Medicinal Marvels of the Resilient Chaga Mushroom

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Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a mushroom that has been used for its medicinal properties by cold climate northern peoples for at least 1,000 years. Siberians and Northern Europeans consume it regularly, and it is believed to give them extraordinary resistance to chronic illness and considerably extended lifespans.

This powerful species grows only in extremely harsh climates, consistently exposed to intensities of cold, wind, and UV radiation that are very difficult for humans to live with. The mushroom adapts to its stressful environment by producing exceptionally high levels of antioxidants and other medicinal compounds that offer it internal protection from the elements. When we consume chaga, these medicinal elements become part of our own bodies, and over time, with consistent use, can build up deep reserves of strength in our bodies, and increase our own resilience to many forms of stress.

Chaga mushroom grows mainly on birch trees, concentrating the natural medicinal components of the birch bark itself. The part of chaga used medicinally does not look like what we commonly think of as a mushroom, with a stem and a cap (a fruiting body), but shows up as a rough-looking brown/black mycelial mass called a sclerotium, or a conk, that grows out of the side of the tree. Mycelial refers to the mycelium, which is the root-like, vegetative part of a fungus, differentiated from the fruiting body. Chaga’s dark brown color is due to its melanin content, which is an antioxidant color pigment that’s responsible for a large portion of its beneficial free radical scavenging effects.

More than 200 mycochemicals—bioactive compounds found in mushrooms and other fungi—have been identified from chaga. These include water-soluble polyphenols and polysaccharides (including beta-glucans), alcohol-soluble terpenes, and oil-soluble sterols.

To define these terms for better understanding:

• Polyphenols are plant-based compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Polysaccharides are long-chain sugars/carbohydrates that support the immune system and gut health.
• Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in plants that have potential therapeutic benefits.
• Sterols are lipid/alcohol compounds found in most living organisms that influence hormones, heart health, growth, and cell membrane integrity.

Betulin and betulinic acid are terpenes originating in the bark of the birch tree, which the chaga mushroom concentrates. These terpenes occur in the outer black crust of the chaga mushroom and have potent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immune-modulating properties. This substance is only present in wild chaga mushrooms (not lab-cultivated strains) that utilize the black outer crust of the mushroom.

An Antioxidant, Adaptogenic, Anti-inflammatory Powerhouse

There is already a volume of research demonstrating the protective effects of chaga mushroom against UV and ionizing radiation, and the restorative effects it can have on previous radiation damage. Ionizing radiation is categorized in the higher portion of the electromagnetic spectrum compared to non-ionizing microwave radiation (from cell phones, Wifi, and other sources). Long-term non-ionizing EMF exposure has many similar effects on the body as exposure to UV and ionizing radiation, including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, premature aging, DNA damage, and increased incidence of various cancers.

Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation are two major sources of oxidative stress that most of us are exposed to regularly, but there are many other oxidative stress sources that we also need protection from, including environmental pollution, exposure to chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides, cigarette smoke, excessive UV radiation, processed foods, and more.

Here are some of the powerful properties of chaga mushroom that can help us improve and maintain our health:

• Antioxidant: prevents oxidative stress and damage from any source, and repairs existing damage.
• Anti-mutagenic: improves cell integrity and resistance to mutation, and increases apoptosis (cell death) of misformed cells.
• Anti-inflammatory: protects the body from the root causes of chronic inflammation.
• Adaptogenic: helps the body adapt to the needs and stresses of the moment, either stimulating or calming our bodily systems as needed.

Chaga is considered a powerful adaptogen, which refers to a substance that helps the body respond in a way that’s appropriate to whatever is needed at that time. It can assist in ramping up immune power if there’s an actual invader that needs to be eliminated, or if the immune system is overreacting or trying to fight something it shouldn’t be fighting (as in autoimmune conditions), it helps to calm it down.

Adaptogens improve the body’s innate intelligence so that it will respond appropriately to any given situation. They can help increase energy levels and mental focus during the day when cortisol should be higher, and then help you calm down and rest in the evening as cortisol naturally lowers and melatonin increases.

Chaga is one of the highest antioxidant substances known, which can neutralize oxidative stress from any source and restore balance and harmony at the cell level.

How to Source the Most Medicinally Potent and Effective Chaga

Thousands of studies have been done on the medicinal benefits of chaga mushroom, and its potential for future treatment in the immunotherapy realm—activating the patient’s own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells—of modern medicine looks promising. Therefore, there are experiments being done to figure out how to grow chaga in a lab environment. Unfortunately, lab-grown chaga at this time is considerably inferior in medicinal power compared to wild chaga.

If you want the strongest and most medicinal chaga, make sure the chaga you source comes from a wild place. You’ll also want to make sure it’s sustainably harvested, with respect to the natural populations of chaga in the environment it’s sourced from.

Chaga that’s at least a dual-extract (water and alcohol) will have a potent and well-rounded nutritional and medicinal profile. Some of the important components of chaga will only come out in water (like most of the polyphenols and polysaccharides), and some only come out in alcohol (like the terpenes), so the combination is important. The best option is a full-spectrum extract that contains the water, alcohol, and oil-soluble compounds that have been properly extracted, in small batch production.

Lastly, the highest quality and most medicinal chaga on the market will utilize not just the inner part of the mushroom, which is an orange-brown color, but also the extremely potent outer crust, which is black and rough looking. Some of the vital compounds (like betulin) only exist in this crust, and most sources that sell chaga leave this part out entirely.

Shen Blossom Chaga Extract, which meets all these criteria for the ideal chaga source, can be found here.

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