Chaga is a parasite fungus that uses trees to survive. Its second name is "birch mushroom." Chaga can be found not only on birches, but also on other trees. The mushroom is known for its complex of beneficial properties, due to which it has found wide application in traditional medicine.
What does birch fungus look like and where does it grow?
Chaga is listed in the category of polypore. This order includes species of fungi that reproduce by spores that fall into the bark of trees. Disputes find places in the crust with impaired integrity, where they take root.
Chaga grows in the form of a growth of dark brown color. But its color is not uniform. In the central part and closer to the trunk, the color becomes lighter. Yellowish streaks form in the lower part of the fungus. The tinder structure is solid.
The average weight of one mushroom reaches from 2 to 5 kilograms, and the diameter is from 5-10 centimeters to half a meter. In most cases, it is almost impossible to tear it with your bare hands from the tree - the mushroom has a soft surface only at the base. Therefore, for this purpose, special tools are used with which the mushroom is cut.
Most often, chaga can be found in the lower and middle parts of the trunk next to broken branches and knots. After the spores fall into the bark and take root, they begin to grow, destroying the tree, feeding on its juices. Therefore, this fungus is classified as a parasite.
Outwardly, the chaga resembles flat-cake fruit bodies, each of which is about 20 centimeters wide and 3 to 4 centimeters thick. The average duration of fungal growth is 10 years. Chaga gradually kills the tree from which it feeds. After the tree dries up, the mushroom dies with it.
Varieties
Chaga refers to inedible mushrooms. This species is classified by the type of tree that it uses. Chaga grows on trunks:
- Birch trees
- aspens;
- alder trees.
Chaga on a birch
Chaga on an aspen
Chaga on an alder
But of the varieties listed, only chaga mushroom growing on a birch has useful properties. For this reason, the mushroom got its second name.
The form and appearance of the chaga is divided into standard and larch growths. The first type is the most common, and characteristic of the above tree species.
Larch chaga grows on cedar and fir trunks. Unlike standard chaga, this species includes mycelium that penetrates the wood and is responsible for the growth of the fungus. Larch chaga coexists with a tree for several decades. You can determine this mushroom by the following signs:
- non-standard appearance resembling a hoof;
- the presence of a rough and bumpy surface;
- cracked peel.
Larch chaga is not an edible fungus. But unlike other varieties not growing on birch, this species can also be used for medicinal purposes.
When and how to collect?
Chaga can be harvested throughout the year. But depending on the season, additional difficulties may arise. So, in the summer, picking mushrooms is accompanied by the difficulty of searching under the abundant foliage of trees. In the winter season, the main difficulty lies in the snowy weather. Therefore, spring and autumn are best suited for collecting chaga.
Also, at different times of the year, mushrooms differ in composition. According to experts, chaga contains the largest amount of nutrients in early spring and late autumn.
To collect mushrooms of this species, you will need a special tool. Realizing this goal is easiest with a thick knife or a small hatchet. The procedure for collecting chaga requires quite a lot of effort and a long time.
Inexperienced people often confuse a birch mushroom with a tinder fungus, which also forms on the trunks of birches in the form of a growth. The difference between the two is in color and appearance. The tinder fungus looks like a hoof, and has a lighter color than a birch mushroom. The color of the chaga, on the contrary, is dark - the brown shade is more like black. Unlike chaga, the tinder fungus is easily separated from the tree trunk without additional tools.
The higher the mushroom is located on the trunk from the ground, the more useful it is considered. It is impossible to collect birch mushroom from dried trees. It contains the minimum amount of nutrients. It is also not recommended to use chaga grown close to the ground.
To find chaga, it is recommended to use birch groves. Mushrooms that grow close together are considered more beneficial.
If the chaga is too old, it will also not be of great use for medicinal purposes. It is possible to determine that the birch mushroom is already old by two signs. Firstly, it is necessary to check the color of the pulp - it is darker in old mushrooms than in young ones. Secondly, you need to find out how strong the mushroom is. Reaching the old age, chaga begins to lose strength, and collapses under pressure.
