare cordyceps coffees, look at the species (militaris is the norm), the dose per serving and the price per cup. More on that in what is mushroom coffee.

How to take it

In coffee, have it like any instant coffee: one serving in 200 to 250 ml of hot water or milk, in the morning or before a workout. Try Mataye Mushroom Coffee, £25.99 for 30 servings with free UK delivery.

Keep reading: chaga mushroom explained, mushroom coffee benefits and our complete mushroom coffee guide.

What the trials show

Two small placebo-controlled trials are the best human data. In 20 healthy adults aged 50 to 75, 1 g a day of a Cs-4 cordyceps extract for 12 weeks raised the metabolic threshold by 10.5% and the ventilatory threshold by 8.5%, with no change in VO2 max (Chen et al., 2010). In a trial of a mushroom blend containing Cordyceps militaris, VO2 max improved after 3 weeks but not after 1 week (Hirsch et al., 2017). Small, short studies: promising, not proof. See also mushroom coffee side effects.

Sources

• Chen S et al. (2010). Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 16(5):585-590. PubMed 20804368
• Hirsch KR et al. (2017). Cordyceps militaris improves tolerance to high-intensity exercise after acute and chronic supplementation. Journal of Dietary Supplements 14(1):42-53. PubMed 27408987
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs: cordyceps