A forest-dwelling elixir of health long renowned by Siberian shamans, now demanded by elite Herbal Biohackers.
Chaga (Inonotus Obliquus), also known as KING OF MUSHROOMS, is a curative fungus most commonly found on birch trees. Chaga powder may be one of the best supplements for enhancing immune function.
This article is mostly going to focus on decoding what the science is saying about Chaga and how this squares up with the anecdotal experiences of Biohackers online.
History
Since time immemorial, it has been used by the native people who lived in areas where it is found for a wide range of treatments both internally and externally in a poultice. How long it has been used by rugged peoples in cold northern climates, nobody knows. In fact, it was one of the two Adaptogens found on Ozti the Iceman.
My wife and I enjoy watching YouTube documentaries about the Asiatic Yakuts people who reside in the coldest place on Earth, in Siberia. And they don't just reside, they thrive! These people are now obviously very dependent on central heating, but one has to question how they survived before modernity. Herbal medicine like Chaga, that's how, of course!
And interestingly, it's used in rituals by the Denesuline people in Northern Saskatchewan to predict the future.
A Terrific Tree-Hugger
Different from mushrooms, it grows its sclerotium or mycelium on the outside of the tree instead of fruiting bodies. It is believed to not be parasitic but instead to live symbiotically with the host tree.
Summary of Chaga Science
On Pubmed, you can find more than 200 scientific papers referencing Chaga, although it lacks human clinical trials. I'll summarize some of the recent interesting findings...
It's not actually a mushroom, as some on the internet suggest; it's a fungus. A recent Canadian paper reviews literature published on it dating back to 1900 and calls it a super-fungus with countless facets and untapped potential.
* Anti-inflammatory
* Anti-oxidant
* Anti-cancer
* Anti-viral
* Anti-tumor
* Anti-thrombotic
* Antihyperglycemic
* Anti-Lipo peroxide
* Anti-fatigue
* Antibacterial
* Immune booster
* Gene protection
The abstract of the paper concludes:
Overall, chaga is a promising natural resource with a wide range of potential applications and therefore the diverse array of therapeutic compounds makes it an attractive candidate for various applications
A recent Russian overview describes its wide array of effects.
The use of mushrooms as functional foods and in the treatment of diseases has a long history. [Chaga] is a mushroom belonging to the Hymenochaetaceae family and has possible anticancer, antiviral, and hypoglycemic properties... A plethora of findings have highlighted the potential molecular mechanisms of actions of this mushroom such as its ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species, inhibit the growth of tumors, decrease inflammation and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes, and stimulate the immune system.
I'd like to see some human clinical trials done with Chaga. Generally, I'm skeptical of supplements that haven't undergone clinical trials, but Chaga has been used by millions around the world, and it's been used traditionally in North America, Northern Europe, and Asia. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies, universities, and federal health agencies with their billion-dollar research budgets just aren't really interested in funding trials for unpatentable natural medicines like Chaga. I still enthusiastically recommend it because of its historical credibility and relative lack of side effects.
Vs Cancer
There are nearly 30 studies and scientific publications specifically evaluating Chaga's cancer-fighting prowess. It has well-established mechanisms counteracting various cancers of the lung, liver, bladder, pancreas, breast, and even the brain.
While researching this one, I came across a book I'd like to read "Cancer Ward," a semi-autobiographic novel by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (yeah, that Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn) about cancer patients in the post-Stalinist Soviet Union. Chaga was the "peasant's cancer cure" - describing a political prisoner stricken with cancer and subjected to iatrogenic radiation treatment, Solzhenitsyn writes...
He could not imagine any greater joy than to go away into the woods for months on end, to break off this chaga, crumble it, boil it up on a campfire, drink it and get well like an animal.
It acts against lung cancer via a Mitochondrial mechanism; from a 2019 paper:
Collectively, our results demonstrate that [Chaga polysaccharides] acts on cancer cells through a mechanism by which AMPK triggers the apoptotic pathway via the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore, and reducing [mitochondrial membrane potential], leading to an inhibition of ATP production. Therefore, our study provides a solid foundation for the use of IOP as a promising alternative or supplementary medicine for cancer therapy.
And that's not the only science on it counteracting lung cancer. Perhaps you're saying, "I don't need to worry about lung cancer because I don't smoke!" Well, good for you, but do you live in a big, bustling, smoggy city? If so, sorry, you're not so safe from lung cancer - in fact, you face lung cancer risks, similar to a light smoker, and taking something like a Chaga is a really smart idea!
A 2016 Japanese animal study found that just three weeks of aqueous Chaga extract suppresses cancer progression.
in tumor-bearing mice, 60% tumor reduction was observed, while in metastatic mice, the number of nodules decreased by 25% compared to the control group... Our findings suggest that the [Chaga] extract could be used as a natural remedy for cancer suppression by promoting energy metabolism.
