Along with its long history in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine, cordyceps have maintained their status as a go-to for athletes. In fact, there is a story involving the  Chinese running team  that quickly became the stuff of legend back in the early 1990s. That's when the Chinese Olympic women’s running team won multiple competitions and broke three world records. While they attributed their incredible athletic performance to cordyceps, their claims were tarnished years later when their coach  Ma Junren  was fired after six of his other athletes failed drug tests. Still, the performance-enhancing effects and health benefits of cordyceps supplements should not be dismissed. While more clinical trials are needed, much of the available research shows promising results. A double-blind study on healthy elderly adults demonstrated that ingesting Cs-4 (a synthetic strain of Cordyceps sinensis) improved exercise performance and contributed to overall wellness. ( 3 ) Furthermo

More than 400 species of cordyceps have been discovered, but there are two that researchers have zeroed in on: Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris.  The former grows naturally on caterpillars in high altitudes of the Tibetan mountains and other parts of the world.  These wild cordyceps are extremely expensive due to their rarity, environmental factors, harvesting difficulty, and increasing demand.  As such, they are not practical for use as supplements. On the other hand, cordyceps militaris have very similar properties to cordyceps sinensis, can be commercially cultivated, and the fruiting bodies can be grown on a rice mixture, thus making it much more accessible and affordable.  This is great news considering you probably wouldn't want to climb towering mountains across the Tibetan plateau just to find wild cordyceps, not to mention paying tens of thousands of dollars for a small amount! -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Wondering what exactly is the M-plan? Reportedly, dieters on the M-plan replace one meal per day with a mushroom-based meal.  Proponents of the diet claim that following the M-plan for 14 days helps you lose weight from your hips and thighs but not from your bust.  Apparently, the weight loss plan seems to be perfect for those who want to have slimmer thighs and tinier waistlines but maintain their cleavage.  While on the mushroom diet, you can opt for a variety of mushrooms - white mushrooms ( also called Agaricus mushrooms), button mushrooms, meaty portabello mushrooms.  You can also incorporate more exotic types like chanterelle, shiitake, or crimini into your eating plan. According to a research published in the journal Appetite, mushrooms may be for filling than meat when matched in terms of protein content.  The study found that participants reported less hunger, greater feelings of fullness and decreased prospective consumption after a mushroom-rich breakfast co