Cordyceps sinensis mushroom protects the liver in hepatitis patients

Chronic liver inflammation from any cause triggers a buildup of scar tissue that is called liver fibrosis. This eventually leads to liver failure (cirrhosis) and liver cancer if left untreated. Causes include obesity, hepatitis viruses, and abusing alcohol.

In this study sixty patients with chronic hepatitis B were supplemented with Cordyceps sinensis mushroom (forty patients) or with inactive placebo (twenty patients) for six-months. Cordyceps mushroom decreased liver enzymes (ALT and AST). Fifty-three percent of the patients on Cordyceps sinensis had two liver biopsies. The level of fibrosis is measured over four stages with the first having no fibrosis and the fourth being liver failure. Eighty-one percent of patients on Cordyceps had decreased liver inflammation of one grade or greater and fifty-two percent had a decrease in the extent of liver fibrosis (scarring) of one grade or greater with an additional thirty-three percent of patients having no worsening of liver scarring.  The study was performed at Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University in Beijing.