What is chaga and why is it interesting?

Medicinal mushrooms are often used in Chinese medicine because of their beneficial effects on health. In the West too, people are becoming increasingly aware of the powerful properties of some mushrooms or fungi. Did you know that they share DNA with us and are more genetically related to humans than to plants? Just like herbs, medicinal mushrooms can be a powerful natural tool. Reishi, Lion's Mane, Shiitake and Cordyceps are examples of some fungi that are gaining in popularity. And then, of course, there is chaga, the king of medicinal mushrooms!

What is chaga?

Chaga (pronounced: tcha-ga) is an old Russian word for mushroom. It is a fungus that lodges in the open wounds (knots) of birch trees and then grows with the tree for 5 to 7 years. Chaga does not look like a mushroom, but more like a black/orange bulge, and is as hard as wood or corky.

Chaga thrives in places with cold, harsh climates such as Russia, Canada or Scandinavia. To survive there, the chaga fungus protects itself with all kinds of natural substances. Chaga also reinforces itself with the power of birch trees by extracting nutrients from the inner layers of the bark.

Chaga is a superfood full of antioxidants, beta-glucans, phytochemicals, phenols, sterols and enzymes that support or can restore our health.

Chaga, king of mushrooms

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) has been used for thousands of years in certain cultures to promote health. These cultures have extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs and certainly know what they are talking about! The Chinese call chaga the "king of mushrooms". Siberians call it "the gift of God". Japanese people know chaga as "the diamond of the forest". Chaga owes these names to its special, powerful properties.

Eastern European traditional medicine first came into contact with chaga in the 1500s. It was originally made into tea for the treatment of a variety of conditions such as viral and bacterial infections and stomach and intestinal disorders. Recent research has indeed confirmed that chaga has strong antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory effects.

Chaga superfood such as tea, capsules and elixir

There is no doubt that chaga is a superfood with powerful properties that can have a positive effect on our health. Chaga can help to prevent or cure specific diseases, but it is also a powerful tool to support general resistance.

Originally, chaga was used to make tea. The warm water is required to enable release of polysaccharides in the chaga mushroom so that they can be absorbed by the human body.

Nowadays, you can also get capsules with chaga powder that can be easily swallowed as a supplement. You should make sure that it is wild chaga powder. Cultured chaga does not always have the typical substances that are contained in birch bark.

Finally, age-old brews or herbal drinks with chaga are now being rediscovered and sold as Chaga elixir. In the past, it was customary to take cod liver oil to stimulate resistance. Today, you can take chaga elixir. This is a tastier alternative, and has various ingredients such as sea buckthorn berries, aloe, pine buds, yarrow and honey, all of which are high in antioxidants and increase resistance or support the immune system.