Thai Competitor To Viagra Found?

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Wonder-fungus breakthrough claim

By The Nation

Published on January 30, 2010

BANGKOK: -- A Thai doctor yesterday claimed he could make a fungus that can cure several diseases and enhance men's sexual potency like Viagra.

Dr Somyos Kittimankhong, a senior official with the Department of Disease Control, said he had not found any Internet search results showing that the caterpillar fungus, which is priced at several millions of baht a kilo, could be made to germinate in captivity, which he said he had done.

The fungus, which is known locally in Chinese as thang chao and "grass worms" in Thai can be grown and bred in Thailand. It was never before germinated in captivity, he said. At a press conference yesterday, the doctor showed the germinating fungus in three bottles.

The caterpillar fungus (cordyceps sinensis) breeds in nature through a rare and eccentric process itself - the result of a parasitic relationship between the fungus and the larva of the ghost moth genus thitarodes, several species of which live on the Tibetan plateau.

According to Wikipedia, the fungus germinates in living organisms (in some cases the larvae), kills and mummifies the insect, and then the cordyceps grows from the body of the insect. It is known in the West as a medicinal mushroom and its use has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine as well as traditional Tibetan medicine.

Somyos said he spent three years of trial and error and several millions of his own baht trying to make the fungus germinate before he found out recently that Thai jasmine rice, mixed with other nutrients and some vitamins as plant foodstuff, could make it germinate.

The fungus used was bought from China and kept in a refrigerator modified to a steady temperature.

The doctor said he was thinking about making profit from his discovery but had not yet thought about registering it.

-- The Nation 2010-01-30

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[Reasonableman]

The fungus here reminds me of the fun Gus is having with you [benny Hill]

[jts-khorat]

Another case of Thais copying as 'invention' what others do since years.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterpillar_fungus

"Assays have found that Cordyceps species produce many pharmacologically active substances. They are now cultivated on an industrial scale for their medicinal value. According to Bensky et al. (2004), laboratory-grown C. sinensis mycelium has similar clinical efficacy and less associated toxicity."

Next.

[Donnyboy]

Hub of Hard-ons?

[Reasonableman]

Hub of old cons?

Hub of Hard-ons?

[Reasonableman]

The fungus caught the world's attention due to three female Chinese athletes, Wang Junxia, Qu Yunxia, and Zhang Linli. These athletes broke 5 world records for 1,500, 3,000 and 10,000 meters in 1993 at the National Games in Beijing, China. The amount of new world records being set at a single track event caused much attention and suspicion. Following the races, the women were expected by some to fail drug tests for anabolic steroids. However, the athletes' tests revealed no illegal substances, and coach Ma Junren told reporters that the runners were taking Cordyceps at his request.

[Ricardo]

Unwelcome competition for the Citalis-sellers at the Mae-Sai border-crossing.

Mrs Cheng is also unlikely to be amused !

[brahmburgers]

I've seen the time-lapse videos of the fungus on caterpillars. If grows out of their bodies like thin white needles, stretching out to several times the diameter of the caterpillars, thereby killing them.

For people who have Candida yeast infections, which is nearly all of us (though relatively few are aware of it) there could be a problem. All yeasts repel other yeasts as a defense mechanism. By introducing another yeast in to one's body, the Candida will produce toxins to repel it, and the introduced yeast might do the same.

There are possibly similar reactions (to Candida) to the yeast in breads and possibly to the fungi in cheese and beer/wine and some others of the fungi-ridden things people ingest - which would explain why some people feel crappy when eating/overeating such things - and probably contributes to obesity (most overeaters and drunkards are fat).

Genetically, people are more closely related to fungi than to plants.

I don't need a dick hardening chemical, but if I did, I certainly wouldn't ingest a fungi which functions by forming thin white needles to kill its host.

Edited January 30, 2010 by brahmburgers

[eggomaniac]

Forget fungus and/or Viagra; learn Tantra. I'm 60 and 'enjoy' long, long lasting sessions of hard pleasure.

[samuitone]

What a connection.......The caterpillar helps you to turn into a better butterfly !!

[MUYTHAI]

Forget fungus and/or Viagra; learn Tantra. I'm 60 and 'enjoy' long, long lasting sessions of hard pleasure.

Sweet. More power to you!

Seriously, Tantra is the shizzle that will ensure your wizzle does not fizzle before you drizzle. Your bedroom will sizzle and you will be very bizzle when in walks your beautiful mizzle or ladyboyizzle.

[slapout]

Another government employee (fungus) pushing another 'pie in the sky' snake oil concoction. His millions of investment probably could have been put to better use. The marketing stage has begun but the protection of the product (registration) etc will come later????? With the record of purchases made by his cohorts in various government ministries, he should be looking there for potential customers/middlemen.

[Briggsy]

Has this product been approved by the Thai FDA?

