by Eric Brand

This is the fruiting body of cultivated cordyceps (this is Cordyceps militaris). It has a similar constituent profile to wild Cordyceps sinensis. In fact, the lab-grown product is often even higher in active constituents than wild cordyceps. However, a glass jar in a lab cannot replicate the high mountain environment of Tibet, Qinghai, and Sichuan, so we cannot assume that its effects are identical to the wild product.

That said, it costs about 100 times less than the true wild product so it is far more practical for clinical use. Nonetheless, most experts believe that it should be considered as a distinct, new medicinal in Chinese medicine. It nearly certainly has medicinal effects, but few would suggest that it is identical to the true wild product.

For a photo of wild cordyceps, click here

For a photo of fake (counterfeit) cordyceps, click here