What Is Chaga Mushroom?
Chaga Mushroom, or Inonotus obliquus, grows primarily on birch trees; particularly silver birch trees. Unlike most mushrooms, Chaga contains no fruiting body (mushroom head). Rather, Chaga is a mass of mycelium that feeds off the birch tree’s powerful sap. As a result, the mushroom is full of anti-oxidants and a great natural healer for various diseases. The mushroom itself is hard like wood and you will need a hatchet, or a rock to break it off.
Although Chaga is not very appealing to the eyes, its taste is unforgettable. Those who like the taste of vanilla will fall in love with this mushroom. Chaga Mushroom contains high amounts of vanillic acid. This acid is what gives Chaga mushroom its unforgettable vanilla taste!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEwN6DwsnL4
Early Use of Chaga Mushroom
Chaga Mushroom has been used for at least a few thousands years in traditional cultures for its medicinal properties. In fact, the Siberian peoples of Russia were the first to discover the benefits of this medicinal mushroom. Those Siberians consuming the Chaga Mushroom had lifespans between 100 to 110 years old! They would use this mushroom in everything such as soups, stews, and teas. It wasn’t long before the use of Chaga caught wind in other cultures. In fact, although the Siberian people were the first to consume this mushroom, plenty of cultures were already using Chaga for other applications such as tinder.
Immune Modulating, Antioxidants, and Adaptogen
Chaga is an immune tonic mushroom. Simply put, it modulates the immune system and corrects any imbalances that may be present in the body. It also has Geno-protective properties. When something is Geno-protective, it protects your DNA from free radical damage. That being said, it has more antioxidants then any mushroom found in the fungi kingdom! Since these properties found in Chaga are extremely beneficial to the human body, its been used for centuries to promote longevity.
As well as being an immune modulator and antioxidant powerhouse, Chaga mushroom is potent adaptogen. Adaptogenic herbs or mushrooms help us handle stress more efficiently. Unlike most adaptogens, Chaga also helps detox the body. Those under high amounts of stress, fatigue, depression, and anxiety can benefit tremendously from taking Chaga Mushroom daily.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoYkrsKwjy8
Betulin Acid and Rejuvenation
Betulin acid, found abundantly in Chaga, has been shown to regenerate skin cells, as well as aid in the healing of wounds. In fact, many cosmetic products add birch bark extract to their products. Remember, Chaga grows on Birch trees and contains all the beneficial properties of these trees in high concentrations. Furthermore, Betulin Acid also has an anti-inflammatory response on the human body. This is great news for those suffering from chronic pain due to inflammation.
Numerous research has also shown that Betulin Acid contains anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties. Like triterpenes that can be found in Reishi Mushroom, Betulin Acid aids in proper liver function and regeneration. For this reason, many take Reishi Mushroom and Chaga Mushroom together. The result is a powerful, potent, and effective natural cocktail. If you would like to know more about Reishi Mushroom, check out my article HERE.
Long Term Use And Longevity
Unfortunately, unusually high amounts of stress is part of life in today’s world. These stressors range from mental, physical, and even energetic. In fact, energetic fields such as WI-fi, cell phones, power lines, televisions, and microwaves are extremely taxing on our bodies. People 100 years ago may have worked physically harder than us, but they were not subject to the constant mental and energetic stress we face today. I like to call this “the invisible killer.”
Luckily, Chaga can keep our body in sync and working correctly; despite the stressors that are constantly attacking us. Chaga contains numerous properties that aid the body in regeneration and detoxification, as well as protective properties against various disease. It also protects our DNA from free radicals and contains beautification properties. If you haven’t done so already, get some Chaga Mushroom! There’s a reason they call it “King of Medicinal Mushrooms.”
Affiliate DisclosureThis website contains affiliate links, which means The Natural Man may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. You will pay the same price for all products and services, and your purchase helps support The Natural Man Website! |
Well done. keep up the good job
I was wondering if you had any recipes for making a face cream?? I love chaga. I immediately feel better after drinking chaga tea. I find my own and I would like to make my very own chaga face cream. I just can’t seem to find how to go about making it.
Interesting. I will be Chaga harvesting in the next couple of months, perhaps I will look into extraction methods that could be used in a face cream. Chaga is very hard to extract and needs either alcohol or hot water to get its medicinal properties out.