Cordyceps sinensis is a controversial ingredient. It is described as a worm in winter but a grass in summer. What is it? Can vegetarian have it?
There is an ingredient on the mountain, which is usually used in traditional Chinese medicine, or medicinal diet. Some said it’s a worm, but others said it’s a grass. Is it an animal？ or a plant?
Most of information sources describe that cordyceps sinensis is neither an animal nor a plant. It is a facultative saprophytic fungus. It grows on the larvae of insects. Cordyceps sinensis is a fungus, that belong to the same category as mushrooms. Cordyceps sinensis cannot be on the vegan’s table. From the view of vegetarian diet, cordyceps sinensis may be an usable ingredient.
The nutrition value of cordyceps sinensis depends on its planting altitude. In the market, there are many cordyceps sinensis species in Tibet, but in fact, some areas in China are also the main growth areas of cordyceps sinensis, such as Qinghai Guoluo, Haidong, and Sichuan Aba. Cordyceps sinensis is a luxurious Chinese herbal medicine.
Most of the cordyceps sinensis grow wildly on the grassy slopes with an altitude range of 3,000 to 5,000 meters. For the purpose of commercial benefit, some business people tried to plant it in the greenhouse.
There are six potential benefits of cordyceps, written by Gavin Van De Walle on his report dated 9 May 2018. Potential benefits include:
- Help boost exercise performance
- Reduce fatigue
- Boost strength & sex drive.
- Potential anti-tumor effects
- Help manage type 2 diabetes
- Help fight inflammation
The above-mentioned benefit is summarized based on some experiments carried out by some researchers. However, health condition of every person is unique. For any serving, it is suggested to seek nutritionist and family doctor for advice.
Note:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cordyceps-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_7 / https://growingrootsfoods.com/food-cooking/is-mushroom-vegetarian-or-non-veg.html / http://yibian.hopto.org/shu/?sid=75990
