Cordyceps, as a precious Chinese medicinal material, is highly praised for its unique efficacy and high price, becoming the first choice for many people to nourish their bodies. However, is it still suitable to consume cordyceps when you have a cold? Doctors remind that consuming cordyceps during a cold may not be worth it.
Cordyceps has a mild nature, sweet taste, and efficacy in tonifying the lungs and kidneys, benefiting essence and energy, stopping bleeding, and resolving phlegm. It is suitable for symptoms such as chronic cough, impotence and premature ejaculation, sore and weak lower back and knees, and general weakness. However, a cold, as an acute respiratory infection, is usually divided into two types: wind-cold cold and wind-heat cold.
Wind-cold cold is mainly characterized by aversion to cold, no sweat, clear runny nose, productive cough with phlegm, and body aches. At this time, the body has an excess of internal cold, and the external pathogen has not been expelled. If warm-tonifying cordyceps is consumed, it may further retain the cold inside the body, exacerbating cold symptoms and affecting recovery.
On the other hand, wind-heat cold manifests as fever, sore throat, cough, yellow phlegm, and yellow runny nose. In this case, there is internal heat toxins, and consuming cordyceps may not clear heat and toxins but may increase the internal dry heat sensation, leading to internal heat.
Therefore, during a cold, especially in the initial or more severe symptoms, it is not appropriate to use cordyceps for tonification. At this time, the body needs more heat-clearing, detoxifying, and dispelling wind and cold, rather than tonics.
During a cold, the body’s immune system is already activated to resist virus or bacterial infections. Although cordyceps enhances immunity, in the acute phase of a cold, the immune system is already under heavy load. Premature consumption of cordyceps may lead to an excessive immune system response, which is not conducive to recovery. During a cold, gastrointestinal function may also be affected. Cordyceps, as a tonic, is not easily digested and absorbed, which may burden the digestive system and lead to symptoms such as indigestion.
Many people hope to quickly recover their strength by consuming cordyceps during a cold, but in reality, this approach may backfire. Doctors remind that the main task during a cold is to remove external pathogens from the body, restore normal physiological functions, rather than tonifying excessively. Using cordyceps during a cold may prolong the course of the illness and even lead to other complications, which is not worth it.
For cold patients, the most important thing is symptomatic treatment and proper rest. If cold symptoms persist and do not improve, it is advisable to seek medical attention promptly, follow medical advice for medication, rather than blindly relying on cordyceps and other tonics.
