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Cordyceps for women: what the trials in women found

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

Few cordyceps trials have looked at women. In a drink trial with 20 women, natural killer cell activity rose after 8 weeks compared with placebo, and a 2025 review describes a trial in 40 female wrestlers. Effects on female hormones are known only from lab studies, and pregnancy has not been studied.1,2,3

Key facts

  • Women were 12 of the 28 participants in a Cordyceps militaris blend exercise trial.4
  • Women were 28 of the 80 adults enrolled in a cordyceps mycelium immune trial.5
  • The drink trial reported results for men and women separately, 20 of each.1
  • In a 2026 laboratory study, cordycepin made human placental cells less invasive.6

Trials that included women

Women made up 12 of 28 participants in a Cordyceps militaris blend exercise trial, 28 of 80 in a mycelium extract immune trial, and 20 of 40 in a cordyceps drink trial.1,4,5

In a Chinese trial of 40 female wrestlers, described in a 2025 review, a cordyceps polysaccharide extract at 10 mg per kg of body weight a day for 3 weeks raised blood levels of two antibody types, IgG and IgM, compared with a control group.2

In a trial of 22 amateur marathon runners, 9 of them women, 2 g a day of Cordyceps sinensis for 12 weeks was followed by faster 5 km times, with no change in maximal oxygen uptake or ventilatory thresholds. It is known to us only through a 2025 review.2

In the drink trial, natural killer cell activity in the women was higher than with placebo at 8 weeks. In the men, the rise came at 4 weeks and was measured against their own starting level rather than against placebo.1

Not every trial with women found something. A cordyceps and reishi supplement given to 96 physical education students, 43 of them women, for about a month left oxygen uptake and anaerobic power unchanged.7

The graded claims

Both claims below come from trials of men and women, or of men alone, and none was designed to test women in particular. They apply to adults in general, at the amounts shown.4,5,8

May raise natural killer cell activity, one measure of immune function, in healthy adults; whether this means fewer illnesses was not tested*1,5,8

Early evidence

In 79 healthy Korean men, 1.5 g a day of Cordyceps militaris for 4 weeks raised natural killer cell activity and lymphocyte growth more than placebo. In 79 healthy adults, 1.68 g a day of a cordyceps mycelium extract (Paecilomyces hepiali) for 8 weeks raised natural killer cell activity by about 39% compared with placebo. In a 40-person trial of a Cordyceps militaris drink, activity rose in men by 4 weeks against their starting level and, compared with placebo, in women by 8 weeks. The trials were small and short, and none counted illnesses.

Amount studied: 1.5 to 1.7 g a day for 4 to 8 weeks

May support aerobic exercise capacity at 1 to 4 g a day taken for several weeks; results disagree, including in trained athletes*2,4,9,10,11

Early evidence

In 20 adults aged 50 to 75, a cultured cordyceps mycelium (Cs-4) at 333 mg three times a day for 12 weeks raised two exercise thresholds by 8.5% and 10.5%, with no change in maximal oxygen uptake. In 28 young adults, 4 g a day of a mushroom blend containing Cordyceps militaris made no difference after 1 week; in the 10 who continued for 3 weeks, maximal oxygen uptake rose compared with placebo. In 22 trained male cyclists, 3 g a day for 5 weeks changed nothing measured. A 2025 meta-analysis of two or three small trials found borderline gains, and a 2026 review called the Cordyceps militaris trials inconsistent.

Amount studied: About 1 to 4 g a day for 3 to 12 weeks

Hormones and cycles

In human ovarian cells grown in the laboratory, cordyceps mycelium raised production of estradiol, a female sex hormone. The study was done in cells, not in women taking cordyceps.3

We found no trial that measured estrogen or periods in women taking cordyceps, so claims about female hormones rest on laboratory work like the cell study above. In young men, a product with cordyceps and rhodiola did not change hormone levels over 14 weeks.3,12

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

We found no human study of cordyceps in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and one immune trial excluded anyone who was pregnant or breastfeeding.5

Laboratory work adds a reason for caution. Cordycepin made human placental cells less able to move into surrounding tissue, which they must do for the placenta to form. Until there are human data, avoid cordyceps if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, unless your doctor agrees.6

Side effects and cautions for women

No side effect specific to women has been reported. The drink trial, half of whose participants were women, found no change in safety blood tests over 8 weeks.1

  • Pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding: ask your doctor first6
  • Taking a blood thinner, insulin or an immune-suppressing medicine, or living with an autoimmune condition: ask first8,13,14
  • Allergic to mushrooms or molds: do not take it

What's in ours

Mushroom Complex is not made for women in particular. Its 266 mg of cordyceps mycelium a day is a small fraction of the 1.68 to 4 g a day used in most of the trials that enrolled women.4,5

Questions people ask

What does cordyceps do for women?

