Chaga

Revered as a folk medicine, especially among the peoples of eastern Russia, Chaga has traditionally been boiled to make a tea, which is drunk to treat a range of conditions, including, cancers, viral and bacterial infections and gastro-intestinal disorders.

Main Health Benefits

• Cancer - - Betulinic acid shows wide-ranging anti-cancer activity, including against: leukaemia, malignant brain and peripheral nervous system cancers. As with other mushrooms, Chagas polysaccharide components also show strong immune-modulating activity and this combination of mushroom polysaccharides with host derived betulinic acid contributes to Chaga’s traditional use in cancer treatment, including for inoperable, breast, lip, gastric, parotid, lung, skin, colorectal cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma.

• Digestive Disorders - Melano-glucan complexes have wide anti-microbial activity and Chaga has traditionally been used as an internal cleanser with Benfungin, an alcohol extract of Chaga, licensed in Russia for the treatment of stomach and intestinal disorders.

• Psoriasis - a Russian study on 50 psoriasis patients, reported a 76% cure rate, with improvement in a further 16% of cases.