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Cordyceps and Breathing: What the Studies Actually Show
Cordyceps has not been shown to improve lung health in people. Five small Cordyceps militaris exercise studies used 1-12 g a day and found inconsistent effects on oxygen uptake (Jędrejko et al., 2026). MSKCC calls exercise results mixed (MSKCC, Cordyceps), and RxList rates asthma use as insufficient evidence (RxList, Cordyceps). Breathizen lists organic Cordyceps militaris fruit extract with no amount published.
Written by the Breathizen editorial teamUpdated · 8 min read
Short answer
Is cordyceps good for lungs?
There is no good human evidence that cordyceps is good for the lungs. The studies people quote are either small exercise trials or lab and animal work.
Cordyceps is a mushroom used for centuries in Chinese and Tibetan medicine, often for tiredness and cough. Today it is sold for energy, exercise and "lung support." The interest is real. The proof for breathing is not there yet.
RxList rates cordyceps for asthma as insufficient evidence and calls it possibly ineffective for athletic performance (RxList, Cordyceps). That is a cautious starting point for any lung claim.
Two species
What is Cordyceps militaris, and how is it different from sinensis?
Most cordyceps supplements today use Cordyceps militaris, a species that can be farmed. The famous wild species, now called Ophiocordyceps sinensis, is rare and very costly.
Cordyceps sinensis
Grows on caterpillar larvae high on the Tibetan plateau. Older studies often used lab-grown strains, not the wild fungus, which makes results hard to compare.
Cordyceps militaris
Bright orange stalks grown on rice or other grains. It is the species in most newer exercise studies, and the one Breathizen lists as a fruit extract.
Results from one species do not prove anything for the other. Read the species name on any study before you apply it to a product.
Exercise research
What do Cordyceps militaris studies show for oxygen uptake?
The human studies looked at exercise, not lung disease. A 2026 review found five small trials of Cordyceps militaris in people, with mixed results on oxygen uptake and endurance (Jędrejko et al., 2026).
| Source | Who or what was studied | Dose and length | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jędrejko review, 2026 (Jędrejko et al., 2026) | 5 small exercise trials, mostly young adults | 1-12 g a day for 1-16 weeks | Inconsistent effects on oxygen uptake and endurance; low certainty |
| MSKCC (MSKCC, Cordyceps) | Exercise studies in healthy people | Varied by study | Mixed results |
| RxList (RxList, Cordyceps) | Athletic performance and asthma | No set dose | Possibly ineffective for athletes; insufficient for asthma |
| Lab and animal lung studies | Mice and cells with induced lung injury | Not comparable to people | Early signals only; not tested in human lungs |
| Breathizen | No trial of the product | Not published | Not studied |
Oxygen uptake, often called VO2 max, measures how much oxygen your body can use during hard exercise. A small gain in a fit young adult says little about breathing comfort in daily life.
Study types
Were the cordyceps lung studies in people or animals?
Mostly animals and cells. The cordyceps papers that mention lungs directly tend to use mice given a chemical that inflames the lungs, then treated with an extract.
Those studies help scientists decide what to test next. They cannot tell you what a mushroom extract will do in a person with a cough, asthma or COPD. Doses in mice are often far higher, by body weight, than anything people take.
Ask three questions. Was it tested in people? Was it compared with a placebo? Did it measure breathing, or only exercise? Most cordyceps lung claims fail at least one.
Doses
What doses did cordyceps studies use, and how does Breathizen compare?
The human trials used 1-12 g of Cordyceps militaris a day (Jędrejko et al., 2026). Breathizen publishes no cordyceps amount, so no comparison is possible.
Breathizen is taken as 4 pumps (0.60 mL) once a day. That small daily volume holds five ingredients, and the sales page gives no milligrams for any of them. Whether the cordyceps share is close to a studied dose is unknown.
- Studied: grams per day, usually as powder or capsules.
- Breathizen: an extract inside a 0.60 mL spray, amount not published.
- What would help: a Supplement Facts panel listing each amount.
