These anti-inflammatory, antioxidant fungi are available as capsules and tinctures.
Chaga mushrooms arent your typical produce-section mushrooms (which boasthealthy nutritional benefitsof their own).
What Are Chaga Mushrooms?
Photo:Tatiana Kutina/500px/Getty Images
Chaga mushrooms are a rare punch in of mushroom highly coveted for its health-promoting powers.
They blend in with the wood, which makes them more difficult to spot in nature."
What Are Adaptogens?
Medicinal Use
Using chaga mushrooms for their medicinal benefits isnt anything new.
In recent years, the popularity of chaga mushroomsand adaptogenic functional mushrooms in generalhas exploded.
Here’s what we know so far about the health benefits chaga mushrooms can deliver.
Boost Immunity
Berries, carrots, and spinach are allfoods high in antioxidantsand so are chaga mushrooms.
Chaga mushrooms are said to contain higher levels of antioxidants compared to other types of mushrooms, Volpe notes.
Lessen Inflammation
A little inflammation is nothing to fear.
In fact, its the bodys natural immune response to injury, infection, and other harmful stimuli.
Without it, we couldnt heal from bruises or broken bones or fight off the common cold.
Other research has found chaga mushrooms contain anti-inflammatory compounds, like phenolic compounds, and exhibit impressive anti-inflammatory properties.
Support Heart Health
Chaga mushrooms could play a key role in aheart-healthy lifestyle.
She adds that a 2017 mice study found that the polysaccharides (a.k.a.
carbohydrate molecules) in chaga mushrooms possessprebioticproperties that improve the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut.
However, consuming chaga in large quantities or over the long term can have negative health effects.
Here are some well-known contraindications and side effects you should know.
Medicine Interactions
Chaga could interact with blood-thinning medications like warfarin because the mushroom itself has blood-thinning qualities.
There have been documented cases of chaga-induced kidney injury from overexposure.
Concerns over toxic substances in food are not new.
The FDA has recalled spices likecinnamon for leadand tea for pesticide residue.
Supplements, teas, tablets, and tinctures are all options for ingesting chaga.
it’s possible for you to also buy pre-mixed drinks or even make them yourself at home.
Tea
With chaga tea, brew the mushroom powder in hot or cold water.
Steep for five minutes or more to ensure that all of the compounds really infuse the water.
you might even try making your own chaga tincture at home with vodka, can, or grain alcohol.
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