The collection of birch mushrooms is carried out according to the following technology:
- after finding the chaga, it is necessary to cut it parallel to the trunk;
- the largest amount of nutrients is found in the upper part of the fungus, so the cut must be carried out at the junction with the tree;
- careful movements should be made so as not to damage the tree - after disconnecting the fungus, the place of the cut on the birch should be sprinkled with earth (this action helps to heal the wound).
The further method of cooking the mushroom depends on the purpose for which it will be used.
Composition and medicinal properties
Chaga contains elements that in combination provide a therapeutic effect. The list of biologically active substances contained in the birch mushroom consists of:
- flavonoids;
- alkaloids;
- tannins;
- groups of organic acids.
Each of the elements in the composition of the chaga has an individual therapeutic effect:
- organic acids control and normalize the acid-base balance of the human body;
- flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, diuretic and choleretic effect;
- volatile provide antimicrobial effect;
- alkaloids favorably affect the heart muscle;
- tannins strengthen and restore the mucous membrane and skin (used for bleeding and inflammation);
- melanin stimulates metabolic processes and restores the body.
Additionally, the chaga contains minerals and trace elements. Of these, the most beneficial for human health are:
- magnesium - effective for diseases of bones, joints, teeth, heart, gastrointestinal tract, nerve tissues;
- potassium - helps to treat diseases of the blood, heart, kidneys, and gives an antitoxic effect;
- iron - normalizes blood formation and tissue respiration, the work of the liver and spleen, prevents anemia;
- manganese - strengthens bone tissue, improves the absorption of vitamins, relieves inflammation;
- copper - favorably affects hemoglobin, skin, hair, cellular respiration, oxygen supply, bone building, and the nervous system.
Also, the composition of the chaga is filled with zinc, cobalt, nickel, silver and aluminum. Most of the elements found in birch mushrooms are good for human health. Therefore, chaga is used not only in medicine, but also in cosmetology.
Dosage Forms of the Mushroom
Chaga is used in five dosage forms:
- decoction;
- alcohol tincture;
- infusion;
- ointment;
- oil.
Each type of medicine is used to treat certain diseases. Therefore, the method of making chaga is selected depending on the purpose of its application.
What diseases and how is chaga taken
Chaga is used for:
- decreased immunity and poor metabolism;
- inflammation that affects the tissues of the oral cavity and gums;
- cramping
- low quality of the central nervous system;
- the need to slow down the development and growth of the tumor;
- diseases of the stomach (gastritis and ulcer);
- the presence of foci of inflammation;
- insomnia;
- weak cell regeneration;
- depression or nervous tension;
- accumulation in the body of heavy metals;
- high blood pressure;
- poor liver enzyme function;
- treatment of skin diseases (eczema, acne, psoriasis);
- to reduce pain with arthritis, arthrosis, radiculitis.
Before making a medicine based on chaga, the mushroom must be properly prepared. After it is cut from a tree, it should be cut into small pieces and dried. You can speed up the process using the oven.
It is necessary to grind a mushroom as quickly as possible after a cut from a tree, since it hardens in a short time. After the chaga pieces have dried, they must be placed in a glass jar or cloth bag. With other materials, birch mushroom does not fit well.
The period during which the chaga retains its beneficial properties is 2 years. When it passes, the mushroom can be thrown away.
Decoction
The most common chaga-based drug is decoction. In the presence of diseases affecting the larynx and respiratory system, inhalation with birch mushrooms for 5-7 minutes is recommended.
The broth is prepared according to the following scheme:
- 100 grams of mushroom is placed in a container and filled with 1 liter of cold water;
- the mixture is infused for a day, until the mushroom pieces soften;
- the substance is brought to a boiling point, after which it again settles over the course of a day.
