4 minute read
Concerned about your gut health? 👍
Considering boosting your immune system? 🚀
Curious about natural cancer support? 🙏
Chaga Mushroom is the champion of immune and gut health and a superhero of the superfood world; it is also two medicinal plants in one!
Want to know more?
Here at Oneself Wellbeing, we recognise natural medicine as gifts from the earth; chaga is a true gift, and we want everyone to know about it!
What is it Chaga Mushroom? What does it do? What does the science say? Why is Chaga Mushroom so special? What are the benefits of Chaga Mushroom?
As proud stockists, we have rounded up the facts for you.
WHAT IS CHAGA?
Inonotus obliquus- Chaga mushroom- is a mushroom at its simplest, and a cancer-curing, immune-boosting, gut-loving, super medicine, at its optimum.
Was that a lot to take in? Chaga mushroom does a lot for us!
From our brain and belly to each tiny cell of our body; chaga builds us up from the inside out.
Bubbling like a clump of honeyed mud from the bark of birch trees; chaga is exclusive in choosing where it grows, preferring birch trees in the cold climates of Russia, Europe, and the UK (we admire its standards).
Birch trees have a long, medicinal history of their own; being used to soothe toothache, ease arthritis, and remedy rheumatism. As a polypore mushroom, Chaga feeds from the nutrients in the birch tree in a symbiotic relationship. As a result, chaga contains both its own benefits and the benefits of the birch tree!
WHAT ARE CHAGA MUSHROOM BENEFITS?
It’s not just a phase! Chaga Mushroom is here to stay!
Chaga is changing the face of scientific research; from controlling cancer to easing inflammation, igniting immune function, and supercharging cognition, Chaga Mushroom is a must-know for your medicine cupboard.
We have outlined our TOP 3 Chaga mushroom benefits:
Immune modulation
Bursting with powerful polysaccharides called beta-glucans- found in, and unique to, all medicinal mushrooms- chaga supercharges your immune system, meaning
- fewer infections
- reduced recovery time
- less re-occurring infections
By stimulating blood cells and strengthening cytokine production, chaga mushroom is well-evidenced to support your immune system in staying strong and healthy (WebMd, 2020).
Prebitoic pack
Another Chaga Mushroom benefit is that the prebiotics in Chaga Mushroom are not your average run-of-the-mill prebiotic; they are beta-glucan polysaccharides. The same compounds in chaga that serve to improve your immune system, also feed your gut microbiome!
Anti - cancer properties
In Norwegian, Chaga is named “kreftkjuke” meaning “cancer fungus” (MSKCC, 2022).
Established cancer center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, recommends Chaga mushroom, eaten or decocted into a → tea, to supercharge the immune system and reduce systemic inflammation
How does this work?
What are chagas mysterious superpowers?
Chaga Mushroom has been proven to hold anti-tumour properties, meaning this mushroom can suppress tumour growth (we thought this counted as a real-life superpower, don’t you agree?). The exact pathophysiology is unclear, but the beneficial results speak for themselves (Arata et al., 2016).
WHAT IS THE SCIENCE BEHIND MELANIN IN CHAGA?
So, you have heard that chaga improves skin health; now you’re keen to hear the truth behind the trend.
Melanin is the compound that determines the pigmentation of our skin, hair and eyes; the more melanin, the darker the tone.
Melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, the amount of melanin each cell produces relies heavily on genetics, sunlight exposure, and vitamin and mineral levels in a person’s body.
Have you noticed the dark tone of chaga mushroom? This warming, rich tone is actually a result of chagas own melanin production!
Though it may not increase melanin production in our bodies; chaga contains its own, pre-made melanin that our bodies can use.
Does this mean chaga will darken my skin?
Theoretically, it might be possible.
Realistically, you would have to eat a lot.
Any darkening by chaga would be minute and temporary; exactly like that of a suntan.
What are the benefits of melanin?
Melanin primarily functions to protect our skin from UV light; like in-built sun cream. This is exactly how it functions in the chaga mushroom as well.
What is the science behind this super-power?
Melanin is a compound made up of smaller particles that are densely packed together. The density of these particles forms a tight barrier to light.
Imagine a pair of curtains; one is tightly woven, and one is loosely woven. The tightly woven curtain will let less light in, therefore protecting the person behind it from sunlight more than the loosely woven curtain (Hill, 1992).
Impressive!
Aside from its well-evidenced UV protective agency, melanin performs an array of other beneficial actions in the human body, concisely summed by Proctor and McGinness at the turn of the 20th century; melanin transduces energy. It takes in sunlight and distributes it around the body in various beneficial ways (Hill, 1992).
HOW TO USE OUR CHUNKS AND TEABAGS
Blown away by the superhero benefits of Chaga Mushroom?
We were, and we knew we had to spread the word. We know that your health is your wealth, and Chaga Mushroom shines as a champion for this truth.
We have made sure to source with sustainability in mind; our Chaga Mushroom chunks and Chaga Tea bags come from ecological farming practices in the forests of snowy Siberia.
Are you a Chaga Mushroom chunk or a Chaga tea lover? Or are you unsure?
Let us guide you!
How to use Chaga Mushroom chunks
Prefer tradition? A little bit of time-taken ritual over your herbal medicine? The Chaga Mushroom chunks are for you.
Aromatic in earthy, grounding, subtle vanilla; decocting our → chaga chunks in your home kitchen will warm hearts and welcome well-being of mind, body, and soul (and nose).
We recommend boiling a handful of Chaga Mushroom chunks until the water is coloured, in enough water to fully submerge them, and then consume 1-3 cups of 6oz cups per day.
How to use Chaga Tea bags
Visions of a lux life? Your superfood sealed in a simple teabag, ready for infusion and indulgence? You would love our → chaga teabags
Cupping a mug of malted maroon, steaming with antioxidants, immune-boosting polysaccharides, and cognitive compounds. your morning has just been left with not mush-room for improvement! Seriously, a tea with a tonic twist? Health is on the horizon!
We recommend one Chaga Tea bag infused per cup serving; the earthy taste, for some, may need a little sweetening with honey, but we like ours as it is; grounded and natural.
LIFE-CHANGING CHAGA; ARE YOU IN?
Whether you are still on the fence, or cannot wait to make Chaga Mushroom a powerful ritual in your life, why not → check out what our current customers have to say about their experience with Chaga Mushroom?
Immune boosting, gut-loving, cancer-curing, skin-healing and all round superhero; chaga is a serious superhero of the superfood world.
You can buy Chaga Mushroom Chunks and Chaga Tea from our online store today by visiting https://www.oneselfwellbeing.co.uk/collections/Chaga-mushroom
REFERENCES
Arata, S., Watanabe, J., Maeda, M., Yamamoto, M., Matsuhashi, H., Mochizuki, M., Kagami, N., Honda, K. and Inagaki, M. (2016). Continuous intake of the Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) aqueous extract suppresses cancer progression and maintains body temperature in mice. Heliyon, 2(5), p.e00111. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2016.e00111.
Hill, H.Z. (1992). The function of melanin or six blind people examine an elephant. BioEssays: News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, [online] 14(1), pp.49–56. doi:10.1002/bies.950140111.
MSKCC. (2022)., Chaga Mushroom | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. [online] Available at: https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/chaga-mushroom.
WebMD (2020). Chaga: Are There Health Benefits? [online] WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-chaga