Chaga (black birch mushroom)

A mushroom called "chaga" belongs to the varieties of tinder fungus. Often it grows on birch trees, so its second name is birch fungus.

Outwardly, chaga is a hard growth, the shape of which is irregular. The color of such growths is dark brown or black. The surface of the fungus is shiny and cracked.

The fungus grows on birch trees using the sap and nutrients contained in the tree. In addition to birches, chaga can be found on alder and maple, as well as on elms and mountain ash. The spores of the fungus, having fallen on the damaged part of the bark of the tree, are fixed and give rise to ridge outgrowths with an irregular shape. The growth of such a hornbeam continues for ten to twenty years - during this time it deepens into the tree.

Chaga is often found in Russian birch groves, as well as forests. The fungus is also common in Korea and the northern regions of the United States.

Harvest chaga at any time, although it is most convenient to do this in the spring before the foliage appears. The mushroom must be removed from living trees, separating it with an ax or knife and peeling off the outer hard layer. Store the tinder fungus dried by placing it in a closed container. Before storage, large parts of the fungus are crushed, as the dried chaga hardens strongly.

You can also learn more about collecting chaga from the following video.

Chaga contains:

• Polysaccharides
• Phenols
• alkaloids
• organic acids
• Cellulose
• Essential oils
• pterins
• Pigments
• Phytoncides
• Tannins
• Cellulose
• resins
• Mineral compounds and other substances

In chaga, the following action is noted:

• Restorative
• Antiulcer
• Tonic
• Anticancer
• Choleretic
• expectorant
• Anti-inflammatory
• bactericidal
• Diuretic
• Antioxidant
• Calming the nervous system
• Stimulating the brain
• Hemostatic
• Improves digestion and blood composition

The use of this fungus helps to restore efficiency and strength after illnesses and operations.

Chaga is not used for:

• Chronic forms of colitis
• dysentery
• Pregnancy
• Individual intolerance
• breastfeeding

Chaga is considered a non-toxic type of fungus, however, preparations based on it can cause an increase in the excitability of the autonomic part of the nervous system with excessively long and continuous use. Withdrawal of the drug immediately eliminates this side effect.

During therapy with chaga, it is not recommended to administer glucose and take antibacterial drugs. It is allowed to combine chaga with any other medicines and medicinal herbs. In the patient's diet for the period of using chaga, there should be no meat products, spices, strong coffee and tea, onions and garlic, hot sauces, pickles, smoked meats.

This fungus should not be collected from dead stumps, as such chaga may contain toxic compounds.

• For medicinal purposes, chaga is used in the form of an ointment, oil, infusion or inhalation.
• To prevent diseases of the oral cavity, periodontal disease and caries, the infusion of this fungus is recommended to be added to the water used for rinsing.
• Tea made from such a fungus is recommended in old age, because it has the properties to increase tone, rejuvenate and prevent the appearance of malignant tumors.
• A hot infusion of chaga is used for inhalation with hoarseness and cancer of the larynx. Such inhalations should be carried out several times a day for seven minutes.
• External use of chaga is prescribed for dermatitis, herpes, purulent wounds, acne, ulcers and other skin problems. Treatment is carried out with an aqueous infusion of the fungus or a pharmacy extract.
• Pour ten tablespoons of chopped mushroom with 500 milliliters of vodka. After insisting 14 days, such a remedy is used externally in the presence of a fungus on the feet.
• From chaga, the drug Befungin is used for peptic ulcer and gastritis.

You can learn more about birch chaga, its beneficial properties and how to use it from the following video.

Chaga has long been used in the treatment of:

• Hyperacid gastritis
• peptic ulcer
• early stages of cancer
• Liver pathologies
• Respiratory diseases
• Tuberculosis of the lungs
• Appetite and sleep disorders
• Nervous disorders
• infectious diseases
• Neuralgia
• kidney disease
• Gynecological diseases
• Reduced immunity
• Joint pathologies
• skin diseases

Herbs such as St. John's wort, plantain, calamus and calendula are perfectly combined with birch mushroom. Taking each dried plant in equal parts, they must be brewed like tea, and then combined with two teaspoons of chaga infusion. Drink this tea three times a day.

To obtain an aqueous infusion, the mushroom is washed with water, then poured with cool boiled water (it should cover the chaga). After five hours, the water must be drained into a separate container and heated to +50 degrees. Mushrooms are crushed and poured with heated water in a ratio of 1:5. After insisting the remedy for two days, the mushrooms should be filtered and squeezed.

