Chaga

Other Names:

Inonotus Obliquus (latin name)

Nutrition:

Chaga is rich in fibre and essential nutrients, including iron, potassium, vitamin D, manganese and calcium. It also has a high melanin content which some believe can strengthen the melanin naturally found in skin and therefore protect it from sun damage, skin cancer, wrinkles and ageing. It is also considered to have numerous health benefits such as fighting inflammation, alleviating arthritis, lower blood pressure and reduce blood sugar.

Health Benefits:

Immune System support & fighting Inflammation

Studies suggest that chaga extract can reduce long-term inflammation and fight harmful bacteria, as it stimulates white blood cells by promoting the growth of beneficial cytokines (specialised proteins that regulate the immune system). As well as this, chaga can also prevent the production of harmful cytokines, which trigger inflammation.

Chaga is rich in beta-glutans along with most other medicinal mushrooms. It is best known for its role in reducing the blood sugar of people have abnormal blood sugar peaks and activating the immune system.

Powerful Antioxidant

A compound called super-oxide dismutase (SOD) is found in abundance in chaga mushrooms, an enzyme which reduces the damage done to cells by the most common free radical in the body “super-oxide”. According to studies, SOD acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and as SOD levels drop whilst free radicals increase as we age, chaga is now being investigated as a potential anti-ageing treatment.

History:

Known as the ‘Gift from God’, the chaga mushroom has been respected for centuries throughout Russia, Korea, Eastern and Northern Europe, Northern United States, North Carolina mountains and Canada. It has been used since the 16th Century in folk and botanical medicine throughout Eastern Europe and grows on living trunks of mature birch trees. The name chaga derived from the Russian word for mushroom (czaga).

Typical Uses:

The appropriate dose of chaga depends on several factors such is the user’s age, health, and several other conditions. It can be consumed in a variety of ways including raw, powders, capsules and teas.

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3774877/