Magic Mushrooms: How to Use Chaga and What it is For.
Chaga is a fungus that sucks nutrients out of birch trees. It has been used in Asia for a variety of health benefits historically and is rising in popularity in North America now where it also grows. My Dad gave me some so I had to try it and do some research.
Chaga is known for possessing a number of anti-cancer properties. It is also popular for boasting the immune system and decreasing inflammation. There is some research on Chaga but it is pretty limited to 40 studies on Pubmed (there could be more on other databases or in other languages). I skimmed through these studies to find the following about chaga.
1. It has anticancer effects- chaga extract has been shown to have many anticancer properties when researchers have exposed cancer cells to the extract in a lab. Cell line research is a pretty low level of evidence as cells act differently in a test tube then when in a body but this form of research helps us determine how something like chaga might work. The next level of research is animal research. Chaga has been found to increase the survival rate of mice with cancer. One study found it reduced tumour size by 60% and metastisis by 25%. Those are both significant results. (PMID: 27441282) Mice are not people though so this level of research is still not really applicable to humans. Human studies need to be run to see for sure if chaga works on cancers in humans. For now it might work, and that is enough for many to consider taking chaga preventatively or as an addition to conventional cancer treatments.
2. It may have some benefit in diabetes- Animal research has shown a reduction in blood glucose by 31% after taking chaga for 21 days. More remarkable, the damaged pancreatic tissue began to restore itself with the chaga.
3. It may influence Herpes Simplex Virus- there was one neat little study looking at how chaga inhibits the virus that causes cold sores. It is another cell line study so not terribly useful to us at this point but hopefully there will be more research on this use of chaga in the future. (PMID: 23510282)
4. It may boost the immune system- Chaga has been found to enhance immune function in cell lines. It has also been found to confer disease resistance in, well, fish. (PMID: 22484608) So if you are reading this and you happen to be a flounder, you should definitely consume chaga. Mice can also expect to see some immune effects (PMID: 21820502). There are human cell line studies but no real human studies yet. It has been use historically for this purpose for a long time.
5. It may be anti-inflammatory- Chaga extract has been shown to decrease inflammation in colitis in mice. (PMID: 22819687). There was one study that looked like it was an RCT on humans but upon further inspection it was just a cell line study using cells from humans with ulcerative colitis. Sometimes study titles are deceptive. Anti-inflammatory effects are not too special in the plant medicine world. It seems like every herb I look up is found to be anti-inflammatory.
6. Improved cognition and learning?: Some scientists poisoned some mice with scopolamine to give them amnesia then assessed their learning and cognitive function with or without chaga. I mention this study because it is interesting and to prove a point. The results cannot be applied to humans. Chaga may make you smarter or it may not, but this study just tells us that it will make poisoned, amnesiac mice smarter. This seems like a silly experiment but I am sure there is a relevance I am just not aware of.(PMID: 21779570)
So over all the research doesn't say much about whether or not chaga works. It doesn't disprove any value at this point but there are no randomized controlled trials to prove the effects in people. Hopefully there will be in the future. Currently we have only historical knowledge and maybe some anecdotal evidence. This is not to say it doesn't work, just that we have not proved it yet. Historically, Chaga has been used for its anti-cancer properties, as an immune stimulant, an anti-inflammatory, to treat ulcers and gastritis and to decrease blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
How to try Chaga: Boil a liter of water, add a tablespoon of ground chaga. Let the mix simmer for a while until the water becomes quite brown. I think I simmered it for about 45 minutes. Strain about a cup of the liquid and let it cool a bit. Drink like a tea without adding any thing to it. Refrigerate the rest for future use.
Taste: Not bad at all. It has a mushroom taste to it. It was easy to drink, a bit like a clear soup.
Safety: Chaga is not well studied for side effects or interactions thus far. We can assume it will interact with some drugs based on the constituents we know are in the mushroom as well as a few diseases, but this is all rather theoretical at this point. It may be a good idea to avoid chaga if on blood thinners for example. Chaga is high in oxylates and may have been involved in one case of kidney failure in a patient already suffering from liver cancer. (PMID: 23149251)
Other references: Natural Medicines Database Professional Monograph: Chaga
Chaga Mushroom Benefits: The Facts. http://www.chagahq.com/chaga-mushroom-benefits/
