People suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, can breathe easier by taking the Chinese medicinal fungus Cordyceps sinensis, a new meta-analysis shows. Researchers at the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine conducted a review of 15 high-quality studies that involved 1,238 COPD patients and found that cordyceps significantly improved lung function, exercise endurance and quality of life with no report of any serious adverse effects. Cordyceps, which is said to relax and open the airways, has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an anti-asthmatic, expectorant and cough suppressant.

This article appears in the July 2019 issue of Natural Awakenings.