The benefits of Chaga & other fungi such as Lion’s Mane, Reishi & Cordyceps have become a hot topic in the world of personal health & wellbeing. Chaga mushroom, like its close relatives, has been linked to a range of potential benefits that are becoming irresistible to ignore.

Like other fungi, chaga mushroom has been used in traditional medicinal techniques for centuries. Predominantly this has been in Russia & Northern European regions. This has led to the inevitability of the scientific world wanting to explore more.

Scientific research on the benefits of Chaga is something that remains inconclusive, although research has produced some promising signs. Some of the more widely reported benefits suggest that it may play an important role in influencing immune defence, lowering blood sugar & contributing to cancer prevention.

In this article we’ll take a deeper dive into the benefits of chaga & why it may be the daily addition you need.

Benefits of Chaga: What is Chaga?

Before we look further into the benefits of chaga, first we need to understand what Chaga is.

Chaga is a type of fungus. The earth is rich with different types of fungus, some good & some bad. There is estimated to be over 140,000 different species of fungus that we are aware of.

Chaga is formally known as Inonotus obliquus, whilst also inheriting nicknames such as clinker polypore & black mass.

Visually, chaga mushroom isn’t considered to be the most aesthetically pleasing. It has often been likened to a small heap of dirt, or soil with a bright orange coloured interior like turmeric.

Whilst it is relatively new to health supplementation in western communities, it has a long-lasting history in traditional Russian medicine for centuries. It has often been used as a medicinal tea. It has even been referred to as ‘the mushroom of immortality’.

Research into the benefits of chaga remains relatively new. Early feedback suggests that it may contain key anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancerous properties & powerful anti-oxidants. The most notable studies suggest that these properties may contribute to enhancing immune system response & alleviating oxidative stress.

We will look further into some of the potential benefits further below. 

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION & STUDIES LINKED IN THIS ARTICLE SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR MEDICAL ADVICE OR AS SUGGESTED TREATMENT OF ANY ILLNESS. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR FOR CLEAR DIRECTION ON TREATMENT FOR ANY ILLNESS OR HEALTH DISCOMFORT.

Before we continue... fancy a free pouch or a discount?

Sign up below & try your luck with our wheel our fortune. Win a free pouch, up to 25% discount & free nutrition & health advice with our weekly newsletter!

Hint: You can't lose!

Benefits of Chaga: Where is it from?

As we briefly mentioned above, Chaga has been popular in traditional Russian medicine for centuries. The first known use for the benefits of Chaga was reportedly the 12^th Century in Siberia.

Outside of Russia & Siberia, it is commonly found in the northern hemisphere & can also be located in Alaska, Canada, China, North Korea & some northern European countries.

Simply put, Chaga mushroom likes cold weather! If you’re happy to brave the cold, you might be lucky to find chaga growing on birch trees.

Interestingly, the top 5 largest exporters of Chaga today are: China, Italy, Poland, Netherlands & Romania.

Benefits of Chaga: Uses

Chaga may not look the most appetizing to consume, and for this reason it is never eaten raw. It is strongly advised that it isn’t eaten raw despite the regular consumption of its raw relatives. But the potential benefits offer a strong argument to suggest that it should be added to your daily diet in some way possible.

The benefits of chaga are most extracted in the form of tea. To make chaga tea, the mushroom it ground into a thin powder before mixing with hot water.

Ground chaga powder is now often used for health supplementation by either adding to capsules or blending with other ingredients.

What are the benefits of chaga mushroom?

Now we get on to the good stuff. What are the benefits of chaga mushroom?

Well first we must reiterate that whilst there are promising signs, all scientific research remains relatively new & inconclusive. As you should with any supplement, be sure to carry out your own research before consumption.

Modern research has identified Chaga to have essential anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancerous properties & powerful antioxidants. As we mentioned above; this has led to researchers suggesting that regular consumption of Chaga may:

• Contribute to immune system functionality
• Contribute to lower blood pressure & even;
• Contribute to prevention of cancers

Immune system defence

Studies have suggested that Chaga consumption may be responsible for the promotion of internal proteins that can help provide regulation to our immune system. These proteins are also known as Cytokines.

Cytokines can be essential for battling harmful bacteria that can be responsible for a wide range of minor or more serious illnesses. More serious illnesses are often a result of inflammation.

There are also harmful cytokines, some studies have found that chaga can not only stimulate the production of white blood cells (key for defending against virus’s), but also reduce production of harmful cytokines.

Lower blood pressure

High blood pressure is often linked to fatal illnesses such as heart disease & diabetes. Heart disease alone is the biggest killer of humans on our planet.

Recent studies on the effects of chaga in relation to blood pressure have shown some positive results. Various animal studies on diabetic mice concluded that regular supplementation of chaga had shown a reduction of blood sugar levels compared to them mice without supplementation.

Potential prevention of cancers

Antioxidants can play an important role in influencing the essential defence of our immune system by battling free radicals or harmful bacteria. The high content of antioxidants has led to studies examining how Chaga can provide defence to essential cells from free radicals.

Research shows that one of the most prominent antioxidants found in chaga is Triterpene. Another study found that Triterpene may play a major role in killing or reducing the growth of cancerous cells.

It should be reiterated that these studies are very recent, and scientific verification remains inconclusive.

Chaga mushroom in every-day life

There is evidence to suggest that the benefits of Chaga could be a great natural addition to your daily routine. Particularly if you feel that your immune system is vulnerable.

The most common way to integrate chaga mushroom into your routine is by mixing  chaga powder with hot water or hot milk. Outside of this, there aren’t many alternatives. This could be an issue if you don’t enjoy the flavour of chaga (many don’t).

If you don’t like the taste, then look out for our Boosted Berries blend, coming soon. This is our comprehensive blend of essential superfoods, adaptogens, nootropics, minerals & vitamins design to support & contribute to daily energy levels, immune defence & cognitive function.

The best thing is it doesn’t taste anything like chaga, it tastes like delicious berries! Try mixing into:

• Ice cold water
• Oatmeal
• Protein shakes (we recommend adding it to a strawberry protein shake).
• Fruit smoothies

Share your favourite Nutrifize blends with us so you can inspire our community!

Join the Nutrifize community

Want exclusive access to more Knowledge with Nutrifize? Subscribe to our weekly Newsletter using the signup form below for exclusive member discounts, giveaways, recipes, health tips, nutrition tips & more!

Do you have any questions? Feel free to send us your queries via the contact page & we'll aim to get back to you with 48 hours. Alternatively check out our FAQ's, we may have answered your question already!