Raw Chaga Mushroom | Medicinal Mushrooms

Make Way For the King | Chaga & Its Benefits

aprile 29, 2021

A prized adaptogen, Chaga has been used for centuries in Eastern Europe as an adaptogenic substance bolstering the body’s ability to handle physical and environmental stress.

Chaga is found in the wild growing on birch trees in cold regions such as Siberia, northern Canada, Alaska, and some northern parts of the United States. Having a symbiotic relationship with the birches on which they grow, Chaga is thought to often help to heal the trees. As it grows, Chaga harnesses the life force of the tree. The growth feeds on the nutrients and compounds found in the birch tree, predigesting the birch’s nutrients, concentrating them in a form that when extracted, is more readily available to humans.

Today Chaga is coveted as a powerful skin nourishing, immune building, and energy potentiating adaptogen, considered to promote whole-body resilience, increase vitality, and protect against the ageing process. Read on as we dive into some of Chaga’s amazing benefits.

Protects Against the Ageing Process

Chaga is one of the most potent sources of antioxidants in the world. Wild Siberian Chaga has an ORAC score of around 146,700. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbancy Capacity and is a unit of measure devised to determine a food's antioxidant value. Chaga's score vastly outweighs other popular antioxidant-rich foods like acai berry at around 18,400 and blueberries at around 3,200.

What’s more, Chaga has been noted as one of the richest natural substances of anti-ageing enzyme SOD (superoxide dismutase). SOD occurs naturally in different forms in all human tissues, but our levels decline with age, particularly after 30. SOD neutralises free radicals, preventing oxidative damage to cells and tissues.[1] Inflammatory foods and other factors such as chronic stress, environmental pollutants and lack of sleep cause an increase in oxidative stress and the production of free radicals which have a direct link to the signs of the ageing process we might notice externally as well as internally.[2] By managing the factors we can control like prioritising sleep, minimising stressors and eating a nourishing diet rich in antioxidant foods such as Chaga and leafy greens we're able to support our SOD levels and improve the function and structure of our cells.

Skin Health

Chaga’s natural abundance of antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD), zinc and melanin provide it with incredible skin-protecting properties.

When free radicals surge in the body due to sun damage, stress, or pollution, SOD can work to support the skin helping with dark spots, fine lines, wound healing and sun damage, which is why it is used in many cosmetics as an antioxidant and anti-ageing ingredient.

Melanin is responsible for your skin pigment, but it also is important for your overall skin health. The more melanin you have the less sensitive your skin is to sun and windburn, free radicals and toxins in the air.

Endurance

Chaga is well-known for its ability to promote stamina and alleviate physical signs of fatigue which can come in handy for high-intensity workout sessions, or those days when we might find ourselves on the go.

A recent animal study revealed that the beta-d-glucans in Chaga may increase physical activity tolerance observing higher energy stores and a reduction in the signs of fatigue such as lactic acid. [3]

Immune Support

Like many medicinal mushrooms, Chaga a powerful adaptogen, is abundant in beta-d-glucans which can help support the body’s stress response and modulate the immune system bringing it closer to balance if it is underactive or overactive (in the case of autoimmune conditions or allergies). The compounds in Chaga have been studied for both their immunomodulating[4] and immune-stimulating potential.[5]

Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Viral

The inflammatory chemicals the body releases to help heal an injury or respond to foreign pathogens such as bacteria, toxins or viruses is part of the body’s natural healing process. However, when inflammation lingers and becomes chronic or tips beyond what the body requires to heal, this response can become problematic.

Studies have revealed that Chaga has the potential to modulate the release of specific cytokines such as interferon, interleukin and other growth factors involved in inflammation.[6]

Chaga is also thought to have anti-viral properties due to its range of compounds such as betulin and mycosterols. Chaga is unique in that it derives constituents from the birch tree itself, betulin and betulinic acid. The betulinic acid in Chaga is being studied to assess its potential for inhibiting and suppressing viral activity. [7]

Coffee Substitute

Chaga when prepared as a tea by mixing a small amount of extract powder with a cup of warm water, is often compared to coffee with its robust flavour and dark colour. We like to call it a ‘Chaga Long Black.’

Chaga is naturally caffeine-free and its energy-enhancing potential makes it the perfect substitute if you're looking to take a break from coffee and the crash that often comes with it. Additionally, coffee is also known to be acid-forming in the body, while Chaga can support a more balanced acid-alkaline ratio.