Can Cordyceps PS or CordySeng be used to treat chronic bronchitis, COPD or asthma?
Absolutely. Both products are safe for patients suffering from these conditions and will help with their treatment.
Can someone using Western medication to treat hypertension take cordyceps?
Yes, as a matter of fact, cordyceps is used in China as a treatment for hypertension. The research suggests cordyceps may be useful when used this way. The study included subjects who were also taking Western anti-hypertensives. Whether you use nutritional or herbal supplements to manage hypertension, cordyceps will probably help the hypertensive patient. My experience is that cordyceps in regular dosages will not reduce hypertension in all patients. The patient may want to take Cordyceps PS over CordySeng mainly because Cordyceps PS doesn’t have licorice.
Are there contraindications to taking cordyceps?
Yes. The main contraindication is active digestive disorders although this is not always the case. One Health Concerns subscriber, who is a practitioner with Crohn’s disease,has found our protocols work really well for her. Previously, she tried Western medicine protocols, which made her sick. She’s found that Cordyceps PS is best thing for her fatigue related to Crohn’s. This is just one example of someone with a digestive disorder than can take cordyceps. However, some cannot. Someone with an active diagnosis and active symptoms should have their digestive issues addressed first using different protocols. Once they are mostly healthy, or their digestive system is healthy, you can begin using Cordyceps PS or CordySeng, which you may have to modify with Quiet Digestion or Enteromend to make the cordyceps more tolerable. If the patient has a background of digestive disorders, I would tend to use CordySeng whenever possible as it contains complimentary herbs like ginger and licorice, which help with digestive aspects.
Is cordyceps helpful to relieve symptoms of morning phlegm after hydration or is Health Concerns’ Clear Phlegm better in this case?
If there is a lot of phlegm, I would go with Clear Phlegm, which is based on a highly regarded ancient formula called Wen Dan Tang. Cordyceps is considered anti-phlegm resolving because it strengthens the lungs. So, if there is just a bit of phlegm in the morning and throughout the day, it may be best to use it in this case. If the lungs are strong, there won’t be much phlegm. If people have Western or Eastern lung imbalance, kidney imbalance or fatigue, they’d want to consider Cordyceps PS or CordySeng. However, when there is considerable mucus present, use Clear Phlegm.
Does cordyceps affect blood thinners?
Cordyceps is not known to affect blood thinners. Our website contains many resources regarding herb-drug interactions.
Does cordyceps tonify primarily Yin, Yang or Qi of the lungs and can it be administered in the presence of an external pathogen?
I do not recommend any cordyceps formula during the initial stages of a cold or flu. There is some literature that suggests cordyceps is antibacterial and it might be used experimentally in the first stages of the cold or flu, particularly if the patient is very weak. I would recommend using Cordyceps PS or CordySeng during a prolonged cold or flu, particularly if the condition continues with several weeks of sickness, coughing and a weak pulse. I tend to think that cordyceps is a really profound yin and yang tonic, kidney yang tonic, lung yin tonic, and it also improves the Qi of the lung. But it is so unique because it has some anti-pathogenic properties.
What is a good approach to altitude sickness starting at 5,000 feet?
CordySeng is a great formula to consider if you have patients that have distance or altitude sickness. CordySeng is better than Cordyceps PS as it has astragalus and ganoderma, which are very good for high altitudes. It also has the harmonizing herbs licorice and ginger. A lot of people, myself included, get nauseous at high altitudes. Before visiting a locale where they think they may be affected by altitude sickness, instruct your patient to begin taking CordySeng a few days or weeks before the trip, during their stay, and a few days after their return.
Can cordyceps be too much of a tonic for some?
I haven’t seen this in my own practice where I use the protocols found in the Health Concerns Clinical Handbook. However, I suppose that if someone who is very weak were to take double the recommended dosage, they may begin to perspire and have redness in the face. If you are using the Health Concerns family of products and using the recommended dosages, I don’t see this being a problem.
Would cordyceps be good for post-hospitalization recovery?
Absolutely. This is another situation where you would want to use CordySeng over Cordyceps PS because when recovering from the hospital, you need a lot of Qi in terms of your lungs and heart. The best herbs for lung and heart Qi are astragalus, ganoderma and cordyceps, all of which are in CordySeng.
What is the difference between using cordyceps and Astra 8 for the immune system?
There are two different approaches here. Cordyceps PS and CordySeng are better for the lungs and kidneys while Astra 8 is more of a spleen tonic. There are many people suffering from chronic fatigue and chronic allergies that do really well on a combination of Astra 8 and CordySeng.