What is Chaga and How to benefit from it
- By Bea Recuerdo (BSc)
- 7 Mar 2022
Every day, it seems like there's a new "superfood" being touted as the next big thing. If you follow the news or read health blogs, you've probably read about goji berries, camu-camu, adaptogen root, and many others. Chaga is no different; if you talk to anyone in the health or wellness industry, they will likely have heard of this mysterious fungus. But what is Chaga exactly? What does it do for your body?
What is Chaga?
The Chaga mushroom, also known as Inonotus obliquus, is a fungus that grows in the colder climate of northern hemisphere regions such as Russia. Chaga is a bit of a new kid on the block here in the Netherlands. In Dutch, the Chaga mushroom is also called birch weather fungus.
Known in Asian countries too
Not only is the Chaga mushroom known in Europe, but it has also been part of the traditional medicine in China and Japan due to its anti-inflammatory property and positive results in clinical trials for its anti-cancer property (Source: Science Direct)
What nutrients does Chaga contain, and how can they benefit the body?
Chaga contains several nutrients and bioactive compounds that are beneficial to the body.
Minerals
The Chaga mushroom also contains a number of essential minerals. Essential simply implies that we can't make them in our bodies and must get them from our food. Minerals are inorganic elements that we require in small amounts for various bodily activities. Copper, selenium, zinc, and magnesium are all found in Chaga. Some of the benefits of these minerals include helping the body's:
- Maintenance of hair, nails, and bones
- Brain function
- Muscle function
- Protein production
- (Source: Eur-lex)
B-Vitamins
Thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, and Vitamin B12, are some of the B-vitamins that can be found naturally in Chaga. These are the vitamins that are most known for:
- Helping reduce tiredness & fatigue
- Supporting nervous system function
- Maintaining skin health
- Supporting energy production
- (Source: Eur-lex)
Antioxidants
Chaga contains one of the most diverse and comprehensive arrays of antioxidants available, and these may provide protective benefits to the body (Source: NC BI)
One of which is Selenium, which supports immune function and combats oxidative stress from harmful substances (Source: Eur-lex). Another is polyphenols that have been studied to help promote heart health, brain function, and lower blood sugar, possess anti-inflammatory properties and anti-aging effects that help slow down the aging process of the cells of the body (Source: NCBI)
What's an easy way of adding Chaga mushrooms to my diet?
With all of these benefits in mind, you might want to consider adding Chaga mushrooms to your diet, and an easy way to do that is through supplements. Here at Plent, we have our very own Big Food Chaga, and soon, we will have KÄÄPÄ Health's Chaga Tincture available here at Plent too!
Are Chaga supplements safe to use?
Chaga has no known side effects or disadvantages. An overdose of Chaga in itself is almost impossible because Chaga has no toxic properties in high doses. However, we recommend using Chaga according to the instructions on the packaging.
If you take medication, always talk to your doctor about its use and whether it is possible to combine Chaga with your medicine.
How do you use Chaga mushroom?
In Russia, Chaga is used to make tea. The dry Chaga is boiled for four hours. This process ensures that the active substances are made available. Then the tea is drawn. When the tea has been removed, one drinks 1-2 cups a day.
But there are also other creative ways of incorporating Chaga into your diet.
Have you tried our Chaga latte recipe?
You can also make a Chaga latte with the Chaga from Big Food. Put 1 teaspoon of Chaga powder in a mug and add a little boiling water to it. Mix this well together to a paste with a teaspoon. Warm up some plant-based milk (oat works best), froth it up, and add the frothed milk to the Chaga mixture in the mug. Enjoy!
Takeaway: There are many reasons to try adding Chaga mushrooms to your diet.
Without a doubt, Chaga is something worth looking into. It does have the potential to help you improve your health. The research is still ongoing, but it seems like many people will benefit from using Chaga. Try it out for yourself, and it may help give you a final conclusion about its effectiveness. You may be surprised by what a little mushroom can do for you!
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