WebMD Health News: May 19, 2009 — Placing bone marrow cells directly into a heart that is lacking blood flow significantly improves angina symptoms, heart function, and a patient’s quality of life, a study shows. Jan van Ramshorst, MD, of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, and colleagues say bone marrow cell therapy may be a beneficial treatment for patients with chronic myocardial ischemia, a condition that results in long-term, reduced blood flow to certain areas of the heart. Their study is published in the May 20 edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Cordyceps
What else improves heart function by enhancing blood flow to the heart? Cordyceps, a well-respected medicinal fungi found in health food store capsules. Known to Olympic athletes as well as heart patients, cordyceps reduces heart stress and improves energy and recovery after a race.
Cordyceps is commonly used in China for the replenishment of general body health. Cordyceps has a broad range of pharmacological and biological actions on the liver, kidneys, heart, and immune system. It is considered neutral – not too heating or cooling- and a mild stimulant. One of the known pharmacological effects is its anti-oxidation activity. Cordyceps sinensis, a valued traditional Chinese medicine, is also called DongChongXiaCao (winter worm summer grass) in Chinese. The pharmacological actions of cordyceps extract are due mainly to its bioactive polysaccharides, modified nucleosides, and cyclosporin-like metabolites produced by the fungus. If you were invited to lunch in China you may be served duck soup containing cordyceps for a rich flavor. If you were running a race, you’d be sure to take cordyceps regularly and especially before the race so that your heart would get enough blood. When a person is under extreme stress, cordyceps dilates the aorta so that needed blood can get to the heart and reduce angina. Fewer bone marrow transplants necessary.
In a study in which 9 hospitals participated with a total of 273 patients, a two months daily treatment with three grams Cordyceps (the equivalent of four capsules) lowered total cholesterol by 17%. Beneficial cholesterol (HDL) was elevated by 27%, while triglyceride concentration was lowered by 9% on average. Cordyceps is known as a totally safe nutraceutical supplement. A 7-day exposure to 80 g/kg Cordyceps did not result in any negative effects in a recent laboratory study.
Cordyceps benefits you by:
• Improving the cellular energy production;
• Enhancing the utilization of oxygen in the body;
• Increasing blood circulation, making oxygen and nutrients more rapidly available to all parts of the body.
Hi Letha,
I have been looking at cordiceps pills, and find that most of them have additives. How can I get pure cordiceps? If I am not mistaken, you showed us in the video cordiceps. It seems large. Where can I get it, and can it be ground and used as a powder?
Best,
Nola
Nola
Neither in the video Asian Health Secrets – available at amazon.com nor the ones I have made have I shown cordyceps. The dried fungus looks a bit like dried worms. I do not recommend buying it from chinese herb shops. They may be impure. You can find quality capsules of cordyceps at Vitamin Shoppe and other such sources.
Letha
All this information is amazing. After your workshop, I went to the Indian shops in Jackson Heights and got the herbs and the Vicco face creams and their vajradanti tooth powder – which I do have to ask you how you use, please! I also got a delicious toothpaste by Dabur, called Meswak, which is non-fluoridated. I really got a bit confused, because one of the turmeric creams had Propyl paraben sodium, and Methyl Paraben Sodium, and one had mineral oil, but no alcohol, it did have perfume, which I think does have alcohol. However, the No Marks for Dry Skin you mentioned had none of the above, but no turmeric – guess we’ll all have to wait for the Letha Hadady Line of Creams, cosmetics and sun screens.
Mallie
Hi Mallie
I use the red herbal tooth powder with my toothbrush. It turns the brush red. Oh well,
Just brush as usual and rinse. Your gums will feel more snug and tingling.
I do avoid parabens. The No Marks cream has good ingrients, no parabens and it does contain turmeric – Curcumin is Latin for turmeric.
Glad you enjoyed our Healthy Beauty class at DOROT. Am looking forward to getting together with your group for a walking tour in the Fall.
Love, L.
Nola – you can find some pure cordyceps from the same place I get them. But this is only in the UK – http://www.cordyceps4you.co.uk
If you are in the US you are in luck – if you go to that website – you’ll find a link which is for USA customers, that aloha place is the next best thing. I only use that .co.uk site because I’m located in the UK but I definitely think the article is spot on – it can help with so much and its not large at all, most capsules are in powder form whilst if you want pure cordyceps powder… you might have to remortgage your house or get something as collateral hahah its a high price to pay but its definitely worth it. Stick with the 100% cordyceps sinensis capsules!
Nola
I get my cordyceps at Vitamin Shoppe – cleaner, safer and better tasting than the cordyceps in Chinatown.
Yes, cordyceps works.
Chinese been using them for past 1000 -2000 years.
Where ever you are, you can buy cordyceps online.
Check out http://www.buycordyceps.com
Regarding Cordyceps, it says here that it dilates the aorta to prevent stress. That would be a contra-indication for people who might have an aortic aneurysm, dont you think?. Would appreciate your comment.
Hi tOM
I can’t comment about a particular person’s use of cordyceps.
It dilates the aorta, according to research cited at http://www.fungi.com, for runners and others who recover slowly after exercise.
If in doubt, try to check with your doctor. A few have heard about natural remedies. I first heard about medicinal mushrooms, including cordyceps, from Andrew Weil, MD.