Searching for anecdotal evidence, I found a Stage-4 Bile Duct Cancer survivor on Reddit who reports
I drank it some during chemo. Never saw any changes in liver function panel results but then I had liver mets. Maybe my results were skewed? In the end, both liver tumors and the lung tumors disappeared. One year [no evidence of disease] this week!
There are no human studies showing that it "cures cancer," but mechanistically, it's very promising. And if it is good enough for Solzhenitsyn, I'll certainly add it to my cancer prevention protocol. If you're taking Chaga to treat cancer, heed the wizened words of Daryl Patton, The Southern Herbalist: 1) Make the tincture first in whatever ratio 2) Do the extraction with pure grain alcohol 3) Remove the chunks of Chaga 4) Place the chunks in a pot of water and cover it in about 3 inches of water and allow it to simmer 5) Then combine those two extracts.
If you're just going to take it as a preventative, fortifying tonic, Patton advises: "Keep a pot of it boiling all the time!"
Vs Stomach Ulcers
It's potentially a digestion hack with a Gastroprotective antiulcer effect, from a 2019 assessment published in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms.
Oral administration of ethanolic extract of [Chaga] exhibited antiulcer activity in all models used. The ethanolic extract of I. obliquus showed an effective antiulcer activity, which could be due to the presence of various biologically active compounds.
Anti-Viral
In vitro and animal studies have established that its bioactive constituents bring the fight to a number of viral infections: hepatitis C, HIV, H1N1, herpes simplex virus, and even SARS-CoV-2 (Got the wu-flu? Get some Chaga in your cup!)
A concise 2022 review names it - alongside Lion's Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps Sinensis, and Turkey Tail - as a mushroom that belongs in your anti-COVID armamentarium.
Phytochemicals found in medicinal mushrooms include terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, polyphenols, polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and peptides, all of which have potent antiviral properties in terms of preventing viral invasion...
Anti-Microbial
It also beats back microbial nastiness: Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria, Salmonella, and E.Coli among others.
Anti-Allergenic
There's little science on its Anti-Allergenic properties, but if you suffer from seasonal allergies, are mold-sensitive, or erupt into fits of sneezing upon encountering a kitty cat, it's really worth trying. The anecdotal evidence is encouraging, MiddleAged49 on Longecity.org reports:
Just in a couple of months, Reishi and Chaga seem to have eliminated my allergies to dust, mold, cats, and bed mites. I'm in the UK so haven't had much exposure to pollen over the last couple of months, but recently had no problems with it abroad. In particular, I was exposed to lots of dust recently and had no reaction at all, whereas normally my throat would have closed up and my eyes and nose would have been streaming. I've also stopped having random sneezing fits...
Nootropic?
Perhaps. In your coffee, definitely! There are no studies exploring Nootropic effects. Other herbal Biohackers and I report mild invigorating effects.
Pingfairy on Reddit enthusiastically reports: Chaga tea makes me feel instantly happier...
If I drink it while feeling depressed/tearful, it automatically puts me in a state where I'm more functional, optimistic and rational... It also gives me wild dreams, but that's a different topic!
jlsl3783 adds
I only just started taking it yesterday and feel this calmness and increased focus after every time I take it.
Vs Fatigue
A Chinese paper identified that the PIO-1 polysaccharide in Chaga not only has great potential to postpone physical fatigue but also shown potential to improve mental fatigue.
MiddleAged49 has really been around the block with Chaga, he reports...
Energy-wise, Chaga definitely keeps me awake, but doesn't energise me (Rhodiola and Eleuthero combined will also do the same thing but with a discernible 'boost', a kind of light-headed feeling where you can imagine never going to sleep ever again).
Sources
Purity is a concern with Nutraceuticals
Nutraceuticals come from the natural world; they tend to absorb the toxins in the environment around them, making many of the herbal supplements that you might find possibly Iatrogenic - they may actually do you more harm than good. This is why I wouldn't buy any old Chaga that I found on store shelves or online, especially if it's cheap. I'd also prefer not to get my Chaga in a "multi-vitamin" stack that combines it with a bunch of other things unless they prove its purity with a certificate of analysis. I enthusiastically recommend PureBulk.com's Chaga as they have the highest standards in the industry for quality assurance and purity testing.
If you prefer capsules over powders, Double Wood Supplements offers 1000-milligram capsules of purity-verified Chaga.
Some herbalists argue that alcohol-extracted tinctures are best, as some of Chaga's constituents are most soluble in alcohol (and some herbalists practically eat it off the tree!)
Other herbalists argue that you should choose Siberian Chaga as it comes from the most extreme cold environments and contains more potent, adaptogenic constituents. And maybe they are right because that's the stuff that was curing cancer for Solzhenitsyn's patients!
