The Chaga mushroom was completely unknown in the western world, until Russian author and later Nobel laureate, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn introduced it to the world in his novel Cancer Ward, whose protagonist is cured of cancer with the help of medicinal Chaga mushrooms. Cancer Ward is thought to be autobiographical, as Solzhenitsyn suffered from cancer himself.
Besides cancer, in folk medicine Chaga mushroom has been used in the treatment of various stomach problems, tuberculosis, hypertension, viral infections, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Recently it has attracted attention as a potential therapy for HIV infection.
Daniel Vitalis has a couple great videos on the medicinal Chaga mushroom....
"Inonotus Obliquus, the "Clinker" polypore... better known as Chaga is by far my most favorite of the medicinal fungi. You could call it a Totem for me. For years I have been harvesting this prized medicinal mushroom from the Wilds, and now I will show you how you can too!"
Daniel brings home his finds from the first video to create a decoction with the wild chaga mushroom in preparation for making a amazing bodybuilding elixir!
Another one of the health benefits and healing properties of these medicinal mushrooms.
Hello there. Ever since my little sister was diagnosed with Cancer a year and a half ago, I have been taking two capsules a day of this. A woman in my healthfood store got me to try it. My whole family has been affected by cancer. Most have died from it. I take this as well as a handful of many other antioxidants every day. I feel very lucky to have been given information on chaga. I also do yoga every day..I don't smoke and I eat as much organic food/drinks as possible...and btw..I don't drink water out of plastic bottles either.
Chaga by: Karen Amaro
I am amazed the more I read about chaga and what it does. I found these pictures of it, http://chagamushrooms.net/chaga-mushroom-pictures but have no idea where there are old birch trees in my area. So I guess I need to order it somewhere.
In my humble opinion this article has more info and better sources than David Wolfe's latest book. Seriously!
Getting a higher % of elements out of chaga by: Duff Wilson
.I have been harvesting Chaga for over a year now. I have consulted with a pharmaist about extracting higher percentages of the betulin acid as well as the other beneficial elements common in chaga. Here is how distill my chaga. I cut up the complete chaga into pieces as large as your thumb or smaller using a heavy knife. I fill a glass mason jar 3/4 full of chaga. Then add a quart of alcohol (rum,vodka, etc.)DO NOT USE WOOD OR RUBBING ALCOHOL. Twist the cover tight on the mason jar and turn up side down to ensure the the seal is air tight. Let this sit in a cool dark place for at least 2 weeks. After 2 weeks add the contents, including the alcohol soaked chaga to a large pot, add water and boil for 1hr. Continue to add water so the pot will not boil dry. Pour the first patch in to a container, it will be very dark (similar to pepsi) and will taste woody. I repeat the boiling process 3 times. Each time the liquid will get lighter. My pharmaist estimates this process increases the precentage of elements releised from 3% with plain water, to 18% with an alcohol bath and boiling water extraction. Thanks for taking the time to read my comments.
Your comments would be greatly appreatated: info@plasticweld.ns.ca
betulinic acid by: Mireya
Chaga contains at best about 2% betulinic acid.
Don't overlook the fact that betulinic acid may be effective in the lab but is not absorbed by humans, due to its poor solubility in aqueous solutions. Even using i.v. administration has very little effect - it doesn't mix with blood serum either.
The stories that Chaga is loaded with betulinic acid and that this is THE main therapeutic ingredient are in fact nonsense, unleashed in the world by self=proclaimed gurus like David Wolfe.
These gurus are mainly interested in selling their products.Products that are not even that good - like Wolfe's 'organic chaga' is actually cultivated chaga. And that is in no way comparable to wild chaga.
Wild Chaga Only by: Katie
I'm sipping my second mug..i harvested it here in New Brunswick, Canada..i researched a million websites until i collected enough info to do everything properly..i harvested too late (or too early, depending how you look at it)...should be harvested in fall...HOWEVER...Chaga is effective in the wild..Chaga products are just a sellers market and are ineffective and will not deliver the results you wish for....don't waste your money! (you can buy wild chaga...although i find this unethical and i wouldn't pay myself when it's probably an adventure day away in your area)
Alaska Chaga Benefits by: Anonymous
I came across this website discussing the benefits of chaga from Interior Alaska: http://wildalaskachaga.com
It seems that the northern variety that overwinters at extreme temperatures is more potent than other chaga found further south. Very exciting!
Stop harvesting wild chaga!!! by: Anonymous
Stop harvesting wild Chaga. If you want to benefit from Chaga, fine! But don't go into the forest to chop off your own. It is IMO irresponsible and on top of that, potentially harmful.
- Homemade brews are at best very inefficient low potency products. Basically you are wasting precious Chaga by making your own brew. The assumed therapeutic potency is ± 20% of the average supplement.