Nothing specific to women has been shown. In the one trial we read that reported women separately, natural killer cell activity rose after 8 weeks of a cordyceps drink compared with placebo, which is an immune marker rather than a health outcome.1

Can cordyceps change female hormones?

That has not been tested in women. Human ovarian cells grown in a dish made more estradiol when exposed to cordyceps mycelium, but cells in a dish do not show what a supplement does in the body.3

Is cordyceps safe during pregnancy?

Its safety in pregnancy is unknown. We found no human studies, and a laboratory study raised a question about placental cells, so avoid it unless your doctor agrees.6

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Sources

  1. Ontawong A, Pengnet S, Thim-Uam A, et al. A randomized controlled clinical trial examining the effects of Cordyceps militaris beverage on the immune response in healthy adults. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):7994. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. Shu MY, Zhang XC, Zuo L, Jiang FL, Liang J, Li F. Effects of fungal supplementation on endurance, immune function, and hematological profiles in adult athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr. 2025;12:1670416. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. Huang BM, Hsiao KY, Chuang PC, Wu MH, Pan HA, Tsai SJ. Upregulation of steroidogenic enzymes and ovarian 17beta-estradiol in human granulosa-lutein cells by Cordyceps sinensis mycelium. Biol Reprod. 2004;70(5):1358-1364. Opened 2026-10-07.
  4. Hirsch KR, Smith-Ryan AE, Roelofs EJ, Trexler ET, Mock MG. Cordyceps militaris improves tolerance to high-intensity exercise after acute and chronic supplementation. J Diet Suppl. 2017;14(1):42-53. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Jung SJ, Jung ES, Choi EK, Sin HS, Ha KC, Chae SW. Immunomodulatory effects of a mycelium extract of Cordyceps (Paecilomyces hepiali; CBG-CS-2): a randomized and double-blind clinical trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019;19(1):77. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. Guo M, Luo S, Bi B, et al. Cordycepin inhibits human extravillous trophoblast invasion by suppressing snail-mediated MMP2 expression. Tissue Cell. 2026;100:103381. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Tsuk S, Lev YH, Rotstein A, Zeev A, Carasso R, Steiner G. Effects of a commercial supplement of Ophiocordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum on physiological responses to maximal exercise in healthy young participants. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2018;20(4):359-367. Opened 2026-10-07.
  8. Kang HJ, Baik HW, Kim SJ, et al. Cordyceps militaris enhances cell-mediated immunity in healthy Korean men. J Med Food. 2015;18(10):1164-1172. Opened 2026-10-07.
  9. Chen S, Li Z, Krochmal R, Abrazado M, Kim W, Cooper CB. Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16(5):585-590. Opened 2026-10-07.
  10. Parcell AC, Smith JM, Schulthies SS, Myrer JW, Fellingham G. Cordyceps Sinensis (CordyMax Cs-4) supplementation does not improve endurance exercise performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004;14(2):236-242. Opened 2026-10-07.
  11. Jędrejko M, Jędrejko K, Granda D, Kała K, Pokrywka A, Muszyńska B. Current evidence of ergogenic and post-exercise recovery effects of dietary supplementation with Cordyceps militaris in humans: a narrative review. Nutrients. 2026;18(5):781. Opened 2026-10-07.
  12. Kreipke VC, Moffatt RJ, Tanner CJ, Ormsbee MJ. Effects of concurrent training and a multi-ingredient performance supplement containing Rhodiola rosea and Cordyceps sinensis on body composition, performance, and health in active men. J Diet Suppl. 2021;18(6):597-613. Opened 2026-10-07.
  13. Cho HJ, Cho JY, Rhee MH, Park HJ. Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) inhibits human platelet aggregation in a cyclic AMP- and cyclic GMP-dependent manner. Eur J Pharmacol. 2007;558(1-3):43-51. Opened 2026-10-07.
  14. Sun H, Yu X, Li T, Zhu Z. Structure and hypoglycemic activity of a novel exopolysaccharide of Cordyceps militaris. Int J Biol Macromol. 2021;166:496-508. Opened 2026-10-07.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.