Ingredient profile
Cordyceps for Lungs: What the Research Shows on the Mushroom in Breathizen
Breathizen's fifth ingredient is organic Cordyceps militaris fruit extract, from a cultivated mushroom. Five small human studies using 1-12 g a day gave inconsistent results on oxygen uptake and endurance, and asthma evidence is insufficient. The amount in the spray is not published. Cordyceps may add to bleeding risk and to diabetes drugs, and it does not suit people with autoimmune disease.
Written by the Breathizen editorial teamUpdated
The mushroom
Cordyceps sinensis vs militaris: which one is in Breathizen?
Breathizen uses Cordyceps militaris, listed as "Organic Cordyceps militaris Fruit Extract." It is an orange, club-shaped mushroom that farms can grow on grain-based media.
Cordyceps sinensis is the famous wild "caterpillar fungus" from the high plateaus of Tibet and the Himalayas. It is rare and costly, so most products today use cultivated strains or C. militaris instead.
Why the species matters
The two are related but not the same. Memorial Sloan Kettering's profile covers the Cordyceps genus as a whole (MSKCC, Cordyceps), and much older research involved sinensis or lab-grown cultures. Results for one species do not automatically carry over to the other. "Fruit extract" means the extract comes from the fruiting body, the visible orange part of the mushroom.
Label facts
Cordyceps in Breathizen at a glance
| Label name | Organic Cordyceps militaris Fruit Extract |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Cordyceps militaris |
| What it is | Mushroom fruit extract |
| Position in the list | 5 of 5 (as listed on the sales page; no amounts or weight order are published) |
| Per dose | Not published |
| Amount used in research | 1-12 g a day for 1-16 weeks in exercise studies |
| Strength of evidence | Inconsistent (exercise) |
| Traditional or marketed use | Mushroom studied for exercise and oxygen use |
| Main caution | Bleeding risk with blood thinners; may add to diabetes drugs; avoid with autoimmune disease or immunosuppressants. |
Dose
How much cordyceps is in a daily dose of Breathizen?
Breathizen leaves the amount off its sales page. The human studies of C. militaris used 1-12 g a day for 1 to 16 weeks (Jędrejko et al., 2026), so researchers worked in grams.
| Amount in studies | 1-12 g a day (Jędrejko et al., 2026) |
|---|---|
| Length of studies | 1 to 16 weeks (Jędrejko et al., 2026) |
| Amount in Breathizen | Not published |
| Extract strength or ratio | Not published |
Without a figure, nobody can say whether a few pumps of liquid come close to those amounts. It is listed last of five, though list order is not a weight order here. The Breathizen label page covers the missing Supplement Facts panel.
Research
Cordyceps for lungs: what do human studies show?
No human trial shows that cordyceps improves lung health. The human research on C. militaris is about exercise, and a 2026 review of five small studies found inconsistent effects on oxygen uptake and endurance (Jędrejko et al., 2026).
| Question | What sources found |
|---|---|
| Oxygen uptake and endurance (C. militaris) | Five small studies, inconsistent results, limited certainty (Jędrejko et al., 2026) |
| Exercise in healthy people (genus) | Mixed results (MSKCC, Cordyceps) |
| Athletic performance | Rated possibly ineffective (RxList, Cordyceps) |
| Asthma | Insufficient evidence (RxList, Cordyceps) |
"Inconsistent" means some studies saw small gains and others saw none. The groups were small, mostly young adults, and some studies lasted only a week. Small, short studies can miss a real effect or find one by chance.
Oxygen uptake during a workout is a fitness measure. It is not the same as easing a lung condition. Most cordyceps lung research online comes from mice or lab cells, which cannot show what happens in people. Our article on cordyceps and breathing studies goes deeper.
Safety
Cordyceps side effects and drug interactions
Cordyceps has more drug cautions than its gentle reputation suggests. Memorial Sloan Kettering warns it may raise bleeding risk with blood thinners and add to glucose-lowering drugs (MSKCC, Cordyceps).