- Keeping in mind that it takes at least 3-5 years for a small Chaga conk to develop again after having been chopped off, you probably realize how you are wasting this precious gift of nature by following the idiotic recommendations of people like Wolfe and Vitalis.
- Chaga accumulates heavy metals and radioactive isotopes even more than average mushrooms. By consuming your hand picked wild Chaga you are actually consuming a potential 'surprise'. Even in the middle of an old growth forest Chaga will contain large amounts of heavy metals and probably also radioactive particles. The older the conk, the higher the chance of hidden dangers. The Fukushima disaster sent a huge cloud of fall-out to the North-American continent, spreading low radioactive particles everywhere. When accumulated in mushrooms, this can cause health problems in due time.
Buy a professionally made product - you know what you get, safety wise, and if it is a good extract you'll know how potent it is. It will be written on the back label.
Chaga in Vermont by: Nathan
I started researching chaga when my boss, also close friend was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 throat cancer. He went on to overcome it after intense chemo and radiation. Since then i have not only been drinking it, but have been harvesting it, and educating people about it. I have started a page where you can purchase dried Vermont Chaga, and browse information. For more info check us out on facebook!
www.facebook.com/MyWildRootz
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True story from just a month ago. by: Scott
Hello- My name is Scott and I live in CA. Unlike the BS below I will share a true and recent story with you. I read on a HIV web site about Chaga being used to cure/ help hiv. So I did the research. I found tons of glorious articles filled with the same information. But not one true life story. So I went ahead and bought some fresh chunks on ebay. Cheap! 5 lbs for $20. I read online how to process the chaga. I ground it into a powder, made tea- And a double extraction method. My friend has hiv. 7 years, and his tcells have never gotten above 300. His Dr thought that his immune system was permanently impaired. I started giving my friend the chaga. It had been only 3 ? 4 weeks when he did his bloodwork. And to he and his drs shock. His T cells or immune sells had doubled! My friend is on medication. So I wont make any wild claims about him being cured. But I do now have tangible proof that chaga can dramatically improve the immune system. Even when used in conjunction with anti viral medications.
Chaga sources by: Proud Tree Hugger
For what it's worth I have found michiganmushrooms.net and chagami.com to be the best sources of chaga in the US.
Chaga Mushroom tincture by: Ronald David
Nice post!!! yes i appreciate chaga mushrooms is consumed mostly in the form of Chaga Extract or chaga tea. Herbalists tend to think that a liquid herbal extract contains more of its medicinal properties than capsule or tablet supplements offer to its consumers.i always use chaga mushroom as medicine for Reducing my hypertension referred by Buy Tincture and its really beneficial....
Chaga Mushroom tincture by: Ronald David
Nice post!!! yes I appreciate chaga mushrooms is consumed mostly in the form of Chaga Extract or chaga tea. Herbalists tend to think that a liquid herbal extract contains more of its medicinal properties than capsule or tablet supplements offer to its consumers. I always use chaga mushroom as medicine for Reducing my hypertension referred by Buy Tincture and its really beneficial....
Avoid tinctures by: Shep
Tinctures are popular because of the reputation they have with herbalists.
Herbs are plants and plants are cellulose, structurally speaking. Dried herbs soaked in alcohol will slowly disintegrate over time, releasing their bioactive constituents. This is known as 'cold extraction'.
Here's the downer - this does not work with mushrooms because mushrooms are NOT herbs! They are structurally different!
They will not release their bioactive constituents because the chitin in which these lie embedded does not disintegrate like cellulose. Mushrooms are chitin-based! This chitin locks the bioactives in the cell walls!
That aside, the main bioactive constituents of mushrooms are water-soluble beta-glucans, which would never become bioavailable when added to alcohol, even if the chitin would be affected by alcohol. They simply do not dissolve in alcohol.
Two major no-no's for Chaga alcohol tinctures..... and water will not work either - only hot water 'melts' chitin. Cold water extraction also does not work at all. This is basic science.....
I am benefiting from the Chaga by: Sheila
I am enjoying reading the posts. Me and my husband have only been using the Chaga for 3 weeks and have seen great results. I feel amazing. I am sleeping better. My husband has stopped taking his diabetic meds. We have more energy. I love the Chaga. Lumps on my body have literally disappeared. I am a believer in the Chaga.
active substance of chaga by: Anonymous
Someone mentioned here about betulinic acid as one of the most important substances in chaga. It is not true. First of all betulinic acid is produced from betulin which in its turn is received from birch bark. Content of betulin in chaga is negligable.
So what is the most important substance which makes chaga so powerful and outstanding? It is called "chromogenic complex" - a set of chaga acids and melanins called "chromogens". But this complex is found only in wild chaga, and this is why so called "gurus" never talk about this substance. They talk about all things apart from the most important one seemingly because they speak about cultivated chaga which doesn't contain any chromogenic complex at all. This information was found at: www.chagatrade.ru
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