Supplement
Cordyceps is a medicinal fungus long used in traditional medicine as a tonic for the kidneys and for energy. People mostly look at it for end-stage kidney disease, and the evidence is moderate: studies found blood urea nitrogen, a waste product the kidneys normally clear, went down. Those studies were small, though, and evidence for other uses is thin; in cyclists, one small trial found no clear difference in endurance.
Sources: PMID 19545680
- Updated
- How we grade
- 4 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 4
- Outcomes
- 15
- Graded outcomes
- 0122
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 2,914 people | |||
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 2,914 people | |||
Studies that measured c-reactive protein (crp) | ||||||
| Hemoglobin | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2,914 people | ||||
| Serum Albumin | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2,914 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilirubin Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 167 people | ||
Studies that measured bilirubin | ||||||
| Kidney Function | Improves (the measure goes up) | 167 people | ||||
| Liver Enzymes | Changes; see studies | 167 people | ||||
| Liver Fibrosis | Improves (the measure goes down) | 167 people | ||||
| Survival rates for Organ Transplants | Improves (the measure goes up) | 167 people | ||||
| Uric Acid | Improves (the measure goes down) | 167 people | ||||
Cycling Performance
- Lactate Threshold: improves
- Aerobic Exercise Metrics
- Oxygen Uptake: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lactate Threshold Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 20 people | |||
| Aerobic Exercise Metrics No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 22 people | |||
Studies that measured aerobic exercise metrics | ||||||
| Oxygen Uptake | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 42 people | |||
Studies that measured oxygen uptake | ||||||
Aerobic Exercise Performance
- Aerobic Exercise Metrics
- Oxygen Uptake: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerobic Exercise Metrics No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 22 people | |||
Studies that measured aerobic exercise metrics | ||||||
| Oxygen Uptake | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 22 people | |||
Studies that measured oxygen uptake | ||||||
Key findings
- Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)Improves (the measure goes down)
- BilirubinImproves (the measure goes down)
- Lactate ThresholdImproves (the measure goes up)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Cordyceps products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
4 studies from PubMed
- Clinical application of Cordyceps sinensis on immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplantation
- Cordyceps Sinensis (CordyMax Cs-4) supplementation does not improve endurance exercise performance
- Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- Effects and safety of Ophiocordyceps sinensis preparation in the adjuvant treatment for dialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.