Medicinal Mushrooms: The Great Immunomodulators
16 January 2024Cordyceps: Fungal friend to adrenal fatigue
What exactly is Burnout? And what do the adrenals have to do with it?
You might be as impressed as we were to find out that in Sweden, occupational burnout and chronic stress are recognised as actual medical conditions that require treatment and time off work. An official diagnosis of either entitles people to extended leave and various sickness benefits… The Swedish government believes people should be able to take time away from work to recover without going bankrupt! Groundbreaking.
Here in the UK on the other hand, physiological and psychological health are seldom prioritised, so we don’t tend to have structures in place to support us when we become chronically stressed and burnt out. Modern life, for most, is playing havoc with the fragile thread that is the hallowed work-life balance – and our health is suffering as a result. Burning the candle at both ends, over-socialising, working long hours, running on empty (and plugging the holes with caffeine), are all tried and tested ways to land up with burnout aka adrenal fatigue.
In a recent UK survey, burnout symptoms were recorded to include feeling tired or drained most of the time, (feeling exhausted upon awakening even if you’ve slept through the night), feelings of self-doubt, procrastinating, and taking longer to get things done.
Sound familiar?
When we talk adrenals, we’re talking about the pea-shaped organ that sits at the top of each kidney. Adrenaline is released from the adrenal glands in response to stress – this feedback loop is part of our autonomic nervous system. We’ve all heard of ‘running on adrenaline’ right? Well, this is modern man’s ‘Flight or Fight’ response in action – and it’s the adrenals that do a lot of the heavy lifting when this occurs – over time, this can manifest as a long list of symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, low blood pressure, lightheadedness, body aches, and chronic fatigue.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – What it is, and what it isn’t
The term ‘chronic’ in this context refers to severe fatigue lasting more than 6 months and is a lot more than feeling just a little burned out. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), is termed interchangeably with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). The UK Biobank suggests that there are over 250,000 people in England and Wales with ME/CFS and it can affect people of all ages 2. This is a complex, debilitating illness that can be characterised as a multi-systemic and complex illness commonly presenting with long-term fatigue, general malaise, or an overall feeling of being unwell3. Perhaps unsurprisingly, ME often presents alongside other chronic illnesses including Parkinson’s disease, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Type 1 diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease4.
Enter Cordyceps
Ophiocordyceps sinensis or ‘Dōng chóng xià cǎ’ – perhaps better known as ‘the caterpillar fungus’ – grows on insect larvae and has been used in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine for over 700 years where it is a renowned remedy for fatigue5. There are 8 main regions within the broader Himalayas where cordyceps sinensis is known to grow, ranging from India, Nepal, and China to Bhutan, and it parasitizes the Ghost Moth pupae in all of its locations.
In the East, Cordyceps spp. is widely regarded as a prized tonic for those immune-compromised (including ME), those recovering from illness (including burnout) and the elderly. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are just beginning to catch on to this ancient wisdom, and for very good reason. Numerous UK native species of cordyceps do in fact inhabit these lands – hiding in the grasses and plaguing our insects and arachnids – and it’s quite likely that Cordyceps militaris is more common than we first thought, they’re just tricky buggers to spot! We’ve been growing Cordyceps militaris here at Bristol Fungarium for a good few years now, with a dedicated growing space for this powerful, albeit unpredictable mushroom to thrive in. The following are just a few ways in which cordyceps can be an incredible ally in times of burnout and fatigue:
credit: Image: bob.leccinum.Robert Kozak/Shutterstock.com
Immunomodulating
When we’re exhausted and stressed out, our immune systems have a hard time doing their job. Research highlights Cordyceps is rich in polysaccharide constituents, including beta-glucans, which are widely acknowledged as immunomodulating[5]. Accordingly, cordycepin can intensively regulate the functions of human immune cells in vitro – therapeutically strengthening the immune system’s response and controlling its exacerbated response in a stressed state[8].
Energy provider
One of the most important physiological effects of fatigue is on the energy metabolism of muscular activity, and Cordyceps are touted for their oxygenating and energising benefits. Research on cordyceps has demonstrated that it can increase the efficiency of energy metabolism, upping aerobic capacity through enhanced ATP function (how much oxygen can be burnt at a cellular level). As a potent antiviral, cordyceps could be useful to consider therapeutically if someone is experiencing chronic or post-viral fatigue when energy is at an all-time low. On the other end of the spectrum, cordyceps can be used preventatively to increase cellular energy and oxygenation, improving athletic performance and “stamina”[6] (— both in and out of the bedroom).. A 2022 paper revealed that cordycepin, a principal active ingredient from Cordyceps militaris, significantly prolonged the weight-loaded swimming time of mice (the unsung heroes of Western science). Cordycepin also decreased levels of lactic acid and blood uric nitrogen, indicating its ability to relieve fatigue by regulating energy metabolism – letting the little guys just keep swimmin’[7].
