The Power of Chaga
Chaga Mushroom
(Inonotus Obliquus)
Chaga mushroom or, also known as its scientific species name, Inonotus Obliquus is a superfood that has been used for thousands of years in the regions of Russia, Korea, Eastern and Northern Europe, Northern United States, and in many cultures around the world. Its medicinal use may have started from the native Russians and the Siberian Khanty people.
It’s a fungus that grows on hardwood trees in cold climates mainly on birch trees. The Siberians called it a “Gift from God” which is what it truly is once you learn more about its use as a medicinal herb. In China they called it “King of Herbs” or the “King of Plants” and in Japan it’s known as “Diamond of the Forest.”
Nature's Healing Process and Medicinal Benefits
Due to poor weather conditions such as storms, the branches of these trees get damaged or even they break off completely, but what happens next is absolutely astounding. Nature steps in and seals the wound by growing the chaga mushroom on top of it for protection and now it will serve as an immune system for the tree.
Inonotus Obliquus has many active ingredients that we can use for countless medicinal benefits such as, for boosting the immune system, acting as an anti-inflammatory, and as an antioxidant. It has been known to be used as an anti-cancer treatment by researchers in Finland and Russia back in 1958. Ancient texts describe its use as a cancer treatment in traditional folk medicine books of Russia and Northern Europe.
Key Active Ingredients in Chaga
The active ingredients chaga has are chloride, copper, flavonoids, germanium, inotodiol, iron, lanosterol, manganese, superoxide dismutase (SOD), magnesium, melanin, natural phenols, phosphorous, phytonutrients, potassium, selenium, sodium, sterols, trametenolic acid, tripeptide, triterpenes, triterpenoids, vanilla acid, beta-carotene, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), ergosterol, vitamin K, zinc and we are still finding out even more.
Health Benefits of Key Nutrients
Copper helps develop the central nervous system and helps with the function of the heart, circulatory system and is an anti-fungal and an anti-bacterial. Essential minerals such as iron are the spark of life that our bodies need creating the haemoglobin, which is the protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. Melanin is a natural skin pigment that plays a role in the colour of your skin, hair, eyes and helps protect damaged cells from free radicals. Beta-carotene is a pre-cursor of vitamin A (retinol) and vitamin B1 (thiamine) are both used for generating energy taken from the foods we eat, boosting the immune system, helping to prevent cancer and kidney disease. Thiamine can also help cognitive enhancement.
How to Enjoy Chaga
Sit back, relax and enjoy a nice cup of chaga. It’s simple to make, refreshing and has an earthy-like taste. You can buy it in tablet form, as a powder, as pieces but I really do feel it’s best taken from big chunks and simmering with good clean water such as spring or distilled. I never drink tap water because of the chemicals in it and it will certainly defeat the object by using chaga for its health benefits.
Choosing and Preparing Chaga
Wild harvested chaga is best and you can go foraging yourself if you live in the regions where it grows naturally. I do not recommend you buy it from a company that has grown it in strictly ‘controlled conditions’ as you may not get the best natural benefits out of it. It’s always best foraged from its natural environment. If you do buy it from a company on the internet, then make sure it is organic. You can also buy the chaga mushroom that has already been extracted from hot water. You can also buy it dual extracted which is extracted from alcohol as well. They both have its benefits as each extraction method can extract different components from the mushroom. See what works best for you.
I purchase mine from naturalchaga.eu and it comes from Estonia. You can purchase it from Na’vi Organics which is in England or you can shop around yourself. People make their chaga teas in different ways. Just use a way that suits you and do whatever you can to get the most use out of it. An example is, simply taking 1 teaspoon of chaga powder, 1 and a half cup of good clean water and allow it to simmer between 20 minutes and 1 hour. It depends what company you buy it from as some have different instructions. For chaga chunks you can allow it to simmer for up to 8 hours. Just keep in mind the longer the better with these chunks. However, if you do purchase it as dual extracted then this will save you time. I think it’s good to experiment and learn. You may even consider doing the alcohol extraction yourself to make a tincture.
Empowering Your Health Journey
I always recommend to anyone to use their own due diligence by researching on their own whether that be about the health benefits of chaga mushroom, where to purchase, or anything else. I recommend reading the Chaga Mushroom Book Guide written by Jason Hanson, MD.
I don’t claim to be a medical expert. However, I see nothing wrong with seeking out for natural medicine, being your own doctor and looking after your own health. My only job is to take care of myself and to raise awareness. The question I ask is, why is the current medical system not recommending chaga mushroom to the world?
Websites to purchase chaga mushroom. You can claim a 10% discount at Natural Chaga if you apply the offer code GEORGE10.
https://naturalchaga.eu/
You can also purchase chaga from Navi Organics with 10% off as long as you register before making a purchase using the Na’vi link.