Ready broth is used as tea. To do this, part of the mixture must be diluted with boiling water, and the remaining substance should be refrigerated. After cooking, the broth retains its healing properties for 4 days, and then begins to deteriorate. It is recommended to use it no more than two weeks. Drinking chaga tea reduces the risk of developing cancerous tumors.
Alcohol tincture
Chaga tincture is used in the treatment of cancer. For cooking, in addition to chopped mushroom, you will need vodka. The production of drugs is carried out according to the following scheme:
- 100 grams of mushroom is placed in a container and filled with 1 liter of vodka;
- the mixture is placed in a cool place in which the sun does not fall;
- the substance is infused for two weeks, and once a week you need to shake it, after which the tincture must be filtered.
The medicine is taken 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals. Tincture can be diluted with 50 milliliters of warm water. The course of admission is 10 days.
Infusion
Infusion differs from alcohol tincture not only in the absence of alcohol in the composition, but also in the method of preparation:
- the mushroom is washed and grated, after which it is soaked in water for 4 hours;
- Chaga is mixed with water in a ratio of 1 to 5;
- the substance is infused in a dark place for 2 days.
The infusion is filtered and taken 30 minutes before meals. For the treatment of chronic gastritis, the duration of the course is up to 6 months. The addition of honey and mint is allowed. Treatment of adenoma is carried out with a mixture of crushed burdock root in the recipe. If the infusion is needed to treat gums, it must be mixed with chamomile, and the mouth gargled.
In the process of preparation, additives can be used to enhance the medicinal effect. Chaga infusion is combined with rose hips, pine buds, hypericum, licorice, yarrow.
Based on the infusion, you can also prepare chaga extract. For this, the finished medicine must be mixed with Befungin. This drug strengthens the body, and together with chaga helps in the treatment of gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Ointment
To prepare the ointment, you will first need to grind the mushroom to a powder state. Only after this, you can begin to manufacture the medicine:
- mushroom powder is mixed with pork fat (fresh fat is recommended);
- the ratio of chaga and fat is 1 to 1;
- the mixture is melted with a water bath and brought to a boiling state;
- the substance is placed in a jar, closed, and wrapped in a warm towel;
- the ointment is infused for a day, after which it is stored in the refrigerator.
Instead of pork fat, butter is allowed - solid fatty oils of vegetable origin.
Chaga ointment is used to treat: cancer of the skin, uterus, breast, rectum, lymph nodes, prostate gland. The medicine also helps in the treatment of leg swelling, normalization of blood circulation, strengthening the walls of veins and blood vessels.
Oil
To make chaga oil, you will need extra olive oil. The medicine is made according to the following scheme:
- Chaga infusion is being prepared;
- 2.5 tablespoons of olive oil mixed with 1 teaspoon of chaga infusion;
- the substance is infused in a dark, cool place for a day.
The chaga contains pterins, which are mixed with olive oil, and have an antitumor effect. Therefore, the medicine is used to treat various tumor diseases, as well as skin diseases, prostate adenoma, sinusitis. Additionally, the ointment eliminates pain in muscles and joints.
Contraindications and possible harm
Chaga has virtually no contraindications. The composition of this fungus does not contain substances that pose a serious threat to human health. But in some cases, after taking chaga, you may experience:
- intestinal upset (mushroom-based drugs act as a laxative);
- overload and excessive excitation of the nervous system (with prolonged use of decoctions and tinctures);
- individual allergic reaction (if a person is sick with hay fever and atopic dermatitis).
Medicines, which include chaga, are not recommended for use with:
- problems with the nervous system;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- the use of antibacterial drugs;
- internal glucose administration;
- chronic colitis and dysentery;
- drinking and smoking.
In the treatment of chaga, the volume of fried and fatty foods should be minimized in the diet.
Chaga is a mushroom that has a large number of beneficial substances for human health. But if used improperly, the effect of taking it will be minimal. Therefore, before using chaga for treatment, it is necessary to study in detail the instructions for preparing medicines based on it, and consult with specialists.