The infusion is taken three or four times a day, one glass. It is effective in colon cancer and other diseases that are affected by the use of chaga. This is a wonderful preventive and restorative remedy. Drink the infusion should be half an hour before meals. Store the finished infusion in the refrigerator for up to four days. Depending on the disease, the use is recommended in courses that last 3-5 months.

In the treatment of edema, an infusion with a higher concentration is used - at the last stage of preparation, mushrooms and liquid are taken in a ratio of 2 to 5. This infusion is drunk 100 ml three times a day. Such a concentrated water infusion can also be used to make microclysters for diseases of the rectum or douching for gynecological problems.

The use of infusion and other chaga preparations for medicinal purposes should be started after diagnosis. For prevention, only the use of tea is recommended.

Chaga treatment goes through two phases:

• In the first two weeks, the patient's condition is relieved, the inflammatory process and pain syndrome are reduced.
• The disease recedes and the condition of the body generally improves after a few months.

Chaga can be used for long and short courses. Chaga is taken for a long time for about three months, and the break between such courses is short (usually seven days). Such use is aimed at a therapeutic effect. Short courses are repeated several times a year, but the break between them is long.They are aimed at consolidating the treatment, and are also needed to prevent the appearance of metastases.

Dried or freshly cut birch fungus is crushed. Bay two teaspoons of 150 milliliters of warm water, leave to infuse for 48 hours. Strained infusion is highly concentrated. Use it in a dose of one tablespoon before meals for 10 minutes. This extract is recommended for circulatory problems. Use it in courses lasting three to five months with pauses between them for seven days.

• Used in the treatment of sinusitis, hemorrhoids, cervical erosion, cancer of the uterus, skin, prostate, breast and rectum.
• Helps strengthen blood vessels and get rid of asterisks on the skin, muscle pain and trophic ulcers.
• For cooking, you need to mix an aqueous infusion of the mushroom (25 ml) and any vegetable oil (50 ml). Leave for a day in a dark place to infuse.
• With sinusitis, two or three drops of oil are instilled into each nostril.
• Store oil in the refrigerator.
• Oil is injected into the vagina and rectum using tampons.

• Birch fungus is used in the treatment of malignant neoplasms both as an independent remedy and as an auxiliary method.
• Chaga is used to produce drugs used in clinical medicine in the treatment of cancer. Subject to compliance with doses and treatment regimens, these drugs are not toxic and do not give adverse reactions.
• To treat malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, chaga is combined with wormwood and yarrow herb, licorice root and pine buds, as well as rose hips.

Grind 200 grams of chaga in a meat grinder or grater and add:

• 100 grams of pine buds and rose hips;
• 20 grams of dry St. John's wort;
• 200 milliliters of aloe juice;
• 10 grams of dried licorice root;
• 500 grams of honey;
• 250 grams of cognac;
• 4-5 grams of dry herb wormwood.

Chaga and dried herbs are soaked in three liters of cool water. After insisting the mixture for 2 hours, it is boiled for another 2 hours over low heat. After that, the composition is insisted for a day wrapped in a warm place. Aloe juice, honey and cognac are added to the strained broth. Take the remedy for a month (after a week, the course can be repeated) in a teaspoon three times a day. The drug should be consumed before meals two hours.

Dried chaga (a teaspoon) and hazel leaves (a tablespoon) are poured with water (two glasses). Boil the product for five minutes and strain. It is used in courses of 14 days twice a year. The decoction is drunk half an hour before meals, two teaspoons three times a day.

An ointment is made from chaga by mixing the infusion of the fungus and lard. The ingredients are taken in equal parts, put on a small fire and, with stirring, brought to a boil, then wrapped and insisted for a day. The mass is filtered and stored in a refrigerator.

Add flour to four tablespoons of water infusion and mix to make a thick dough. A cake made from it is applied to the sore chest and left overnight. Such treatment is carried out for 1 month.

Since birch fungus is rich in minerals, amino acids, vitamins and other compounds, its use is beneficial for obesity. In addition, chaga stimulates metabolic processes.

For weight loss, pour 20 grams of mushroom with warm water (one glass) and add honey (2 teaspoons).

Before use, mix a glass of this infusion with a small ball of propolis. Drink this remedy daily on an empty stomach in the morning.

The basis of nutrition at the time of taking chaga should be plant foods.