by Joanne Washburn
Chaga mushrooms may look more like burnt pieces of bark than actual mushrooms, but these edible fungi have long been used in traditional medicine because of their numerous health benefits.
Chaga mushrooms are native to the cold regions of Russia, Northern Canada, Korea and Alaska. They normally grow on the bark of birch trees, where they produce a woody growth that looks like burnt charcoal.
According to research, the Russians were the first to brew chaga mushrooms and drink chaga tea. They believed that chaga mushrooms possess antiviral, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Despite their unappealing appearance, chaga mushrooms are highly valuable. Experts say only one out of every 4,000 birch trees will have chaga mushrooms growing on it. They are also impossible to grow domestically. Due to their rarity and reported benefits, chaga mushrooms are sometimes aptly referred to as “black gold.”
The health benefits of chaga mushrooms
Chaga mushrooms have only recently gained popularity in the West because of their many benefits. Chaga mushrooms can:
– Provide essential nutrients – Chaga mushrooms are nutrient-dense. They contain vitamin D, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. Vitamin D and zinc play key roles in regulating your immune response, while potassium helps keep your heart healthy. Calcium keeps your bones strong, while iron allows your body to continuously make red blood cells.
– Improve gut health – Traditionally, chaga mushrooms are consumed as an herbal tea to improve digestion. Experts believe chaga mushrooms promote good digestion by regulating the production of bile, which helps break down food. In turn, this makes it easier for your body to absorb nutrients.
– Slow aging – Chaga mushrooms contain powerful compounds called polyphenols. As antioxidants, polyphenols protect healthy cells from oxidative stress, which has been implicated in premature aging. By supplying your body with antioxidants, chaga mushrooms may help slow aging.
– Lower blood sugar – Multiple animal studies have shown that chaga mushroom extract can lower blood sugar levels in rats genetically modified to be obese and diabetic.
– Lower blood cholesterol – Chaga mushroom extract can also lower blood cholesterol. In an eight-week study involving rats with high cholesterol, researchers found that chaga mushroom extract reduced “bad” cholesterol, which can build up in the arteries and raise heart disease risk.
– Prevent and treat cancer – Chaga mushrooms contain compounds called triterpenes, which can help prevent and treat cancer by triggering the death of cancerous cells. Test tube studies have also found that the triterpenes in chaga mushrooms can target cancerous cells without harming healthy cells.
– Boost immunity – Many mushrooms, chaga included, contain a polysaccharide called beta-glucan. Beta-glucan has been shown to protect against infections caused by bacteria and viruses. Chaga mushrooms also stimulate white blood cells, which are essential for fighting off harmful microorganisms.
– Fight inflammation – Inflammation is the body’s natural response to illness. But it can lead to various chronic health problems if it gets out of hand. Fortunately, many mushrooms, chaga included, are loaded with antioxidants that keep inflammation in check.
Chaga mushroom recipes
Chaga mushrooms are available in capsule, tablet and tincture form. Chaga mushrooms are also sometimes combined with other mushrooms and edible fungi as part of coffee or tea blends. Foods.news.
