Chaga Is Extremely Nutrient
Chaga is packed with healthful compounds. Its rich in B-complex vitamins, vitamin D, and several minerals, including potassium, zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium. As if that wasnt enough, Chaga mushroom is brimming with beta-glucans , which boast powerful antioxidant properties. In fact, Chaga has one of the highest ORAC scores of any foodthree times higher than açai berries! The higher the ORAC score, the better a foods ability to support the body against the harmful effects of free radicals and oxidative stress.
Chaga Can Balance Your Immune Functions
Thanks to the high amounts of Beta-D-Glucans, Chaga mushrooms are excellent biological response modifiers. Thus, they keep the immune system in good shape they can give the needed boost to a sluggish system and can slow down an over-active immune system.
Scientific studies on mice have found that this immune-modulating effect of Chaga mushrooms is mainly due to the secretion of Th1/Th2 cytokines in immune cells. A study saw that a water extract of Chaga mushrooms could recover the bone marrow system affected during chemotherapy in mice because of the modulation of cytokines in the cells. ,
Thus, Chaga mushrooms apparently have a great potential in strengthening the immune system and, in turn, reducing inflammation and fighting off bacteria and viruses. So, go ahead and fight inflammation with Chaga tea.
Side Effects Of Chaga Mushrooms
As with all supplements or vitamins, Czerwony advises talking to your doctor before adding anything new.
If you do have Type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor first to make sure youre keeping your blood sugar levels where they need to be.
Also, if you take any blood-thinning medication or have an upcoming surgery or procedure, talk to your doctor first, as chaga mushrooms contain a protein that prevents blood clotting.
And since supplements arent regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , Czerwony also suggests doing your homework before buying chaga mushrooms.
You could be getting a mixed bag of potency with each dose, she says. You may use a tea one time and have no side effects. But the very next time, you may have something thats higher potency because of the way that it was grown or processed. And then you could get some of the side effects.
But if youve done your research, talked to your doctor and want to give chaga mushrooms a try, go for it.
You have to be educated and you got to be careful with some things because it can do more harm than good, says Czerwony.
Also Check: Does Hibiscus Make You Sleepy
Risks Side Effects And Drug Interactions
Chaga mushroom side effects and safety are currently unclear.
To date, there are no clinical trials that have evaluated the safety of these mushrooms in humans. Thus, there is also no standard dosage for humans.
There is a case report of kidney damage/disease in a 72 year-old Japanese woman with liver cancer, caused by taking chaga daily for six months. This mushroom is also high in oxalates, which may prevent the absorption of certain nutrients and can be toxic in high dosages.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, its best to avoid these mushrooms because their use has not been studied in pregnant and breastfeeding women.
If you are currently taking any medication or being treated for any medical condition, check with your doctor before you add this mushroom to your diet.
Is chaga mushroom safe? Are there are any specific warnings?
There are concerns about chaga and the following conditions:
- Autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis , multiple sclerosis , lupus This mushroom can make the immune system more active, which could lead to increased symptoms of autoimmune disease.
- Diabetes It may decrease blood sugar levels in diabetics.
- Bleeding Disorders It may raise the risk of bleeding so its best not to use if you have a bleeding disorder.
- Surgery Stop using chaga at least two weeks before any type of surgery since it may increase bleeding risk and/or affect blood sugar control during and after surgery.
Supporting The Immune System
Cytokines are the immune systems chemical messengers. They are proteins that play a vital role in stimulating white blood cells, which are the immune systems first line of defense against a range of illnesses.
on mice suggests that chaga may help regulate the production of cytokines, supporting the immune system by helping cells communicate with one another. This could help fight infections, from minor colds to life-threatening illnesses.
Also Check: Where Is Tea Grown In The Us
How Often Should You Drink Chaga Tea
Best to consider any medicinal mushroom as a medicinal tonic to be enjoyed daily. A maximum of two cups daily is recommended. One cup in the morning and a second late afternoon around dinner time.
Rich in Birch tree sterols, drinking the tea daily provides a boost energy and vitality. A good reason to should avoid drinking the tea too close before bed time otherwise it may affect your sleep.
How To Brew Chaga Tea
People have foraged their own chaga for many years. Likewise, they have brewed their own tea from their forest findingsfor both the pure enjoyment or for health-boosting purposes.
The taste of Chaga tea is described as vanilla root beer, without the sweetness.
It also looks like a dark beer with a creamy, golden-foamy top.
To brew the tea:
- Make sure the harvested Chaga is in a broken-down form or close to a powder as possible. This helps in extracting the best tea.
- Set a stovetop pot of water to boil. Using the highest setting takes the quickest amount of time.
