While those are definitely things to consider when shopping around for a health food, there’s one ingredient that has been scientifically reported as providing health benefits in addition to even more profound benefits, such as regulating glucose levels and even fighting back against cancer cells. Though it might sound too good to be true, it’s not! Chaga has been around for centuries and is once again being touted as a very potent ingredient designed to provide the body with a number of antioxidants and other positive, biological components.
But what is Chaga and why exactly is it so good for the body? A type of mushroom that thrives in very cold and dense forests, Chaga grows on hardwood trees in the northern hemisphere – typically around the Siberian Forest, northern Asia and up into North America. The mushroom, thought it looks like a piece of charcoal from the outside, contains a spongy interior that contains all of the nutrients. When dried or ground up into powder, Chaga can be consumed as a tea or added into a range of foods, beverages and smoothies. It has quite a pleasant flavour, which makes it even easier to add the potent superfood to nearly anything you enjoy on a daily basis.
Studies Show Chaga Health Benefits
Chaga is one of the more studied health products on the market, which offers peace of mind when you’re searching for the ideal ingredient to help boost health and wellness. A good number of studies have been done on mice and in-vitro cells in laboratories to study just how effective Chaga is on various diseases and disorders.
For example, one study[1] was done to highlight the effects Chaga had on cancer cells. In this study, cells that were exposed to Chaga were smaller at the end of the study and the surrounding cells were just as healthy after the cancer treatments. In the case of cancer treatment and radiation, the harsh effects of chemotherapy does not discriminate between healthy and cancerous cells, meaning that even healthy cells can become affected through treatment, slowing down the overall healing process. While more studies are definitely needed, this shows promise in the way that doctors can help patients remain as healthy as possible through various cancer therapies.
As powerful as Chaga is for major health conditions, it’s just as effective for maintaining a proper level of health and wellness. The antioxidants within the mushroom are very effective toward reducing the risk of diabetes, inflammation of the digestive system, heart disease and even helping to detoxify the liver.
For those who want to boost the immune system, Chaga is equally as powerful – the active ingredients in the mushroom helps stimulate the immune system to fight back against viruses. If you’re one to get viruses throughout the year, Chaga could be the solution to boosting the immune system!
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[1] Chung, Mi Ja, Cha-Kwon Chung, Yoonhwa Jeong, and Seung-Shi Ham. "Anticancer activity of subfractions containing pure compounds of Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) extract in human cancer cells and in Balbc/c mice bearing Sarcoma-180 cells." Nutrition Research and Practice. June 2010. Accessed October 28, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2895696/.