6 Chaga Mushroom Benefits, According to Science
If you hear the word “mushroom” and think about the classic shiitake and button mushrooms that grace the produce aisle at your local grocery store, you’re not the only one. However, there are more novel mushrooms out there that can do far more than add texture to your salad.
Functional mushrooms like chaga, cordyceps, and reishi have been around for centuries, although many people are just now discovering the benefits of taking them. Luckily, we have thousands of years of tradition to help us use them correctly, as well as an ever-increasing collection of modern research.
Chaga, in particular, is a powerful mushroom that can have benefits throughout the whole body. Read on to learn more about these benefits, how to take chaga, and how some supplements put the “fun” in “functional.”
What Is Chaga?
Chaga mushrooms (Inonotus obliquus) might technically be mushrooms, but you likely wouldn’t recognize one if you saw it. Instead of having the characteristic stalk, cap, and gills that most mushrooms have, chaga mushrooms look like large, black growths. Chaga grows out of trees, making it a conk mushroom.
These medicinal mushrooms can be found in areas with cold climates — think of Russia, Canada, Siberia, and pretty much anywhere in Northern Europe. While chaga tends to prefer birch trees, it can also be found on some other types of hardwood trees.
6 Health Benefits of Chaga Mushroom
Chaga is a staple in many forms of folk medicine, and it’s been used for thousands of years. Here are a few of the potential health benefits of chaga mushroom.
1. Supports the Immune System
Are you looking for a little extra immune support as the kids go back to school and the cold season begins? Triterpenoids in chaga mushroom can encourage the body’s production of cytokines, which are proteins that come from white blood cells.
Cytokines are vital for immune function since they act as a sort of red flag, alerting your immune cells to potential pathogens. This can help support your overall wellness throughout the year.
2. Provides Antioxidant Support
Antioxidants are molecules with extra electrons, which they can use to neutralize destructive free radicals. When left unchecked, free radicals can seriously affect your health and even speed up aging.
Chaga has powerful antioxidants that can help minimize the effects of oxidative stress. This is especially important for day-to-day life, as many health conditions caused by free radical damage can have far-reaching effects throughout the body.
3. May Encourage Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Chaga mushroom may support healthy blood sugar levels, which is key for weight management, hormones, and overall health, even if you don’t have type 2 diabetes. Research on this benefit is still in its very early stages — right now, all we have are animal studies. However, the implications look bright.
4. Supports Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails
Chaga mushroom also contains melanin. You may know melanin as the polymer that gives the skin its color — however, it can also support strong and vibrant hair, skin, and nails.
5. May Support Heart Health
It’s no secret that heart health is key to overall health. Luckily, chaga may help support healthy LDL cholesterol levels, which can encourage cardiovascular longevity. This mushroom may also support healthy blood pressure levels.
6. Can Encourage Gut Health
Lastly, chaga contains polysaccharides called beta-glucans that act like prebiotic fiber. Essentially, these fibers make it to the small and large intestines largely undigested and act as food for the good bacteria living in our gut. This can help support a healthy gut microbiome, which is one of the foundations for overall health.
How Can You Take Chaga?
Chaga mushroom supplements come in many forms. For instance, you can find chaga tea, tinctures, and powders. Our mushroom coffee contains extracted chaga mushroom powder, which you can combine with hot water to make a functional cup of coffee. It’s similar to making herbal tea, although our blends are much more powerful than regular tea infusions.
Chaga rarely has side effects. That said, it’s generally a good idea to ask your doctor if you can take chaga before you start incorporating it into your daily routine. This mushroom may interact with medications like blood thinners.
Ask your doctor for some medical advice if you have blood clotting disorders, are breastfeeding or pregnant, or have a kidney problem. Chaga mushrooms are also higher in oxalates than other mushrooms. This isn’t normally a concern, but it may be for those who are sensitive to oxalates.
What Should You Look For in a Chaga Supplement?
When you’re looking for a chaga supplement, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Extraction: The bioactive compounds that give chaga its benefits must be properly extracted in order to be effective. At Everyday Dose, we extract all of our mushrooms twice to get the most benefits.
- Substrate: It’s cheaper to use mushrooms grown on grain — however, this lowers the quality and nutritional value of the supplement. That’s why we use mushrooms grown on trees.
- Parts of Mushroom Used: Many brands use mushroom mycelium to make their supplements, which isn’t as rich in beneficial compounds as fruiting bodies are. To get a high-quality supplement, look for brands that specifically use 100 percent fruiting bodies.
- Additional Ingredients: Many supplements add other ingredients to increase the benefits. For instance, we combine chaga mushroom extract with lion’s mane mushroom, collagen protein, L-theanine, and coffee extract or matcha.
It’s important to note that supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This doesn’t mean they don’t work — it just means that you should buy your supplements from a company you trust. Look for brands that are passionate about what they do and choose quality above all else.
Final Thoughts
Chaga is a functional mushroom that can support the immune system, encourage a healthy metabolism, and even support hair and skin health, among other things. This mushroom isn’t just backed by scientific research — it has also been used for thousands of years in traditional folk medicine.
Because of its many benefits, chaga mushroom holds a special place in our mushroom blends. The chaga we use is foraged from trees and double-extracted, and we use only 100 percent fruiting bodies. To learn more about the ingredients we use, visit our blog today.
Sources:
Immunomodulatory Activity of the Water Extract from Medicinal Mushroom Inonotus obliquus | PMC
Frontiers | β-glucans: a potential source for maintaining gut microbiota and the immune system | PMC
