The weight of the fruiting body of the mushroom can reach almost 3 kg. It can grow on a tree for several decades, affecting areas of the bark that lack integrity. The spores form growths of disproportionate shape. They have a deep dark shade; there are a large number of cracks and light veins on the surface. Every year the fungus makes its way closer to the trunk, as a result of which the tree gradually dies.
Fungal growths can be found in forest-steppe and taiga Russian zones, in forests and birch groves. In addition, chaga grows in Korean, American countries, and in mountainous areas. It is collected in different seasons, the main thing is to remove it from a living, not damp tree. When collected from dead plants, the mushroom will not have the desired positive effect on the body, since the activity of the valuable components in the composition will be negligible. The optimal storage method is crushed and dried. Birch mushroom has incredible health benefits. Ancestors believed that it helps to cope with hundreds of different ailments. Until now, “wood sponge” (popular name) is widely used in folk medicine.
Where does chaga grow?
Chaga grows on birches - on young and old trees. Only birch chaga has medicinal properties. Moreover, the tree on which it grows must be alive - not dry, not rotten, not fallen. The strength of chaga is directly related to the “parent” trunk: as long as the tree is alive, the chaga is alive. The life cycle of chaga is approximately 20 years. Feeding on tree sap, this fungus gradually destroys the birch tree.
Chaga is black in color, and contrasts with the snow-white birch, whose life is under threat...
Siberia, the Far East, the North Caucasus, and the Urals are the regions where chaga is most common. Forest thickets, mountain ranges and swampy mossy thickets, untouched by human hands, are where you can most often find chaga on trees. There are chagas of alder, aspen, maple, rowan, etc., but they are not useful for humans.
Uniqueness and indications for use
Chaga is a unique and amazing creation. From a small spore, the mushroom grows to large sizes and is saturated with useful substances coming from the birch tree on which it grows. The active components of this unique mushroom, such as zinc, potassium, iron, polysaccharides, etc., are necessary for the functioning of human organs, and if at least one of them is missing in the body, the disease begins. Chaga helps replenish these beneficial substances, which is why it is used.
Numerous beneficial properties determine the use of birch chaga for:
- duodenal and stomach ulcers;
- gastritis;
- benign and malignant tumors;
- diabetes mellitus;
- diarrhea and constipation;
- diseases of the heart and nervous system;
- hypertension and anemia;
- infectious diseases;
- skin diseases.
Chaga composition
Externally, chaga consists of a round body with dense pulp formed by many inclined tubes, covered on the outside with cracks and veins. The body of the mushroom is cut from the birch with a sharp knife or chopped off with an ax - it cannot be broken off with your hands. Chaga is collected from late autumn to early spring.
The chaga tree mushroom is a consistency of different chemical compounds. Alkaloids, resins, pigments, organic acids, pteroid and steroid compounds, polysaccharides, as well as large amounts of manganese, magnesium, zinc, sodium iron are included in its composition.
See also: Tibetan herbal collection: recipes for making medicinal tea
The unique biogenic-stimulating effect of chaga is provided by its polyphenylcarbonate composition. The dark brown color of the mushroom is a clear confirmation of its chromogenic nature.
What is birch chaga mushroom
This is a parasitic fungus that develops on the roots and trunks of trees. Birch is the main host. You can also find it on aspen, alder and mountain ash. The mushroom can be visually identified by its unusual appearance. It is a solid formation (growth). The surface is dark, uneven, bumpy.
In 90% of cases, the growth is covered with cracks and veins. Color - black, brown or yellowish. The fungus chooses a damaged area of the trunk for itself. The period of life activity is long. On average, the age of chaga reaches 18-20 years.
The presence of a parasite on a tree trunk indicates disease. Tree death without special care occurs in 100% of cases.
For trees, the proximity to chaga is unfavorable. Through observations and research, scientists were able to understand that the effect of the fungus on the body is in most cases positive. The therapeutic effect is achieved only when using birch chaga. Other types do not have beneficial properties.