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Is cordyceps safe? What MSKCC and RxList warn about
Cordyceps seems well tolerated in short studies, but it has real interaction cautions. MSKCC notes it may raise bleeding risk with blood thinners and add to the effect of diabetes medicines (MSKCC, Cordyceps).
RxList adds that it may weaken immunosuppressant drugs taken after a transplant (RxList, Cordyceps). It lists these groups as people who should avoid cordyceps:
- People with an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
- People with a bleeding disorder
- Anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding
- Anyone with surgery coming up
Our side effects and interactions guide covers all five Breathizen ingredients together.
Balance
What are Cordyceps militaris benefits, realistically?
The realistic picture is "interesting, not proven." Cordyceps does not cure a cough or treat any lung disease, and the exercise data are mixed.
What looks promising
- Several small human trials exist, which is more than some herbs have
- Farmed C. militaris is easier to standardize than wild cordyceps
- Short-term use was well tolerated in studies
What holds it back
- Trials were small, short and inconsistent
- Lung findings come from animals and cells
- Interactions with blood thinners, diabetes drugs and immunosuppressants
The product
Where does cordyceps fit in Breathizen?
Organic Cordyceps militaris fruit extract is the fifth and last ingredient named on the Breathizen sales page. Of the five, its human evidence is the most studied for exercise, yet still weak for breathing.
The bars below rate how strong the human evidence is for each ingredient on its own. Our Cordyceps militaris ingredient profile goes further into the species and its safety.
Sources
Where can you read the cordyceps studies yourself?
Every claim above links to a review or monograph. Start with the 2026 review, which lists each human trial and its dose.
- Cordyceps. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 2022.Exercise studies in healthy people were mixed. May increase bleeding risk with blood thinners and add to glucose-lowering drugs.
- Cordyceps: Uses, Safety, Interactions, and Dosing. RxList (WebMD natural medicines monograph), 2026.Possibly ineffective for athletic performance; asthma: insufficient evidence. Avoid with autoimmune disease, bleeding disorders, pregnancy and before surgery; may reduce immunosuppressant effects.
- Ergogenic and post-exercise recovery effects of Cordyceps militaris in humans: a narrative review. Nutrients, 2026.Five small human studies (1-12 g a day for 1-16 weeks) gave inconsistent results on oxygen uptake and endurance; certainty is limited.
FAQ
Cordyceps and breathing: common questions
Does cordyceps work?
It depends on the goal, and for breathing the answer is not shown. Five small Cordyceps militaris trials found inconsistent effects on oxygen uptake and endurance. RxList calls it possibly ineffective for athletic performance and lists insufficient evidence for asthma. No trial has tested it for lung health in people.
Can cordyceps cure cough?
No. No human study shows cordyceps stops or prevents a cough. A cough that lasts more than 10 to 14 days, or comes with fever, weight loss, night sweats or blood, needs a medical visit. Herbs should not delay that check.
Is Cordyceps militaris good for lungs?
Cordyceps militaris has not been shown to be good for human lungs. Lung studies so far used mice and cells. Human trials measured exercise oxygen uptake in healthy young adults, with mixed results. That is a long way from proof of lung benefit.
What are cordyceps benefits for athletes?
The evidence for athletes is weak. Some small trials saw better oxygen use or endurance, while others saw nothing. MSKCC calls the results mixed, and RxList rates cordyceps as possibly ineffective for athletic performance. We make no performance claim for Breathizen.
Is cordyceps sinensis better than militaris?
Neither has been shown to be better for breathing. Wild Cordyceps sinensis is rare and costly, so most products and newer trials use farmed Cordyceps militaris. A finding in one species is not proof for the other.
How much cordyceps is in Breathizen?
The amount is not published. The sales page names organic Cordyceps militaris fruit extract as one of five ingredients but gives no milligrams. Human trials used 1-12 g a day, so there is no way to tell how the spray compares. Ask the order desk for a Supplement Facts panel.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Plain-language pages built from the label, the sales page and linked public health sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by an authorized U.S. shop, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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