TCM Basics 101: Supermarket Herbs - Cordyceps
TCM Nature: Warm
TCM Taste: Sweet
TCM Meridian Affinity: Kidney, Lung
Benefits:
· Supports overall immunity
· Improves energy and appetite
· Increases libido and treats infertility
· Controls insulin and blood sugar levels
· Lowers LDL cholesterol
· Restores Kidney damage and Liver function
Spirituality:
One of the first written records of Cordyceps dates to Tang dynasty when it is noted to be a a mythical creature that can transform from an animal to a plant throughout different seasons.
The mythological story of Cordyceps is that it grows as a parasite in the winter, feeding off body of insects especially that of caterpillars. It then emerges in the summer as a mushroom.
In some parts of the world such as Northern Tibet, cordyceps is believed to be the embodiment of the mountain gods. Therefore to remove them for sole profit is a taboo.
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