Useful properties of chaga
- unique therapeutic properties. This is a biologically active product that has a complex healing effect. Anti-inflammatory properties make it possible to recommend taking chaga to patients with gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, liver diseases, polyposis, diabetes and oncology. I. Prokopenko in the book “Secrets of Immortality” and A. Mironov in the essay “Treatment of Cancer and Other Diseases” claim that chaga has the ability to stop the division of cancer cells.
- general strengthening properties. A general decrease in immunity is also a worthy reason to seek the help of a “forest healer.” Chaga can have an immunostimulating effect on the body.
- cleansing properties. Removing toxins from the body is another effect of birch mushroom on the human body. For any intoxication, chaga will be a real help to medications.
- antimicrobial and healing effect.
- enhancing male power - mixed with verbena and peony, or wormwood.
The chemical composition has not been sufficiently studied
Chaga is not well studied chemically. It consists of approximately 12% ash, contains a lot of manganese, potassium and calcium, as well as acids (acetic, formic, oxalic, butyric, vanillic), polysaccharides, lignin, fiber, free phenols, etc.
The presence of pterins in chaga determines its antitumor effect, incl. and for malignant tumors.
Chaga in medicine: research on medicinal properties
The study of chaga as a medicine for medical use and the study of its effects on the human body began in the 60s of the last century.
The Leningrad Medical Institute conducted a number of studies that showed that chaga normalizes redox processes, strengthens, tones and restores the nervous system, eliminates exacerbations and normalizes the functions of the stomach and duodenum. X-ray studies have confirmed the positive effects of chaga on gastrointestinal diseases. When consuming the mushroom infusion, venous and blood pressure decreased and the pulse slowed down. Chaga decoction could reduce blood sugar from 15% to 30%.
Research conducted in Kyiv has shown that when using chaga, the metabolism of brain tissue is activated, i.e. The activity of the cerebral cortex increases. Chaga has anti-inflammatory properties of a general and local nature. In these experiments, it was found that chaga helps slow the growth of certain tumors and reduces the effects of radiation exposure.
In Japan, studies were carried out on the medicinal properties of chaga, as a result of which they recorded the high antiviral and immunomodulatory properties of chaga preparations.
At the University of Haifa (Israel), the anticancer activity of chaga preparations was studied and confirmed.
So, chaga is a unique mushroom that is saturated with a huge amount of useful substances and has a wide range of medicinal effects.
Beneficial properties of birch chaga
It’s hard to believe that the chaga mushroom, growing in almost any birch grove, has a huge number of beneficial properties, and it has unique medicinal indications. They have been tested not only for many years in folk medicine, but many of them are clinically confirmed.
The main beneficial properties of birch chaga:
- has antimicrobial, diuretic and antispasmodic effects;
- normalizes the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract;
- helps with the healing of duodenal and stomach ulcers;
- normalizes the functioning of the respiratory and heart organs;
- equalizes blood pressure and pulse rhythm;
- has a positive effect on the nervous system;
- accelerates metabolism, incl. in brain tissue;
- increases immunity and resistance to infections;
- has anti-inflammatory and analgesic internal and external effects;
- stimulates blood formation;
- helps in the treatment of malignant tumors;
- reduces the amount of sugar in the blood.
Cooking recipes
Drying . Chaga should be dried by first crushing it - grating it or cutting it with a knife. When dried, the already hard pulp will become even harder;
Infusion of dried extract. A decoction of birch mushroom is easy to prepare by pouring boiling water over a small amount of dried particles in a thermos for several hours or making a “water bath”;
ointments and oils are made using vegetable or olive oil and other ingredients. Chaga gruel is prepared using a meat grinder or grater.