- Steeping the tea can be achieved in one of two ways. For a truly heady brew, place the chaga tea in boiling water and then turn down the heat, letting it simmer on a medium-low temperature for one or two hours . Turn down the heat, remove the pot, and pour through a strainer into a cup or mug. If excess chaga tea is made, one can store it in their fridge in a mason jar and reheat at a later time, though let it cool first before transferring to a mason jar.
- The other steeping method: After the water is boiled, remove it quickly from the stovetop. Pour it over 1 tablespoon chaga powder directly placed in a cup or mug, preferably inside a tea infuser or ball. To limit consumption to one tea serving at a time, boil only 1-2 cups at a time.
- Sip and enjoy. Make sure to let the tea cool down a little first before consuming. Sweeten with honey, natural sweetener, or add cream if desired.
You May Like: How Much Caffeine Does Snapple Have
Chaga Tea During Pregnancy
After a lot of testing, it was proven that the Chaga tea is completely safe and important health-food products for all ages. You can basically give it to a young child or an elderly person, and this also includes pregnant women too. Asides from the possible tree-mushroom allergies, Chaga tea is completely safe for pregnant women throughout their entire pregnancy.
Powdered Chaga Tea Recipe
For the powdered version, you will need a robust grinder or a home flour mill machine.
Place the chaga chunks in the grinder/mill, and ensure that they fit well and arent too big.
Run the grinder/mill till the chaga has been thoroughly powdered.
Take two teaspoons of the powder and place it in a teabag.
Steep it in boiling water. I do it for 7 minutes, but its really up to you and the kind of flavor you desire.
Your tea is ready. You can drink it this way or add spices of your choice for a more rounded flavor.
Recommended Reading: Does Green Tea Cause Kidney Stones
Benefits Of Drinking Chaga Tea
For this section, were going to mention different benefits that have been claimed for this drink. We, ourselves, at Tea Perspective arent scientists and we havent conducted any of these tests ourselves, so well simply link you to a source for each one and you can do your own research and make up your own mind as to whether or not it sounds beneficial to you, in your unique situation, and with your unique diet.
- Antioxidants A study that has been cited over 40 times, with over 30 references.
- Chaga Impact on Blood Glucose Siberian Empire Chaga covers this benefit in a recent article they published.
- Increased Energy Reference.com discussed some of the benefits of chaga, including having extra energy.
- Cognitive Function This study examines the effect on this plant on your mental and cognitive functions.
- Other Nutritional Benefits Youll also find amino acids, fiber, ionized trace minerals like copper, iron, zinc, and more. Vitaminds B1, B2, B3, D2, and plenty more.
Chaga Can Help Cope Better With Stress And Anxiety
Stress results in the secretion of cortisol, the hormone which is responsible for the fight or flight response. While we usually are able to adapt to the changes brought about by cortisols stimulation of the adrenal glands, frequent stress results in an impairment of this adaptability.
This can lead to adrenal fatigue and other long-term physiological problems.
Enter Chaga tea. Chaga mushrooms belong to a group of herbs called adaptogens. Just as their name suggests, adaptogens like holy basil, ginseng, and of-course, Chaga mushrooms, help you to better adapt to increased stress levels.
They help to normalize your physiological responses to stress and increase your tolerance to anxiety and stress. Chaga tea sounds like a boon in todays stressful life!
You May Like: Star Bucks Boba
Healing Benefits Of Chaga Tea You Don’t Know
Many people have been drinking Chaga tea for generations because of its numerous health benefits. The Chaga mushroom, which grows on the trunks of birch trees in the Northern Hemisphere, makes Chaga tea. It is most commonly found in the Northeast of North America.
They don’t have the same flavor as regular mushrooms. They have a bitter but vanilla flavor instead. In addition, they’re low in calories and high in fiber.
Chaga mushrooms are most commonly found in tea, where they have been ground into a powder. Nevertheless, it has become a popular element in skincare products and is also accessible as a supplement.
This guide will explore the Chaga tea benefits you need to know. With that said, lets begin.
Contains The Health Benefits Of Vitamins B
Vitamin B-complex is a cross product made of eight different forms of B vitamins, which you can read about here. Each of their individual roles lead to an improved general body health, such as improving hormones plus immunity, prevents strokes, and more.
In the meantime, vitamin D, which are most prevalent in fishes are best used to support bone, respiratory as well as kidney health.
I personally recommend Chaga Organic Extract Powder from Lost Empire Herbs and recommend it based on its superior quality and value. It promotes an overwhelming sense of Energy, Vitality, Metabolism, Wellbeing, and Longevity and is crucial for digestive health and a health inflammation response. No wonder it’s called The King of Mushrooms!
Recommended Reading: Does Snapple Green Tea Have Caffeine
Chaga Aids In Digestion
Chaga has been revered in folk medicine for centuries to encourage gastrointestinal health and digestive comfort. Modern research confirms that chaga mushroom benefits include gastroprotective properties. It demonstrated the capacity to help regulate the gut microbiota in certain studies.