It's Economically Awesome
Upon hearing about all of its benefits, you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover how affordable and inexpensive it is, with a 3-month supply costing under $20.
Downloadable Chaga?
You may be interested in taking it as an infoceutical - a non-pharmacological, side-effect-free version of the supplement that takes advantage of the phenomenon of water memory - which is imprinted on water via quantum collocation and electromagnetism using this device...
Infocueticals typically have 1/3 or half the effect of the actual medicine being imprinted. If you're skeptical of Infopathy, that's understandable; it's a game-changing application of a little-known scientific phenomenon. But I'd urge you to evaluate the scientific evidence (presented in my biohacker review) that downloadable medicine is no longer science fiction...
Harvesting Your Own Chaga
If you live in the northern latitudes and enjoy tromping around in a forest in the fall season, you could find and harvest your own Chaga, like this guy. It grows on healthy Birch trees, particularly near water. Some mushroom-hunting harvesters argue that part of its healing properties is in the hunt itself; getting out in nature doing some "forest bathing" is certainly good for us (just make sure you don't get bitten by a tick!)
Overharvested? Around the internet, you'll run into this dumb argument made that Chaga is being over-harvested and that the health-conscious crowd should be consuming less Chaga. They don't know how economics works! If there's significant demand for it, that will drive more businesses into cultivating it sustainably. Herbal medicine really doesn't attract rapacious business people who will drive Chaga to extinction. If everyone on planet Earth starts taking Chaga daily, maybe we'll run out of trees in Siberia, but that's really not the case. Worst case scenerio, it gets a little more expensive.
Side Effects
PureBulk.com advises...
Most individuals tolerate Chaga mushroom extract well. However, individuals taking insulin should consult with their physician before taking Chaga, as it may affect blood sugar. Individuals on blood thinners should also discuss Chaga mushroom extract with their doctor, as Chaga may affect blood clotting.
Pregnancy safe? Check with your doctor if you want to be told "no," of course! Herbalist Dennard Hegna reports: My daughter took it throughout her entire pregnancy and breastfeeding with no complications whatsoever, and the baby grew up into a very gifted child.
Usage & Dosage
500 - 1000 milligrams once daily for adults
500 milligrams is the standard dosage for 4:1 Chaga Extract
When it comes to dosing herbs like Chaga, you don't need to be a stickler for dosage. On days you're feeling a little under the weather or dragging a bit, feel free to double the dose.
Should you take it every day forever? Some herbal enthusiasts do and swear by it, but when it comes to herbal medicines, I take them cyclically. During the chillier winter months, I add more immune-enhancing mushrooms to my daily supplement stack.
Cofactors
Medicinal mushrooms share potent longevity synergies, so I'd suggest stacking it with other shrooms in your cup...
Red Reishi is an anxiolytic, tranquilizing mushroom used since time immemorial in Chinese Traditional Medicine. Also, it adds an amazing taste to your mushroom tea.
Turkey Tail is an immune-empower mushroom that shares synergies with Chaga. I've taken it for years during the chilly winter months; it helped me clear my HPV infection, and the last time I had to take a sick day, Obama was the President!
Lion's Mane is the best Nootropic mushroom for a limitless mind, stimulating neuroplasticity and enhancing immunity.
A recent Ukrainian study, interestingly, noted that Chaga was treated with Colloidal Silver as it grew and ended up with more potent biological constituents. It's not suggesting that colloidal silver is a Chaga cofactor but that it increases the bioactive nutritional content, opening up the potential of cultivating super potent medicinal herbs.
Biohacker Review: A Nootropic Coffee Cofactor
Lately, I've been spiking my coffee with clumps of powdered Chaga. Along with cinnamon, Kerrygold butter, and coconut milk, Chaga is one of my favorite coffee additives.Unlike some herbs I've tried, it dissolves nicely in coffee, adding a nice earthy taste that's perhaps a just bit bitter - it won't make you scowl.
* It has a classic Nootropic effect that lasts several hours; it elevates my mood while helping with my focus and general productivity. I didn't use it in the evenings as I suspect it would mess with my sleep quality.
* You can also consume it as a tea; it makes tea taste kind of like coffee. But since its taste is so complementary to coffee, I just add it to my cup of joe.
* Chaga is praised as one of the best immune promoters; I was pleased to make it through the winter flu and cold season without getting sick while taking it along with other immuno-fortifying herbs, like Eleuthero.
Conclusion
As a Biohacker, my Northstar is usually the science, and unfortunately, that's where Chaga comes up a little short. To date, it has no human clinical trials, which annoys me because science should be looking at things like Chaga with such promise to enhance human thriving! It's something you'll have to choose because of its impressive body of anecdotal evidence from the pragmatic herbalist crowd and its storied history of medicinal usage.
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