Has this product been approved by any drug approval body in any developed country?

Have the results of any research been published in any internationally recognised forum, periodical or magazine?

Has any international patent been taken out?

Will the producer claim the product is 'natural' and does not need to be approved as a drug?

The answers to these questions are very pertinent.

Who remembers the Thai miracle cure for AIDS, V-1 immunitor, which brought over 20,000 sufferers flocking to a temple in Lopburi? The law was evaded by not charging for the drug but by charging for something extraneous like the packaging. Objective testing revealed that no positive results were gained from using the drug. Thais are very susceptible to the marketing of these kind of hoodoo bogus cures and the people pushing these products should be punished when the products are shown to be useless.

[Shah Jahan]

This is actually an excellent thing. bigger than most realize though if the doctor was planning on making a profit, announcing it to the newspaper before he has a product ready for market, probably is not helping his cause

[PhilHarries]

Genetically, people are more closely related to fungi than to plants.

Some more closely than others methinks.

[givenall]

I have never believed the claims made by Thai doctor. After all the Madison is a big business over here and the only thing in the mind of doctors and medical establishments is to make money and then hopefully also will help the medical since

[Reasonableman]

Quite right. You don't see plants growing on people, do you? Although, on further thought, a possible exception may be that guy in Lumpini Park who covers his face in red goop (is he a Thai sadhu?) and sleeps all day entwined in the roots of a large tree/or is perhaps part of the tree, on most days.

Genetically, people are more closely related to fungi than to plants.

Some more closely than others methinks.

[Reasonableman]

Madison? Sounds like the name of a pole dancer...

I have never believed the claims made by Thai doctor. After all the Madison is a big business over here and the only thing in the mind of doctors and medical establishments is to make money and then hopefully also will help the medical since

[animatic]

What a connection.......The caterpillar helps you to turn into a better butterfly !!

No that's funny!

[animatic]

Genetically, people are more closely related to fungi than to plants.

Some more closely than others methinks.

To close for comfort in many instances.

Remember LSD and several other mind altering drugs

are often made from ergot, fungal sources.

Seems to be far too often a rather fungal mindset here.

Or either dripping off a sloths back, and sticking everywhere,

or creeping in the shadows to slowly gain on a host organism.

[Phil Conners]

Well some people believe anything. There's a huge market for pulverized tiger penis and rhino horn for the same reason.

[Thai at Heart]

And I thought all he had done is synthesize pak boong fai daeng into a pill.

[PhilHarries]

What you need to do to make a fortune is come up with two separate potions.

One he slips in her night time cocoa that makes her see him as Brad Pitt and turns her into a raving nympho.

The other she slips into his brown ale nightcap that makes him see her as Angelina Jolie and turns him into a raving Itallion stallion.

Just don't get them mixed up.

[Thai at Heart]

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/27/world/fg-worm27

I feel a "puer tea" scandal coming on.

The bottom could drop out of the market if artificially cultivated caterpillar fungus catches on in Asia, as it has in the U.S., where much of the supply is cultivated. Many people believe that the prices for caterpillar fungus are ridiculously high and that the bubble will burst soon.

And the clincher..............................

[Hardback]

Hub of Hard-ons?

Is it just me or do the words "hard on" and "fungus" not belong in the same sentence?

[AsiaCheese]

Hub of Hard-ons?

Crackdown on soft-ons

[animatic]

Usually works much better with a crackdown on hardon....

But why quibble.

[jbhh]

Hub of Hard-ons?

Is it just me or do the words "hard on" and "fungus" not belong in the same sentence?

My first big grin of the day, thanks

[moskito]

tHought MAGIC mushrooms are forbidden in the meantime

Edited January 30, 2010 by moskito

[brahmburgers]

I have never believed the claims made by Thai doctor. ......the only thing in the mind of doctors and medical establishments is to make money

Reminds me of Oak (Thaksin's son) who got the brilliant idea of taking cell phones and having someone glue precious stones on each number. T was at the height of his power at the time, so when the 'coming out party' was held for the sparkly mobile phones at super high prices, all the politicians in Bkk were clamoring over themselves to buy 'em, all to gain favor with the big T. I wonder how many are still using those high priced, old-tech mobile phones today? My guess, zero.

Well some people believe anything. There's a huge market for pulverized tiger penis and rhino horn for the same reason.

Right on. Has anyone ever done double blind tests on any of these Asian/Chinese concoctions? Doubtful. Even if they proved scientifically that pulverized dried tiger penis was no more useful for getting a hard-on than cat gut soup, it wouldn't affect the market one iota. The people who are steeped in superstition won't change their stripes. Meanwhile, endangered species continue to get wiped out.

As for the caterpillar, which probably isn't endangered, I say go ahead and ingest as much as you can, it will probably hasten the demise of easily duped ding dongs.