Alcohol extracts of chaga helped protect the integrity of the stomach wall when given to rats at 200 mg/kg . In another study, mice were fed alcohol chaga extracts at 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight. The results showed that by regulating the release of cytokines, chaga supported the health of the colonic mucosa .
The antioxidant activity of polysaccharides in chaga supported pancreatic health and regulated gut microbiota composition and diversity in mice studies .
Chaga supplementation in patients with Irritable Bowel Disease showed decreased damage to human lymphocytes .
Chaga Mushroom Benefits #7
The mushroom can help boost intestinal health in a variety of ways. The mushroom is believed to improve intestinal health, fight bacteria and viruses and support the digestive organs.
The mushroom helps to protect the liver and kidney from damage and disease caused by a buildup of toxins. It can also help remove certain types of parasites from the body.
You May Like: Does Dunkin Donuts Have Boba Tea
Where Do Chaga Mushrooms Come From
Chaga likes to grow in cold climates throughout the northern hemisphere, like Siberia, Russia, Scandinavia, Canada, and some parts of North America and the United States. They grow mainly on birch trees and can stick around for 10 to 20 years until they become a hard mass, or conk, attached to the tree.
Although these mushrooms may not be the most attractive , the health benefits of their fruiting body more than makes up for their lack of points in the beauty contest.
They are a fungus after all.
Interestingly, despite its myriad of potential health benefits for humans, chaga is considered a parasite to the trees it grows on because it needs its host to survive. Because of this, you should never harvest chaga from a dead tree.
Are There Any Chaga Look
Theres only one that seems to be mistaken for Chaga frequently. That would be Meshima mushroom . Dont worry though, Meshima is reported to share many of Chagas benefits . If youre feeling adventurous, I encourage you to try finding some chaga. It can be great fun, and there are no poisonous look-alikes.
You May Like: What Kind Of Tea Bags For Eyes
How To Brew Your Own Chaga Tea
If youve checked with your doctor and get the A-OK to add chaga to your daily routine, you can buy chaga tea or capsules. But if youre in the adventurous mood, you can forage for your own ugly fungus and brew it yourself providing you live near some birch trees.
Hot tip: Youll probably have a tough time finding these shrooms in the wild, but try checking the trees in winter.
Heres how to brew it once youve got your hands on a chaga:
If you cant forage for your own chaga out in the wilderness, there are plenty of retailers that sell it online or in-store. You can also find it in capsule form if sipping chaga tea isnt your thing.
The Benefits Of Chaga For Senior Citizens
As we age, our bodies can use a little more help to fight illness, regularly drinking Chaga tea has been proven to help seniors by naturally boosting their immune system. Betulin is an organic compound found in the Chaga, and it does a great job at fighting everything from the common cold to more severe health issues.
Drinking a cup of Chaga in the morning is an excellent way to start the day off right. The structural polysaccharides contained in a mug of Chaga tea naturally increase the amount of energy in the body and is even known to boost your mood. Unlike caffeine, the energetic effects of structural polysaccharides tend to last throughout the day.
The skin is one of the first places that experience changes as we age. Chaga has a fantastic effect on the health of your skin and can help eliminate common signs of ageing, including wrinkles, dark spots, sagging, and more. Studies have found that drinking Chaga can improve circulation, battle skin infections, and reduce inflammation. In addition to selling Chaga tea, we’re excited to incorporate Chaga into our line of all-natural skincare products.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Matcha Out Of Carpet
Reported Side Effects Of Chaga
Chaga Can Prevent And Sometimes Curb Cancer
Chaga mushrooms have had their place in folk medicine as a cure for several diseases including cancer. Today, different scientific studies have been conducted on the ability of Chaga mushrooms in fighting cancer.
It was seen in these studies that Chaga mushrooms could regulate the gene Bcl-2, which plays an important part in the progression of cancer. One study saw the inhibition of the growth of cancerous brain cells, another saw good results on human colon cancer cells, and yet another saw great results on human melanoma cells. Animal studies observed that intake of Chaga slowed down the progression of melanoma, lung carcinoma, and sarcoma in mice. , , , ,
These studies, however, were done on cancer cells and mice. Studies on humans still need to be performed in order to gain a conclusive evidence of the role of Chaga mushrooms on cancerous cells.
That being said, the above-mentioned studies and several other studies point towards the benefits of including Chaga mushrooms as a natural cancer-fighting and cancer-preventing ingredient in diet and perhaps, in the pharmaceutical industry.
So, your evening cup of Chaga tea may be gifting you with cancer prevention!
Recommended Reading: Mcdonalds Neae Me