Wellness Profile: Chaga
What is Chaga?
Chaga is a fascinating fungus that has the potential to assist the human body on so many levels. When I was first diagnosed with Lyme’s disease, chaga tinctures and tea helped me weather the battle my body was raging. It was so lovely to have a medicine that tasted good too! It has a dark tint to it like coffee and because it shares similar compounds to vanilla beans, it has an underlying natural sweetness that is incredibly delicious. I used to cook mine on low in a crockpot over night and instead of coffee, I’d have chaga with nut milk and honey. It was so comforting and nourishing that I became a little bit obsessed with it and so began my chaga research journey.
While there are no human trials I’ve yet found there has been research in cell culture as well as animal trials that are incredibly promising when it comes to the medicinal value of chaga. Read on to find out how chaga may help us to be more resilient and remember to always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplements.
Chaga is a parasitic fungus that grows mostly on birch trees and while it definitely is not good for the trees, it may be amazing for us. Here in Vermont, I can walk in to the woods and find chaga fairly easily however, I must make a note on harvesting before I list benefits. Chaga can only grow in cold climates and is found throughout the far northern hemisphere. As it grows in popularity, it is beginning to be over harvested. If you harvest it yourself, please make sure to never take more than a third of what you find. Chaga can be steeped many times so don’t throw it away after one use!
It is very difficult to grow chaga so only buy from reputed providers such as Fungi Perfecti , the company started by renowned mushroom expert Paul Stamets. All of his host defense mushroom supplements are sustainably harvested and/or use mycelium as their base so that there is enough for all. If you want to dig deeper into mushroom research on chaga along with many other medicinal mushrooms, check out Stamets. He has many good books, Ted Talks and a movie that are truly wonderful.
Benefits of chaga may include:
Regulate the immune system.
Reduce inflammation.
Cancer fighting
Beneficial for skin
Protect the liver.
Protect from ulcers and gastritis.
A big part of chaga’s ability to affect the body positively is its numerous antioxidants. Oxidative stress, caused by free radicals, is a big factor in many diseases and antioxidants can help reduce this stress within the body. Chaga also helps regulate the immune system by reducing inflammation and inhibiting the production of cytokines. We’ve all heard of these now and we know that a cytokine storm can wreak havoc and cause death. Many mushrooms help inhibit this action in the body and chaga seems be capable of this. Lastly, chaga has shown promise in animal studies at reducing cancer tumors. While research is preliminary, it is incredibly exciting to read about the ability this mushroom is showing in not only protecting the body but killing tumor cells that cause cancer.
There is stills so much to learn about chaga and it’s potential to alleviate suffering and bring healthier balance to our bodies. I’d love to hear from you and your experience with chaga. Did I miss something you feel is important? Please leave a comment letting me know!