Identification
A dark stalk growing from a mummified caterpillar head — dug from alpine soil.
The market
The world's most expensive fungus by weight; wild harvest drives whole economies in Tibet — and fraud is endemic.
Evidence
Traditional claims (energy, libido, kidney) far exceed clinical evidence; human studies are small and mixed.
Real concern
Wild sinensis shows elevated arsenic in analyses — China's regulator issued warnings about chronic consumption.
In practice
- Cultivated C. militaris delivers cordycepin at a fraction of the cost — a reasonable substitute for most uses.