How to brew chaga tea
tea is brewed in much the same way as green or black tea. It is necessary to pour 2 or 3 teaspoons of chaga tea into a teapot, then pour boiling water over it and let it brew for at least 6 minutes. After this, you can safely pour the tea into mugs or cups. Sweeteners, such as honey, sugar or jam, are added to taste. Can also be added to tea and milk.
By the way, the process of infusing chaga tea is also interesting. Very beneficial polyphenolic compounds are extracted from chaga tea. Their peculiarity is that they give us youth, health and longevity, as they have antioxidant activity.
Contraindications and harm
The use of chaga for medicinal purposes should be carried out after mandatory consultation with your doctor. Regardless of the composition and severity of the disease, you can eat birch mushroom only after informing a specialist.
Contraindications for using chaga: pregnancy, breastfeeding, as well as chronic colitis and other acute inflammations of the large intestine. It can be harmful, not beneficial, if you do not follow a healthy lifestyle, namely, smoking, drinking alcohol, poor diet, etc. Nervous diseases may be a contraindication to the use of chaga: it promotes increased excitability.
See also: Green tea with mint is a very aromatic and tonic drink
Individual intolerance, allergies and hypersensitivity may be reasons for refusing to use chaga for medicinal purposes. Taking antibiotics is not the best time to use chaga decoction. Any infectious diseases, such as dysentery, accompanied by the use of potent drugs, should go away without the use of chaga.
What kind of chaga tea can you buy in stores, and its price
Ready-made teas with chaga containing:
- “Wild Power” (pyramids) - 140 rubles.
- Drink with linden and sweet clover - 195 rubles.
- “Master of the Taiga” (pyramids) - 139 rubles.
- Chagoff tea drink with Ivan tea - 430 rubles.
Chaga tea can be purchased dried, as a concentrate, or as a brewing mixture. Additional components used to enhance the taste are black currant, sea buckthorn, and rose hips.
Use of chaga for illnesses
Different diseases require different dosages when taking chaga decoction orally and different treatment periods. In general, continuous use of chaga should not exceed 3-5 months, in exceptional cases six months.
| Illness | Method of treatment | Deadlines |
| Gastritis | Infusion, 1 glass | 3-4 times a day |
| Arrhythmia | Chaga infusion + honey + lemon juice, 1 tbsp. spoon | 2 times a day before meals, for 10 days |
| Arthritis | Compress, rubbing | Indefinitely |
| Hypertension | Chaga decoction + hawthorn, 1 tbsp. spoon | 2 times a day before meals |
| Uterine fibroids | Chaga infusion + honey + aloe + viburnum, 2 tbsp. spoons | 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals, 6 months |
| Eczema | Chaga vodka tincture + vodka 1:5 or decoction, 1 teaspoon | 3 times a day before meals |
| Prostate adenoma | Chaga decoction + hazel leaves, 2 tbsp. spoons | 3-4 times a day half an hour before meals, 21 days |
Therapeutic effect
The healing power of chaga can be judged by its wide range of effects on the human body:
- the mushroom has an antimicrobial and antiseptic effect, tinctures and teas are taken orally, decoctions and gruel are used externally, aqueous compositions are used for rinsing;
- has a general strengthening, tonic effect. The biogenic stimulants included in the composition have a beneficial effect on both diseased organs and the body of a healthy person. Chaga is taken to boost immunity during prevention and as a general tonic for diseases of varying severity;
- lowers blood cholesterol levels;
- has anti-inflammatory properties and is used internally and externally;
- The antitumor effect of chaga is highly valued. Remedies from the mushroom improve the condition of oncology, reduce the painful manifestations of the disease, and increase the body's resistance to pathology. Important - chaga blocks the growth of malignant tumors at the initial stage;
- normalizes blood sugar levels;
- has a hemostatic effect;
- has a diuretic and choleretic effect;
- relieves pain;
- has a positive effect on the central nervous system;
- is an antispasmodic;
- normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and the production of enzymes;
- has hematopoietic properties;
- reduces hell;
- cleanses the body of waste and toxins.
