Cancer Therapy Solutions
In order to understand how Chaga might help with cancer treatments, it's a good idea to go over some of the basic foundations of treatments and their purpose. For example, chemotherapy and chemotherapeutic agents are designed to stop the progression of cancer cells, as well as destroy existing cells and tumors. While the idea behind chemotherapy is a positive one, there is a major downside to the treatment as a whole: the treatment does not differentiate between cancer cells and healthy ones.
That means that many cancer treatments, while targeting cancer cells, do damage healthy tissues and cells within the body. Studies are looking for more natural solutions to slow down the development of cancer in the first place, to reduce the need for chemotherapy and other invasive therapies. According to one study1, 50 different mushroom species have been analyzed and identified as providing anticancer support – specifically, Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), which is a mushroom that grows in various regions, including Asia, Eastern Europe and North America.
Chaga Studies Highlight Anti-Cancer Benefits
Chaga has undergone extensive studying – scientists have reported that the mushroom contains a plentiful amount of bioactive compounds, in addition to other beneficial components, including substances that have also been studied as inhibiting a type-1 human immunodeficiency virus.
It's important to note that studies regarding Chaga and anti-cancer grown have been done primarily on animals and more testing must be done on humans in order to see the full potential – but studies are promising. In one study, scientists examined how oxidative stress and cell mutations effect the growth of cancer cells and noted that compounds within the mushroom seemed to possess antioxidative and anti-mutagenic properties.
A variety of human cancer cells were used within the study, including carcinoma cells from the lung, breast, stomach and cervix using a cell bank in South Korea and implanted onto the skin and body of mice. Over the course of the study, which included mice receiving oral administration of the Chaga extract, tumor inhabitation was much more prevalent in mice taking Chaga than mice in the control group.
In all of the subfractions using Chaga, there was a noticeable difference in the cancer activity in mice consuming Chaga – differences were also made depending on what type of cancer the mouse had, as well as it being in vitro or not. As a result, scientist overseeing the study agreed that Chaga had a positive effect on the prohibition of cancer cell growth and may be used as a preventive measure – particularly as an anti-cancer food for daily consumption.
Chaga has been known to reduce glucose levels and lower cholesterol – with this study – and potentially others, Chaga could be viewed as an ideal option to reduce oxidative stress on the body in order to inhibit the development of cancer cells during the lifetime.
For those undergoing cancer treatments currently, do not stop taking therapy or treatment without your doctor's advice. Chaga may be helpful in addition to the treatment, but should not replace any necessary chemotherapy or cancer therapies recommended by your physician or oncologist.