Himalayan vs. North American Harvested Cordyceps – Which One Is Better?
Often referred to as one of the most popular traditional Chinese medicine resources used for centuries, pure Cordyceps mushrooms hold an inventory of unparalleled benefits that make them still highly sought out to this day. From improving the production of the molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to boost energy, fighting inflammation, and featuring strong anti-aging properties, utilizing genuine cordyceps is a natural way to improve all-around life quality.
However, there is a catch – Not every cordyceps mushroom is pure and genuine. How and where the cordyceps is derived plays a significant role in the value you get from it, which is why it is critical to always research where your cordyceps are harvested from before investing. To offer some more insight, below is a breakdown of Himalayan vs. North American harvested cordyceps and data to showcase just how much more powerful a pure cordyceps mushroom truly is.
Himalayan Harvested Cordyceps
There are about 600 known species of Cordyceps, and they are naturally found in humid temperate and tropical forests. This means that distributors who use wildly grown cordyceps are getting a mushroom in its rawest and truest form.
There are no chemicals, DNA profiling, or reduction of key compounds that influence health outcomes. More importantly, harvesting from its home location means you are able to get the actual fruiting body portion, which is the part of the mushroom that holds the most advantages. Overall, these organic fruiting bodies allow you to gain access to rich levels of adenosine, beta-glucans, and cordycepin, which is about 10-11% compared to the 2-3% from a mycelium-based substrate.
North American Harvested Cordyceps
On the flip side, North American harvested cordyceps are harvested from factories and are almost always grown on grain. The more vital part about this is that this process may grow cordyceps, but it is unable to cultivate the fruiting body.
As noted above, this is where the most health benefits are located. Furthermore, mycelium that is derived from grain typically does not entirely consume the said grain, meaning most of the final product is made up of starch.
In short, high levels of grain means there are low levels of mycelium, and that equates to low beta-glucans. For brands that utilize this, they are more focused on quantity vs. quality, and their biggest goal is to meet the supply and demand requirements, even if it means using less than prime cordyceps to get the job done.
Tip: If you still decide to go with a North American harvested cordyceps, make sure that the supplement you select has been tested for beta D glucan and not just vetted for its polysaccharide content.