- Blood thinners: more risk of bruising and bleeding (MSKCC, Cordyceps).
- Diabetes medicines: blood sugar could drop further than expected (MSKCC, Cordyceps).
- Immunosuppressants: cordyceps may weaken their effect, which matters after a transplant (RxList, Cordyceps).
Bleeding is a shared theme in Breathizen: ginger and bromelain carry the same caution. Compare all five on the Breathizen side effects page.
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Who should not take cordyceps?
People with autoimmune disease should avoid it, because cordyceps may make the immune system more active (RxList, Cordyceps). RxList also lists bleeding disorders, pregnancy and planned surgery as reasons to stay away.
If you have lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis or a transplanted organ, do not start Breathizen without your specialist's approval.
- Anyone with a bleeding disorder.
- Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Anyone with surgery on the calendar.
Compare
Breathizen vs taking Cordyceps militaris on its own
A single-ingredient cordyceps product can show you its gram amount, which is how the studies were dosed. Breathizen bundles cordyceps with four other botanicals in a quick spray, without stating how much.
Points for Breathizen
- Shake and spray once a day, no capsules or powders.
- Cordyceps plus mullein, ginger, bromelain and lemon.
- The 6-bottle pack brings the price to $49 a bottle.
Points for cordyceps alone
- A Supplement Facts panel states the gram dose used in studies.
- No pineapple allergy risk from bromelain.
- Fewer stacked bleeding cautions from other ingredients.
Bottom line
Should cordyceps be the reason you buy Breathizen?
Probably not. Its human research is about exercise, the results are inconsistent, and the dose in the spray is unknown. It also brings real interaction and autoimmune cautions.
The other four
What comes before cordyceps in the Breathizen formula?
Cordyceps is listed last, after mullein, ginger, bromelain and lemon. See all five side by side on the Breathizen ingredients page.
FAQ
Cordyceps for lungs: common questions
Is cordyceps good for the lungs?
It has not been shown to be in people. Human studies of Cordyceps militaris looked at exercise and oxygen uptake, with inconsistent results. Lung findings mostly come from animal and lab studies. Breathizen's cordyceps amount is not published, and the spray has not been tested.
Does cordyceps make you high?
No. Cordyceps is not a psychedelic or "magic" mushroom and is not known to cause a high. It is a medicinal fungus sold as a supplement. Its concerns are drug interactions and immune effects, not changes in mood or perception.
Does cordyceps infect humans?
No. In the wild, Cordyceps species infect insects, not people. The C. militaris in supplements is a cultivated fruiting body grown on grain-based media, and it is processed into an extract. The zombie fungus from TV shows is fiction.
Does cordyceps give you energy?
The evidence says probably not in a way you would notice. Exercise studies in healthy people were mixed, and RxList rates cordyceps possibly ineffective for athletic performance. Constant tiredness can signal a health problem, so it deserves a doctor visit rather than a supplement.
What are Cordyceps militaris benefits?
The studied benefit in people is a possible effect on oxygen uptake and endurance during exercise, but five small studies gave inconsistent results. Other claims, such as lung or immune support, rest mainly on animal and lab work. None of these studies tested Breathizen.
What is the difference between Cordyceps sinensis and militaris?
Cordyceps sinensis is a rare wild fungus from high mountain regions and is very expensive. Cordyceps militaris is a related species that can be farmed, which is why many supplements use it. Research on one does not automatically apply to the other.
Does Cordyceps militaris help with asthma?
There is not enough evidence to say it does. RxList rates cordyceps as insufficient evidence for asthma. Asthma needs a written action plan and daily controller medicine when prescribed, and no supplement replaces either one.
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.
Keep reading
More about Breathizen
Cordyceps and breathing
Cordyceps for lungs: what the oxygen-uptake studies found, the doses they used and the safety cautions.
Read more
Side effects
Side effects for each of the five ingredients, the medicines they can clash with, and allergy checks.
Read moreIngredients
All five Breathizen ingredients side by side, with research amounts, evidence strength and the missing label amounts.
Read moreAmerican Breathizen authorized shop
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