The Extraordinary Siberian Chaga
If you discover a black, cancerous mass on a birch, you may be looking at a Siberian chaga mushroom. It can also, less commonly, be found growing ash, beech, elm or hornbeam.
Eurasians have used it for centuries to treat tuberculosis, digestion, and cancers of the heart and liver. [121]
The black “skin” was removed and the lighter inside boiled as tea. Being such a compact natural medicine made it a valuable, portable remedy for healers of old.
Modern research on chaga has mainly focused on its potential application as an anti-cancer remedy. In Russia, this usage was already approved as early as 1955 to treat lung, stomach, breast and cervical cancers. [122]
One modern study from 1998 showed that chaga extract did in fact inhibit growth of cervical cancer cell lines under lab conditions. [123] Another study from 1995 reported that an isolate of the active compound betulin first inhibited growth of melanoma cells in a lab, and then killed them. [124, 25]
Other research papers also confirm that some of the active compounds of chaga help retard the growth of cancer cells. [125, 126]
Although traditional healers used to peel off the black outside (probably because it looked unappetizing), the skin actually contains 30% betulin, a highly prized medicinal compound, [127] while the inside is rich in fungal lanostanes. So both parts would be valuable in preparing the tea.
The best chaga extracts are made not only from the whole mushroom fruit body but also the mycelia (”roots”), which contain more medically active protein compounds than the fruit bodies.
Other researchers have found chaga extract to be potently anti-viral. Two studies in 1996 found it to have an inhibitory effect on both influenza [127] and HIV. [128] Perhaps it does so by helping to stimulate the body’s natural immune functions, something that was first confirmed in 2002 and then again in 2005, [25, 129] and which may also help explain the historical use of chaga mushroom as an anti-inflammatory. [130]
An alcohol extraction of chaga was reported to lower elevated blood sugar levels. [131] Chaga also contains powerful antioxidants. [132, 133]
As an interesting anecdote that does not relate to human health but demonstrates the curative power of the Chaga mushroom, Paul Stamets mentions a Quebec arborist who uses a chaga poultice to cure chestnut blight. It not only cures the infection but the tree even becomes blight resistant after treatment. [134]
Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a licensed medical practitioner before using any herb (or mushroom) for medicinal purposes.
Credit: Thank you to Paul Stamets for source material.
Dr. Rafael has worked in the natural health field since finishing Chiropractic College in the mid-90’s. He currently focuses on medicinal mushrooms in cooperation with Cordyceps Reishi Extracts, LLC, an NC business offering and much more. For the scientific references to this article, go to the page and click on any number indicating a reference.