Indications - for what diagnoses is chaga taken?
Due to its complex effect on the body, products from chaga and based on it are included in complex treatment or prevention.
Use birch mushroom:
- for oncology;
- any liver ailments;
- kidney diseases (pyelonephritis, nephritis);
- diseases of the mammary glands, including mastopathy;
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- skin diseases (acne, burns, psoriasis, dermatitis);
- changes in the oral mucosa (stomatitis, gingivitis, periodontal disease);
- diseases related to the functioning of the central nervous system, to relieve stress, insomnia and depression;
- impaired metabolism;
- to normalize weight.
Contraindications
Like any medicine, a drug containing chaga has contraindications:
- diagnosis of dysentery, chronic colitis;
- pregnancy;
- allergization of the body;
- treatment with intravenous glucose;
- taking antibiotics of the penicillin group;
- intolerance to the components included in the composition.
Advice! For greater effectiveness of treatment, you should, while using compositions with chaga, avoid smoked and fried foods, alcohol, sweets, and limit meat and fatty foods. The benefits of chaga will be negated by taking penicillin antibiotics. You need to include lactic acid products, processed and raw vegetables, and fruits in your diet.
Chaga has long been used in folk medicine
Our ancestors did not have the opportunity to go to the pharmacy and buy medicine for any disease. I had to look for an opportunity to cope with the disease using natural gifts. Chaga was already mentioned 19 centuries ago. It was originally used as a treatment for tuberculosis. It is known that in the 19th century, chaga was a profitable commodity in Russia; it was even exported to Europe.
Application area
Chaga tea drink can be used to treat and prevent many diseases. It is prescribed for all types of cancer tumors. Below is a list of diseases for which chaga preparations are indicated:
What are the benefits of mushroom tea?
- gastritis, ulcers and other diseases of the stomach and intestines;
- depression, insomnia, nervous overexcitation;
- spasms of smooth muscles causing pain;
- eczema, psoriasis, acne;
- tumors;
- weakened immune system;
- atherosclerosis;
- uterine fibroids, mastopathy;
- prostatitis;
- phlebeurysm;
- pancreatitis;
- blurred vision.
The use of the mushroom for the treatment of such a wide range of diseases is due to its high biological activity. Chaga tea is the weakest of all mushroom-based preparations. It is recommended to drink it for insomnia, chronic fatigue, stress, weakened immunity, poor digestion and memory loss.
At the pharmacy you can purchase tea ready to brew, indicating the dosage and method of preparation.
At the same time, the drink will have a preventive effect on the female and male genital area, protect against the development of benign neoplasms such as fibroids, adenomas, and cysts. In general, you can use tea as:
- anti-inflammatory agent;
- immuno-strengthening;
- soothing;
- cleansing.
Chaga is indicated for endocrine problems, slow metabolism, hypertension, and heart rhythm disturbances. It removes waste and toxins, heavy metals, radionuclides and promotes rejuvenation of the body. Tea can be used both internally and as an external remedy for insect bites, skin irritation, wounds, and allergies.
Chaga cannot be treated as a safe herbal remedy. This is a strong medicine, a concentrate of biologically active components that can affect the body both positively and negatively. It is advisable to consult a doctor before using the mushroom.
How to collect
In general, growths from trees can be cut off at any time of the year, but the maximum concentration of useful substances is observed in them in autumn and spring. It is very important to collect raw materials only from still living birches; if the plant is already dead, then there will be very little benefit from such a product.
Chaga is removed from the plant using an ax or a fairly thick knife. This is not as easy to do as it seems at first glance, since the growth is firmly attached to the trunk.
When collecting medicinal raw materials, the following nuances should be taken into account:
- the highest quality and most useful are the growths on trees that grow in groves;
- the higher the birch mushroom is located on the trunk, the better;
- the product should not easily crumble in your hands and be completely dark;
- the most useful specimens are those whose length does not exceed 100 cm.
