What You Need To Know About Chaga
Chaga, also known as “Birch mushroom”, is a polypore fungus, which means that it has pores instead of the
typical mushroom gills. It usually grows on birch trees and is considered among the top of the medicinal mushroom
The color of this mushroom is black, with a cracked mass that is irregular in shape. Being a fungal parasite, it
draws its food from the nutrients of the trees where it attaches itself. It grows in the wild and is
not usually cultivated.
Lifecycle of Chaga
Chaga has a 20-year micro-ecological cycle which starts
when a carpophore, the fruiting body of a higher fungi, enters the wound of a mature birch tree. The mushroom
grows under the bark and blisters through it forming a bizarre-looking black conk on the trunk. The conk grows
with the tree, under the harsh Siberian weather. It lives on the nutrients from the birch tree for 5 to 7
years. When the conk fully ripens, it will fall to the forest floor. Within a short time, the host tree will
also die, because all its life force has been depleted.
Chaga’s Natural Habitat
The natural habitat of Chaga is found in the birch forests of the
coldest parts of the Northern hemisphere. These are the birch forests of countries such as Russia, Eastern Europe,
Northern Europe and Korea. It can also be found in the United States, especially in North Carolina, as well as in
Canada. The mushroom is harvested on selected birch trees only once in 20 years. Harvesting of Chaga is very
selective; out of 100 trees harvested, only 2 % to 3 % of the harvested Chaga are certified as being of “superior
For thousands of years, Chaga has been used to strengthen the immune system,
detoxify the body and to extend the span of life. This fungus was been documented as early as 4,600 years ago in
Chinese medicine where it earned the names: “King of the Herbs” and “A Gift from God”.
Chaga is used for the treatment of many forms of cancers and tumors in the Siberian regions. It is also used for
treating digestive disorders as well as different kinds of bacterial and viral infections. The local people in the
Siberian Mountains prepare it in powder form and drink it as tea. They also inhaled its smoke and apply it to
their skin to heal their rashes and skin injuries.
Due to their regular consumption of Chaga, these indigenous people have very low oncologic diseases. Many of
them have been documented to live for over 100 years.
But Chaga was completely unknown to the rest of the world until the famous author Alexander Solzhenitsyn
mentioned it in his book “Cancer Ward”. In the book, he mentioned how Chaga was able to heal the cancerous diseases
of some of the book’s characters.
Today, Chaga is acknowledged as a “cancer-tumor herb” and is very much sought after in Asia and the rest of the
world as a “cure-all” herbal medicine.
An examination of Chaga’s components will give us an idea why it has
extraordinary healing powers.
The primary active ingredients of Chaga are special mushroom carbohydrates, also known as
polysaccharides/beta-glucans. These substances can enhance the feel-good chemicals in the brain. They can also
benefit the intestine, slow down digestion, boost liver function and increase energy.
There is also a chemical substance called betuli/betulinic acid which can only be found in this mushroom specie.
Research shows that betulinic acid can kill cancer cells without damaging normal cells. It was discovered
recently that this substance has an inhibition effect on topoisomerase – the enzyme that regulates the over winding
or under winding of our DNA strands. Combined with the actions of polysaccharides, Chaga is indeed a very potent
agent that can be used as a dietary supplement to promote good health.
Aside from these main active ingredients, Chaga also contains several phystosterols (mainly inotodiol and
lanostero). This mushroom also contains high amounts of melanin which is a natural antioxidant. Melanin is also
responsible for the black color, as well as giving it the highest antioxidant levels of all natural
How to Get the Best of Chaga
These days, Chaga is available in bottles containing Chaga
extract. A typical bottle will contain about 2 fluid ounces of Chage extract. This should last you for about 45
days. It is also available in powder and crushed tea form. Be careful to buy only those which are authentic
Siberian Chaga because some of the Chaga products are virtually worthless. Be sure to ask for the Certificate of
Analysis. An honest supplier of Chaga will have no problem in giving you this.