Cordyceps Vs Reishi – what are the differences

As it is right now it is almost impossible to keep up with technological advancements things are moving so fast that a newly unveiled tech gadget can be rendered irrelevant in two weeks. The same applies to science, this is the one branch of study that if you decide to take your time and study the latest discoveries, you will probably seem like you never took a science class.

What’s more, is that currently supplements are being derived from the rarest of things and here we are not talking about plants and tree barks but rather fungi. Although the later could have fallen under the plant kingdom, the chitin in their cell walls secluded them to the kingdom of microscopic organisms with a close relation to animals; well, that’s science for you.

And even though some species of fungus are used in deriving dietary supplements, there are those that are harmful thus produce toxins that when inhaled could lead to the development of chronic infection and consequently lifelong illness. On the brighter side, however, we have other types of naturally occurring fungus adopted for the making of supplements such as cordyceps.

The later lives on specific types of caterpillars, in the high mountain regions of China, and given the difficulty of finding the naturally occurring cordyceps, a good number of the supplements are made from the laboratory cordyceps. Reishi, on the other hand, is derived from the red mushroom though it is not easy to find, it isn’t as rare as cordyceps.

What are the major differences between cordyceps and Reishi?

Cordyceps vs Reishi- how do they differ?

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Both Cordyceps and Reishi are whole supplements meaning that they contain most of the nutrients needed by the body and thus do not to be mixed with other supplements for them to be effective. And while most cordyceps supplements are made with cordyceps that have been laboratory manufactured the NOW cordyceps 50mg features pure organic supplements.

Red Reishi Mushroom, on the other hand, offers the Organic Red Reishi, which has been verified for quality, purity, and potency. The supplement is rich in Alpha Glucan and contains the lentinula edodes mycelia, the above are a dried powder extracted from the shiitake mushrooms that are also rich in Alpha Glucan.

BioActive Compounds

Whenever you are shopping for a dietary supplement and you notice that it contains bioactive compounds (phytonutrients) then you know that it is packed with numerous health benefits. The phytonutrients are known to promote health and can, therefore, reduce the chances of contracting heart disease and cancer among other diseases.

Cordyceps, therefore, contains two types of bioactive compounds, which are nucleosides, and polysaccharides. Nucleosides benefit the human body by enhancing the immune function, feed conversion, and intestinal integrity and growth. We then have the polysaccharides that are found in cordyceps and even though they are not wholly digestible, they do have some dietary benefits to the human body such as encouraging digestion.

The Red Reishi mushroom, on the other hand, seems to be containing the most bioactive compounds. So, apart from the polysaccharides that are present in cordyceps, Reishi has triterpenes which is known to inhibit the growth of breast cancer, HIV, colon cancer among other types of cancers. We then have the polyphenols proteins that have been determined to aid in attenuating allergenicity to food-based proteins.

The importance of having polyphenols in your supplement or in the food that you eat is because the body rarely gets enough of it to benefit from its activities to the body. Reishi also contains organic germanium, which is believed to possess antiviral activity and is, therefore, able to activate macrophages and the natural killer cells.

Better yet the organic germanium is known to increase interferon production which then makes it an immuno-stimulant.

Cordyceps Vs Reishi – Functions/benefits

Reishi the red mushroom has most of the time been adopted for medicinal purposes, mainly because of the bioactive compounds in the fungus. And while there are other forms of edible mushrooms that can even be eaten raw, Reishi is not one of them as it is very bitter and has a wood-like structure, thus chewing or cooking it can be quite a hustle.

The Red Reishi Mushroom helps in boosting the body’s immune system and this it does by affecting the genes present in the white blood cells. What’s more is that when the research was carried out on cancer patients, it was discovered that some of the molecules found in the mushroom could increase the activity of the natural killers, which are a type of white blood cells that help in fighting off infections and cancer in the body.

There are many health benefits attached to the use of Reishi, however, some of them are still not conclusive and need some thorough research. Cordyceps is also believed to influence a person’s health positively, for one it is thought to help boost exercise performance, after a study was conducted on 30 older adults, and a good number of them improved in various measures of the exercise performance.

Another study was carried out and this time the participants were young adults and were given cordyceps that contained a blend of mushroom. The results were then collected after three weeks and it showed that there was an increase in performance. The results might however not be the same if the supplements were tested on trained athletes.

Cordyceps is also believed to help in the management of type 2 diabetes and it is thus believed to contain a special type of sugar necessary for treating diabetes. According to research cordyceps mimics the action of insulin in the blood thus keeps the blood sugar within the recommended levels. The supplement is also thought to help prevent the development of kidney disease, at least according to research that was carried out on 1,746 individuals.

The results of the above were that individuals who were suffering from chronic kidney disease and had taken the supplement experienced improved kidney function. Important to note is that the above results aren’t conclusive and more research needs to be done, but that does not mean that the supplements are not effective, on the contrary, they do help enhance human health as they are derived from naturally occurring plants and fungus.

Cordyceps vs Reishi supplements reviews

Cordyceps

The NOW Supplements Cordyceps comes in the form of capsules that have been derived from organic ingredients and therefore, have adaptogenic properties. The supplement is safe for use, as it hasn’t incorporated the use of nuts, soy, dairy, gluten, and eggs, and even more important is that it is a Non-GMO.

Users of the supplements are reporting minimal or zero cases of allergic reactions, and those who initially suffered from panic attacks caused by low estrogen levels found relief in the cordyceps supplement.

Pros

• The supplement helps boost energy and improve heart condition
• Helps in boosting the immune system
• The capsules are easy to swallow
• Formulated to cater to vegans and is a Non-GMO

Cons

• On some people, the supplement takes longer to show results
• Some people experience side effects

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Reishi

Reishi mushroom supplement is highly nutritious because it has been derived from a naturally occurring fungus and hasn’t incorporated any additives to enhance its color or flavorings to enhance the taste. The Reishi supplement is, therefore, effective in reducing inflammation, and promotion of the liver and kidney function among other favorable activities.

And while it doesn’t have the backing of FDA, Reishi supplement is not a medicine but rather a supplement that has been extracted from naturally occurring mushrooms. Besides being used for medicinal purposes, Reishi contains important nutrients that are needed by the body for proper functioning.

Pros

• Comes in the form of pills thus easy to swallow
• The supplement has strong antioxidant properties
• Helps to reduce inflammation
• Helps to improve heart health in older people

Cons

• Results take longer to show
• Has side effects

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Conclusion

Both Reishi and Cordyceps supplements are made from organic products and have obliterated the use of artificial preservatives, and color, meaning that your body gets to interact with the original product thus you can expect positive effects in less time. Both the supplements offer almost similar functions except that cordyceps has been found to help during exercises a thing that is not common with Reishi, it, however, helps in enhancing heart health.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the recommended dosage for Cordyceps?

If you are looking to tackle any specific problem in your body then the recommended dosage for cordyceps is two capsules and can be taken two to three times a day.

How long does the Reishi mushroom supplement take to work?

Apart from the overall well being that is experienced a couple of days after taking the supplement; you can expect to see results at least after two weeks.