Ezine Articles

Chaga grows as a black cankerous mass on birch, dead or living. It may rarely be found on beech, elm, ash or hornbeam as well.

In Europe and Asia, chaga has been used for centuries to treat cancers of the heart and liver, digestive ailments, and tuberculosis. [121]

Traditionally, the black “skin” of the mushroom was removed and the light inside boiled into tea. As a naturally compact remedy, it was conveniently portable to ancient healers.

Modern research on chaga has mainly focused on its potential application as an anti-cancer remedy. In Russia, this usage was already approved as early as 1955 to treat lung, stomach, breast and cervical cancers [122]

One modern study from 1998 showed that chaga extract did in fact inhibit growth of cervical cancer cell lines under lab conditions. [123] Another study from 1995 reported that an isolate of the active compound betulin first inhibited growth of melanoma cells in a lab, and then killed them. [124, 25]

Further research has confirmed that some of the active compounds of Siberian chaga do decrease cancer cell growth. [125, 126]

Although traditional healers used to peel off the black outside (probably because it looked unappetizing), the skin actually contains 30% betulin, a highly prized medicinal compound, [127] while the inside is rich in fungal lanostanes. So both parts would be valuable in preparing the tea.

The best chaga extracts are made not only from the whole mushroom fruit body but also the mycelia (“roots”), which contain more medically active protein compounds than the fruit bodies.

Research on chaga has also reported potent anti-viral properties. Two studies on influenza virus [127] and HIV [128] were published with positive results in 1996. Chaga probably works on viruses indirectly by enhancing the human immune system, as indicated by two papers published in 2002 and 2005. [25, 129] Historical use of chaga as an anti-inflammatory may be attributed to that same mechanism. [130]

An alcohol extraction of chaga was reported to lower elevated blood sugar levels. [131] Chaga also contains powerful antioxidants. [132, 133]

As an interesting aside unrelated to human health, a Quebec arborist uses a chaga poultice to cure chestnut blight. The trees later even become immune to the blight and resistant to future infections. [134]

Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never use any herb (or mushroom) except as advised by a licensed medical practitioner.

Credit: Thank you to Paul Stamets for source material.

Dr. Rafael has worked in the natural health field since finishing Chiropractic College in 1996. He currently focuses on medicinal mushrooms in partnership with Cordyceps Reishi Extracts, LLC, a U.S. business offering (http://tinyurl.com/nl65rb) Chaga Mushroom Extract and much more. For the scientific references to this article, go to the (http://tinyurl.com/l63o52) Siberian Chaga Extract page and click on any number indicating a reference.