When collecting birch growths, it is very important not to confuse them with tinder fungi. To do this, it should be taken into account that they are lighter in color and have the appearance of a hoof. The chaga is firmly attached to the trunk; without an ax or knife, it does not come off, compared to the tinder fungus, which is separated from the tree without much effort.
Features of mushroom treatment
Medicines containing chaga are taken in two main schemes:
- In several courses of 7-14 days with long breaks. This scheme involves a longer wait for the therapeutic effect. Taking chaga in short courses is suitable for consolidating the positive results of treatment and preventing metastases.
- Long courses lasting up to 5 months with breaks per week - 10 days. With this treatment regimen, results are achieved quickly.
Important! It is necessary to take formulations with birch fungus for treatment after the diagnosis has been made, and with the approval of the attending physician. Treatment regimens and preparation recipes must be followed without fail.
There are 2 phases of the effect of chaga products on the body:
- The first phase is characterized by relief of the disease, reduction of pain symptoms and inflammation. The effect of the first phase is observed after 2 weeks of treatment.
- The main sign of the onset of the second phase is an improved general condition (the patient feels that he is recovering). Positive changes in the condition are also shown by the results of examinations using diagnostic equipment. The second phase begins after several months of treatment, depending on the severity of the disease, most often after two months.
When can you collect chaga from a tree?
The ideal time is autumn and winter. At this time of year, no processes take place inside the mushroom. This means that all nutrients are stored inside. You can cut it with a knife or chop it down with a sharp ax.
Only those mushrooms that grow on living trees are suitable for collection and further treatment. If the mushroom appears on a rotten stump, you should not touch it. Only the middle of the mushroom can be used as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent. All useful properties are concentrated here.
After collection, the mushroom retains its benefits for 2 years when stored in a cool, dark place without access to sunlight.
How many times can you brew the same portion of chaga?
It is important to remember that one serving of chaga can only be brewed once. when reused, there are no more useful substances left in it.
It has also been proven that the mushroom is not as effective when eaten raw as when dried. And tinctures and decoctions prepared in water are effective only for 4 days. They must be stored in the refrigerator. And after 4 days, be sure to prepare a new portion.
Not a fresh decoction can cause a lot of harm and therefore is not used for treatment, much less prevention.
History of chaga tea
Since ancient times, Rus' has brewed herbs, fruits and roots of various plants.
Such drinks were considered very beneficial for health. The most popular, among others, was tea made from the birch chaga mushroom. Since ancient times, chaga has been valued for its beneficial properties, which helped our ancestors get rid of many ailments. Gourmets of those times valued chaga because when brewed, this birch mushroom gave a thick infusion and a unique combination of aromas, which made it possible to catch the smells of the forest, awakening nature, morning dew - and all this in one small cup of chaga tea. Centuries have passed, but the tradition of brewing chaga has not been forgotten. Today, when a healthy lifestyle has become the norm, drinking a drink made from chaga - chaga tea is also becoming the norm, because a healthy lifestyle is impossible without a healthy and balanced diet, enriched with vitamins and minerals. Chaga tea, used as an everyday drink, will supplement your diet with all the necessary vitamins and microelements.
So that the treatment does not harm
When treating such severe pathologies as cancer, the patient needs to especially carefully weigh the benefits and harms of the proposed treatment regimens. There are cases when people relied only on healers, herbalists, traditional healers and refused the help of official medicine.
As a result, their health deteriorated. And it was not a matter of harmful drugs, but of lost time. After all, the disease develops quickly. An approach that allows one to use all the achievements of medicine and folk healing can be considered reasonable. In such a symbiosis, chaga will complement and enhance the result of therapy.
Important! The patient must inform the attending physician that he is taking chaga.
Along with birch mushroom, other plants that go well with chaga also have an anticancer effect: calendula, St. John's wort, calamus, plantain. In herbal preparations with mushrooms, the components enhance each other’s effects, and the effect of taking the medicine increases.
