5. Cordyceps militaris cultures have two main
uses
First, the fruiting-bodies can be directly
consumed as food. C. militaris can be used in
stewed chicken, stewed duck, soup, hot pot, tea,
and so on. Use of C. militaris in soup is very
popular in Southeast Asia, especially in
Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, China.
This use has been shown to be safe if
consumption is less than 2.5 g/kg of body weight
[23]. Second, C. militaris fruiting-bodies and
myce- lia can be used as health products and
drugs. In China, many health products contain C.
militaris, and these include oral liquids, capsules,
wines, vinegars, teas, yogurt, and soy sauce[24] .
Cultures of C. militaris are also used to produce
drugs for maintenance of kidney and lung
function, anti-aging, regulation of sleep, and
chronic bronchitis[25]. Currently, more than 30
kinds of C. militaris health products and drugs are
available on the market[26] .