Kidney tonic
Cordyceps have a strong affinity to the renal system, traditionally used to strengthen and protect the kidneys and adrenals. Clinical research indicates that Cordyceps can be used as part of a protocol to treat chronic renal failure8. It is also recognised as an anti-diabetic mushroom, triggering the release of insulin. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, adrenal energy is seen as being related to reproductive energy, so in TCM cordyceps is considered a kidney and xi tonic, an herbal remedy that helps build virility and fertility.
Lung tonic
Both traditional and contemporary research shows Cordyceps to be a strengthening mushroom for the lungs – however despite a good few decades of research, scientists are still somewhat eluded as to the reason for Cordyceps incredible respiratory benefits.
Studies of the medicinal properties of Cordyceps sinensis have confirmed multiple beneficial outcomes against pulmonary disorders including asthma, nonproductive coughing, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchitis [11]. Cordyceps militaris – the species we grow at Bristol Fungarium – showcases very similar medicinal properties, however the exact mechanisms of action from a pulmonary perspective are yet to be determined.
There’s so much more this fantastic fungi has to offer medicinally – but we’ll save that for another post. In the meantime, consider adding cordyceps to your regime to see if it can put a spring back in your step.
Written in collaboration with Claire Goulding, Medical Herbalist (BSc, MIMH)
References;
- Mental Health UK (2023). [Online]. Available at: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/ (18/06/23).
- National Institute Care and Excellent (2023). [Online]. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206/chapter/Context (18/06/23)
- Bjørklund, G., Dadar, M., Pen, J.J., Chirumbolo, S. and Aaseth, J., 2019. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): Suggestions for a nutritional treatment in the therapeutic approach. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy, 109, pp.1000-1007 (19/06/23).
- Goërtz, Y. M., Braamse, A. M., Spruit, M. A., Janssen, D. J., Ebadi, Z., Van Herck, M. & Knoop, H. (2021). Fatigue in patients with chronic disease: results from the population-based Lifelines Cohort Study. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 20977. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-00337-z (17/06/23).
- Yan, W., Li, T., Lao, J., Song, B. and Shen, Y., 2013. Anti-fatigue property of Cordyceps guangdongensis and the underlying mechanisms. Pharmaceutical Biology, 51(5), pp.614-620. [Online].Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/13880209.2012.760103 (20/8/23).
- Powells, M. (2013) ‘Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide’ Mycology Press, England.
- Anke, T. (2020). Secondary metabolites from mushrooms. The Journal of Antibiotics, 73(10), 655-656. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41429-020-0358-6 (22/06/23).
- Das, G., Shin, H. S., Leyva-Gómez, G., Prado-Audelo, M. L. D., Cortes, H., Singh, Y. D., Panda, M. K., Mishra, A. P., Nigam, M., Saklani, S., Chaturi, P. K., Martorell, M., Cruz-Martins, N., Sharma, V., Garg, N., Sharma, R., & Patra, J. K. (2021). Cordyceps spp.: A Review on Its Immune-Stimulatory and Other Biological Potentials. Frontiers in pharmacology, 11, 602364. [Online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.602364 (22/08/23).
- Sun, T., Dong, W., Jiang, G., Yang, J., Liu, J., Zhao, L., & Ma, P. (2019). Cordyceps militaris Improves Chronic Kidney Disease by Affecting TLR4/NF-κB Redox Signaling Pathway. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2019, 7850863. [Online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7850863 (22/08/23).
- Sun, T., Dong, W., Jiang, G., Yang, J., Liu, J., Zhao, L., & Ma, P. (2019). Cordyceps militaris Improves Chronic Kidney Disease by Affecting TLR4/NF-κB Redox Signaling Pathway. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2019, 7850863. [Online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7850863 (22/08/23).
- Grace Gar-Lee Yue a, Clara Bik-San Lau b, Kwok-Pui Fung a c, Ping-Chung Leung a, Wing-Hung Ko d Effects of Cordyceps sinensis, Cordyceps militaris and their isolated compounds on ion transport in Calu-3 human airway epithelial cells
