Though Chaga has been around and used for centuries, it is experiencing a resurgence in popularity as more people look to natural products to incorporate into daily life. Officially known as Inonotus Obliquus, Chaga is found in more remote areas of the world – typically cold, northern regions including Siberia, Northern Asia and North America. As with any natural product, Chaga is not created (or harvested) equally. If you’re planning to incorporate Chaga tea into your daily routine, you’ll want to choose the highest quality product available.

Chaga is packed with nutrients and antioxidants, so there are no known side effects from drinking the tea itself; however, if you are taking medication for diabetes or have heart related issues, always talk to your doctor before adding any natural products into your lifestyle.

Why?

Well, there’s a good reason why Chaga itself doesn’t cause side effects, but it could be an issue when combined with medication. The powerful active compounds in Chaga work to reduce cholesterol, glucose levels, even inflammation – so when you combine those hard-working compounds with medication designed to produce the same outcome, the seemingly positive results are much more dramatic.

For example, Chaga has the ability to naturally reduce high glucose levels in the blood. That’s a great thing! However, when you’re taking medication to reduce glucose levels, such as insulin, combining it with Chaga could cause a drop in blood glucose known as hypoglycemia. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include shakiness and weakness, anxiety and even clamminess.

If you’re taking prescribed medication and want to consider switching to a natural supplement in order to achieve similar or better results, talk with your doctor about the possible options. A good reminder: don’t stop taking any medication without your doctor’s knowledge in order to maintain a healthy balance to the body.

Drinking Chaga within moderation is also recommended – consuming too much of anything (even healthy supplements and antioxidants) can lead to minor side effects, such as dry throat and mouth and even upset stomach. With a daily cup or two of Chaga tea, no side effects have been reported.

If you’re using Chaga powder as a supplement, there are plenty of benefits including:

Depending on how you consume the Chaga supplement, the recommended dosage is between 200 and 800 milligrams daily, taken with food. You can also add Chaga powder to daily meals – ground Chaga is nearly flavourless, which means you can easily stir it into your favourite smoothie, soup or even add it to coffee each day.