By Maureen Fellinger

It’s Friday morning and as I sit here sipping my Four Sigmatic Cordyceps Elixir, I am more motivated now than ever to get into the woods this weekend. Earlier this week, I attended The Secret Lives of Fungi webinar which was hosted by the Lloyd Library & Museum in Cincinnati. Britt Bunyard, mycologist and author, presented a lecture which included incredible stories and beautiful photos of fungi featured in his newest book, The Lives of Fungi, A Natural History of Our Planet's Decomposers.

During his lecture, Britt noted that Cordyceps could possibly be the most common fungus in the world, and that now is an excellent time to look for Cordyceps in southwest Ohio. This got my brain buzzing because I personally have never come across them in the wild, but I also don’t think I ever purposefully sought them out on a hike. (The photo in this blog is a stock photo, but hopefully someday soon I will be able to add a personal photo to my collection!)

Cordyceps are an incredible medicinal fungus— it has anti tumor properties, serves as an antioxidant, boots energy, and fights inflammation. The 1993 Olympics are a great example of how this fungus can deliver an incredible punch when it comes to energy and stamina. The Chinese women’s running team broke so many records that they were suspected to have taken performance enhancing steroids. Upon being tested, all results came up negative, though. The coach came out and stated that they performed so well because of two reasons: 1) the team trained at high altitudes and 2) after each training session, the women consumed Cordyceps elixirs. I have a personal healing connection to this fungus as well. When I had COVID-19 a few months ago, I had some frighteningly constant heart palpitations. It became so overwhelming and uncomfortable that I had to go to the emergency room. Upon being discharged, I began to look more into which mushrooms could aid in heart health, and Cordyceps were at the top of the list. Deep down I truly believe that my heart issues were resolved because I incorporated Cordyceps into my diet.

While this fungus is packed with medicinal properties, it’s growth process is equally amazing. Cordyceps are a genus of parasitic fungi that grows on the larvae of insects. Some types actually grow out of the brain of insects, which causes the insects to move in an almost zombie-like state and relocate to places that are more ideal for the fungus to grow. The remains of both the insect and the fruiting body are harvested as they both contain equal amounts of nutrients.

The next time you are walking in the woods, keep an eye out for this unique fungus. What other mushroom has such powerful medicinal benefits, turns bugs into zombies, AND looks like a Cheeto?!

*The writer is Agraria’s Education Administrator.