Yarsagumba (Cordyceps, or also Ophiocordyceps Sinensis) is a most weird herb. One term often usedChinese Caterpillar Fungusis pretty descriptive of the species. So is dong chong xia cao (winter insect, summer grass) as Yarsagumba is often referred to in China. How is it formed? The caterpillar of a moth genus Thitarodes (Hepialus) lives underground in shrub lands of the Tibetan plateau and Himalayas (3000 m-5000 m) for almost five years before becoming a pupa. During its larva state, it is attacked by a fungus of the genus Ophiocordycipitaceae which kills the insect by filling its body cavity with mycelium. Once the weather gets warmer, mushrooms growing out of the caterpillars forehead emerge from the ground.
Yarsagumbas health benefits are believed to have been known from some 1500 years ago, and in ancient times, it was said to be taken as a potent tonic by kings and noblemen. Its pharmacological properties include combating the rigors of stress by strengthening and rejuvenating an over-exerted system. In Chinese traditional medicine, it is said to be a cure-all for all types of ailments. This includes strengthening lung and kidneys, increasing energy and vitality, stopping hemorrhaging, and so on and so forth. However, the most publicized benefit of Yarsagumba is to enhance weak libidos, that is, Yarsagumba is believed to be a potent aphrodisiac. Besides this, it is touted highly for its anti-ageing benefits. In other words, to summarize, Yarsagumba is believed to be an excellent tonic for nourishment of the body as well as for the brain and its long-term use is said to improve organic functioning as well as the immune system. And, it must be kept in mind that since Yarsagumba is a natural product, the chances of any side effects are minimal. Is it any wonder then that Yarsagumba is so highly prized all over the world?.
At the same time, it should be noted that Yarsagumbas popularity in the West is not centuries old but of more recent times. In the 1990s, the tabloids went crazy over Ma Junrens Army and their world record breaking feats. Ma Junren was a legendary Chinese coach whose women runners achieved astonishing times in the middle and long distance races, shattering a number of long standing world records by significant margins. When asked for the secret of his fantastic successes, Ma Junren disclosed that his runners were fed Yarsagumba three times daily so as to fight the stress involved in rigorous training in the high mountains. Soon enough, tabloids globally had latched on to the scent of a sensational story. The rest, as they say, is history. And so was born the legend of Yarsagumba, the miracle mushroom.
