What are chaga mushrooms exactly? Chaga was new to me until this winter. I’m still learning about it but from what I understand it’s a mushroom. It grows on birch trees in colder climates in the northern hemisphere, so here, Canada. It is has tonnes of nutrients and has been used for centuries in places like Russia and eastern European countries for medicinal purposes. The most common way to consume it is in the form of a tea, brewing it in hot water and drinking it. On the outside the mushroom is dark-brown and looks like charcoal but inside it has a rusty, yellow-brownish colour. It takes about 3-10 years for the Chaga mushroom to grow to a size that is harvestable which is about the size of a grapefruit. Once the mushroom has been removed it is dried to remove moisture content and allow for a higher mineral concentration in the mushroom. At this point it is then either broken into chunks, small pieces or ground into a fine powder.
Chaga has been referred to as the “gift of nature”, the “diamond of the forest”, “the king of herbs” all due to its high nutritional content and healing properties. The native tribe Ainu of Asia have been using Chaga for generations. Some records suggest this tribe has been using Chaga for at least 600 years for its antioxidant properties. Nowadays Chaga is used as a tea of tincture, a medicine made by dissolving a drug in alcohol.
What are the health benefits of Chaga?
- Immune modulation
- Pain relief
- Removing certain parasites
- Anti-viral
- Detoxifying (blood and liver)
- Balancing blood sugar
- Heart protection
- Bronchitis
- Improving circulation
- Intestinal protection
- Lowering cholesterol
Most of the research around Chaga has been done in Russia as it is plentiful in this part of the world due to the climate. Chaga is an adaptogen. An adaptogen plant and mushroom help bring the body back to balance.
The beneficial effects of adaptogens:
- The nervous system
- Immune system
- GI, gastrointestinal, tract
- Cardiovascular system
- Endocrine system
- The support of adaptogens to the body help people cope with
- Stress
- Stay healthy during cold and flu season
- Fight cancer
- Adrenal burnout
- Depression
The immune modulating properties of Chaga make Chaga helpful for Auto-immune diseases.
High levels of antioxidants in Chaga make Chaga helpful in protection against free radicals.
It does take time for the benefits of adaptogens like Chaga to be seen and so should be taken for at least a couple of months to start seeing and feeling the benefits.
Chaga mushroom contain the highest levels of something called Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) found in any natural food and very high in antioxidants. Other foods that contain SOD are foods such as wheatgrass, broccoli and some cabbages but in smaller amounts than Chaga.
References:
- What is Chaga?, Chaga.ca, URL: https://chaga.ca/pages/what-is-chaga
- The Chaga Mushroom – King of Medicinal Mushrooms, annandachaga.com, URL: https://www.annandachaga.com/pages/frontpage
- Health Benefits of Chaga Mushrooms, annandachaga.com, URL: https://www.annandachaga.com/pages/chagahealthbenefits
- Chaga, “The powder of the forest”, houseofenergy.ca, URL: http://www.houseofenergy.ca/buy-chaga-mushroom
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