Exploring the Eye Care Benefits of Cordyceps Cicadae Across Different Age Groups

Overview

The aim of this study is to evaluate the underlying mechanisms of consuming two capsules (each containing 250 mg of Cordyceps cicadae mycelium, for a total intake of 500 mg) of Grape King's Cordyceps cicadae mycelium through a clinical human trial. By including participants from different age groups, the study investigates whether improvements in visual acuity and the alleviation of eye fatigue are associated with changes in ocular accommodation, tear film stability, and blood circulation. The ultimate goal is to develop a health supplement beneficial for vision.

Over the past decade, vision problems caused by electronic screen use across all age groups have gradually shifted from being primarily occupational health issues to broader public health concerns. Moreover, studies have shown that prolonged computer use may lead to blurred vision at near or far distances-one of the hallmark symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), also known as Digital Eye Strain (DES). A key contributing factor is inaccurate accommodative response, either due to underaccommodation or overaccommodation while focusing on a visual target, leading to visual fatigue. Sheedy et al. identified common symptoms of visual fatigue, including eye tiredness, discomfort, burning, irritation, pain, soreness, eye ache, double vision, photophobia, blurriness, itching, tearing, dryness, and a foreign body sensation. These symptoms are generally classified into two categories: the first, external symptoms-such as burning, irritation, dryness, and tearing-are associated with dry eye syndrome; the second, internal symptoms-such as eye fatigue, headache, ocular pain, diplopia, and blurred vision-are typically linked to refractive errors, accommodative dysfunction, or convergence anomalies. In addition, a study by Tosha et al. found that subjects who experienced greater visual discomfort after prolonged computer use exhibited a significant increase in accommodative lag, suggesting a link to accommodative fatigue. Overall, these conditions are closely related to visual fatigue, and if left unmanaged, may impair visual function over time and potentially contribute to the progression of myopia. Therefore, appropriately managing screen time, along with adequate visual rest and eye care strategies, is essential for maintaining healthy accommodation and visual function. Previous studies have demonstrated that Cordyceps cicadae mycelium can effectively relieve eye fatigue and improve visual acuity; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The Cordyceps cicadae mycelium used in this study has passed 16 safety evaluation tests and has been granted a New Dietary Ingredient (NDI No. 834) number by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as food clearance approval by Japanese customs. The product is supplied by Grape King Bio. This study aims to further investigate the eye-protective mechanisms of Cordyceps cicadae mycelium and its beneficial effects on visual health across different age groups.