HISTORY OF CHAGA USE
The chaga mushroom, also know an ‘Gift from God’ or the ‘King of Herbs’ has been appreciated for thousands of years. It has been used in folk botanical medicine, throughout Eastern Europe since the 16th century.
Use of chaga in Chinese medicine can be dated back to thousands of years. Where in the mountain regions of Siberia, locals drank the tea daily, inhaled the steam and used it on the skin. Over time its fame spread west of the Urai Mountains and Baltic regions of Eastern Europe.
Medicinal Mushrooms are classified into two – edible and extracted. Chaga is an extracted species, meaning an extraction process is necessary to make at least one of the active components bioavailable (meaning an extent a nutrient can be used by the body).
Among many valuable properties, the polysaccharides have been shown to have a strong anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties that may help to stimulate the body to produce natural killer (NK) cells. The last fighting infections and battle tumor growth. The medicinal properties of chaga has spread across continents. Today its use in promoting health is backed by a list of peer-reviewed scientific research.
WHAT IS IT BEING USED FOR
Chaga is believed to fight inflammation, lower blood sugar, reduce blood pressure, alleviate arthritis, and helping in slowing down the progression of cancer. The mushroom is rich in fiber and essential nutrients, including vitamin D, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese and calcium. The high melanin content of the superfood has led to a belief that it can bolster the melanin naturally, therefore protect it from sun damage, skin cancer, wrinkles and aging.
BENEFITS OF THE MUSHROOM
Consuming it daily will help your immune system to improve tremendously and slow down the ageing process. The antioxidants protect the body’s cells from damage that is caused by free radicals. Chaga has high levels of superoxide dismutase – a powerful enzyme found in living cells. This protein plays a vital part in neutralising free radicals before they’re able to cause damage to your body cells. The fungi also contains co-enzyme Q10, vitamin E, vitamin C and pycnogenol, which are some powerful nutrients that help to keep your body healthy. Furthermore, betulinic acid, also found in chaga is believed to fight off viral infections and prevent tumors from growing.
