Siberian Chaga and its effects on our health

The Siberian Chaga mushroom, the so-called queen of all mushrooms, has become the focus of interest in the field of alternative medicine in recent years. This exceptional mushroom from Russia, specifically Siberia, is characterised by a number of remarkable effects on human health and its history can be traced back to ancient times.

Siberian Chaga mushroom

This mushroom is not just an ordinary mushroom that you can normally find while mushroom picking in our forests. A medicinal mushroom native to Russia called the Siberian Chaga, scientifically known as Inonotus obliquus, is a wood-boring fungus that grows on the bark of live birch trees in cold regions. However, the Siberian Chaga may not only be found in Russia in Siberia. Its occurrence is also recorded in Canada, Alaska and other places characterised by very cold climates. For a long time in traditional medicine, Siberian Chaga has been used to strengthen health and treat various ailments. Of great interest is the fact that while it helps us humans in curing health problems, it is a huge parasite for trees, which begin to rot after being attacked by it.

Some history about the Siberian Chaga

The origin of the use of Siberian Chaga dates back to very, very ancient times, when it was already used in traditional healing practices in Siberia and other places in Asia. Thus, we can say that Siberian Chaga has been known for more than 1000 years. Such an interesting fact may be that the first written references to the Chaga mushroom date back to the 12th century, when it was mentioned in the works of ancient Russian chroniclers. This ancient mushroom was popular not only in traditional Russian medicine, but also in China and Japan.

According to history, it was used by shamans to improve overall health and prolong life by making tea from chaga, inhaling it or using it topically on the skin. It didn’t take long for awareness of this little miracle to gradually spread to other countries, and it persists to this day.

Chaga in Slovakia

Chaga has also gained popularity in Slovakia. Here, apart from its official name, the Siberian Chaga can be known under the name of the Siberian Red-backed Chaga. The Chaga mushroom is gaining more and more fans in Slovakia. Thanks to its popularity, people enjoy its beneficial effects not only in the form of teas and extracts, but also in the form of natural dietary supplements.

Active substances in Chaga mushroom

First of all, it is necessary to mention that the Siberian Chaga mushroom has more than 200 diverse biologically active compounds, such as polysaccharides, polyphenolic substances, triterpenoids of the lanostane type. Others include, for example, sesquiterpenes, sterols, lipids, alkaloids and has a high melanin content.

The most important ones are:

• Polysaccharides – help support our immune system and improve its ability to fight infections and diseases.
• Polyphenolics – are powerful antioxidants, protect our cells from free radical damage and promote heart health.
• Triterpenoids – have anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. Triterpenoids are among the terpenes whose health effects are very remarkable.
  You can read about terpenes and their health effects here.

Chaga Siberian mushroom also contains B vitamins, namely B1, B2 and B3, various minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, copper, chloride and others that contribute to the overall health of the body, betulinic acid and amino acids. Chaga thus contains a truly remarkable amount of substances that are essential for human health.

Health uses of Chaga

As you may have already read, the Siberian Chaga mushroom has really very good effects on human health, also because of the active and nutritional substances it contains. At this point, it is impossible to say what it would not have beneficial effects on. Siberian Chaga has excellent effects in:

Cancer treatment

One of the most debated aspects regarding Chaga is its potential impact on cancer. Thanks to several studies, it has been discovered that some components of the Chaga mushroom, such as betulinic acid and triterpenoids, have the ability to stop the growth of cancer cells and promote their suicide, a process known as apoptosis. However, despite Chaga having effects that may assist with cancer, it is important to note that Chaga is not a substitute for conventional cancer treatments and research into it is ongoing.

Immunity support

Polysaccharides contained in Siberian Chaga have a positive effect on the immune system by stimulating the production of white blood cells and increasing the body’s defences against infections. This helps to prevent common diseases.

Antiviral

In today’s world where we are dealing with many viral infections, the effect of Siberian Chaga acting as an antiviral is very good news. Constituents such as phenolic compounds have antiviral properties and can help the body fight several viral diseases. An extract of this Russian Chaga mushroom has shown antiviral effects on HIV type 1. Animal experiments have also confirmed an anti-inflammatory action against the hepatitis C virus. Scientific studies on animal cells have shown that an extract of Siberian Chaga reduced the infectious properties of the hepatitis C virus by up to 100 times in less than 10 minutes. Research is still ongoing, but Chaga is currently emerging as a very promising candidate for the development of new antiviral drugs.

Fights inflammation

Siberian Chaga has strong anti-inflammatory effects that help in reducing inflammation in the body. This effect is important in relieving the symptoms of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, respiratory infections and other inflammatory conditions. For example, scientific experiments on animals have revealed that Chaga extract has the potential to reduce inflammatory manifestations caused by ulcerative colitis. In this case, researchers found that the anti-inflammatory effects of Chaga in the colon were achieved by suppressing the production of chemical mediators of inflammatory processes.

Improves fitness

Siberian Chaga also has an effect on physical fitness and endurance. Thanks to its content of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, it helps our body in the regeneration that occurs after physical exertion. Therefore, many athletes use natural chaga extracts to improve endurance, faster recovery after sports and increase overall vital energy.

What other diseases can it fight?

In addition to the above effects, Siberian Chaga has the potential to act on other health problems and diseases.

• Supports heart and blood vessel health – Chaga contains antioxidants that can help protect blood vessels from damage, improve the elasticity of blood vessel walls and promote proper blood circulation. These effects of Chaga may have a positive impact on reducing the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
• Relieves allergic reactions – Some of the ingredients that Chaga contains have antihistamine properties. This means that they help relieve allergy symptoms.
• Supports digestion – Chaga mushroom contains fiber and enzymes that support healthy digestion and improve the function of the digestive organs. In this case, it helps people who have difficulty with digestion.
• Regulates blood sugar levels – Research suggests that the Chaga Siberian mushroom has a positive effect on blood sugar levels. The good news is that it can increase insulin levels and lower glucose levels. Its positive effects can be very helpful for type 2 diabetes.
• Protects the liver – Chaga contains substances that may help protect the liver from damage and promote its regeneration.
• Skin diseases – This mushroom from Russia has been shown to have very good effects in the treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis or various eczema.

If you want to try the effects of Siberian Chaga on your health, you can try it in different forms – extract, coffee, tincture, pills, tea. A very popular option is drinking tea from Chaga siberian. In this case, you are probably wondering how Chaga tea is prepared.

The preparation of Chaga tea is as follows: pour cold water over Siberian Chaga and gradually bring it to a boil. Then boil it for about 10 minutes and let it infuse for another 15 minutes. However, some sources recommend up to 48 hours of infusion. It is recommended to drink Chaga tea twice a day. When preparing the tea, however, keep in mind that its potency may not be as strong as that of the potent extracts in capsules. Thus, the way you ingest Chaga is up to you and you alone.

Side effects of Siberian Chaga

Just as they say, everything for has its cons. But is that also true with this mushroom from Russia? At the moment, its exact risks and side effects are quite unclear. In general, Chaga is well tolerated and shows no side effects. You should be cautious if you suffer from any particular health problems. Always prefer to discuss its use with your doctor.

However, be careful when taking it if you suffer from poor blood clotting or if you have any autoimmune disease. If you are going to have surgery, it is recommended to stop taking Chaga two weeks before the procedure and also after. It is also not recommended to take it in case of pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

While Siberian chaga is a mushroom that offers a wide range of health benefits due to its active ingredients, it is important to note that this mushroom is not a substitute for conventional medicine and its use should be complementary to a healthy lifestyle and adequate health care.

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