Chaga mushroom also known as the King of mushrooms, grows in the northern climates of the world and can usually be found growing on birch trees. It has also been found on Alder, beech, Oak and Poplar trees.
The primary reason why medicinal mushrooms like Chaga are so prized and sought after are because of the anti-cancer compounds that they naturally possess.
It’s estimated that there are over 140,000 different strains of mushrooms on planet earth, and only 10% or roughly 14,000 identified species) discovered to date.
The fungal kingdom make up a vast and untapped wellspring of both natural and pharmaceutical medicine.
The most exciting area of research is the promising potential that medicinal mushrooms (especially chaga) offer mankind are the polysaccharides which that possess antitumor and immunostimulating properties. (1)
There are around 150 types of medicinal mushrooms that inhibit the growth of various kinds of tumors that plague the human body however the chaga mushroom stands center stage as one of the most powerful cancer fighting strains.
What makes chaga so unique is how it grows. Some scientists say that it acts as a parasite to its host the (birch tree) extracting and nutrients out of the tree itself.
Another theory is that chaga develops a close symbiotic relationship with the tree growing in unity instead of acting as a parasite.
The chaga mushroom is unique because it extracts its nutrients out of the tree rather than from the ground and decaying organic matter.
When the fungi digest food they release enzymes into their surrounding environment and breaking down organic matter that the mushroom fungus can consume and eat.
It appears that chaga has a similar effect inside the body when it’s consumed with its effects on tumors rendering them literally lifeless and dead.
Scientist are even extracting the betulinic acid which is located in the outer bark of the white birch tree and is currently being studied as viable addition as a chemotherapeutic agent. Chaga mushroom contains copious amounts of this betulinic acid that can be easily extracted via tea or tincture form.
Scientists believe that the reason why betulinic acid has such a strong effect on eradicating certain tumor tissue is because the pH level of tumor tissue is typically much lower than normal cell tissue, and the betulinic acid alive and active at similar pH levels.
Chaga essentially draws the living energy out of tumors.
Chaga can be taken orally in the tincture or steeped in a tea.
In a tincture, a good starting dose is 30-60 drops 2-3 times per day depending. It can be used both as a preventative and a curative.
Tea: simmer pieces of chaga in water for a ½ hour or more (to extract more bioactive compounds).
chunks simmer until the water turns a reddish brown color, or at least an hour to extract more of the bioactive ingredients
Chaga has a slightly bitter, earthy, coffee like taste.