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Chaga Tea

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Anybody try this old home remedy? Any thoughts or feedback, good or bad?
Walk
Never tried it but I'm reading VERY mixed reviews. Web MD (Nutritional) lists its possible benefits, ScienceBasedMedicine basically says it's most likely not good for anyone: "Trunk rot. Not good for trees. Probably not good for people either."
 
Do your due diligence when researching Chaga. It has been studied in Russia extensively and has some incredible potential health benefits. These benefits include boosting your immune system, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and extremely high in anti-oxidants. Studies have also indicated that it can heal psoriasis and it has been clinically proven to reduce tumors in experimental mice.

Personally, I harvest, process and sell Chaga....but most importantly I use it myself in both a ground form (tea) and as a tincture which I make myself. Partly due to my scientific training, I am always leery of testimonials but my customers (including my wife and close friends) have shared some amazing stories.

I looked into Chaga a year ago...seven years after a friend encouraged me to look into it. I was researching ways to stay as healthy as possible with the Covid-19 virus coming into play.

Long story short, I've discovered that many mushrooms have legitimate proven health benefits. Chaga just so happens to grow well in Northern Minnesota because of our climate and the large number of birch trees. Hope this helps.
 
Here are some photos of the process of harvesting and processing Chaga.
 

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I occasionally use Chaga. The truth is that I've seen no health benefits personally (and I've tried drinking it daily for a month or more at a time) and I happen to doubt that it has substantial benefit, but I enjoy the flavor at least as much as any commercial tea, so I'll continue to drink it occasionally.
 
Do you always pulverize it before using it for tea? Care to offer a "recipe" regarding amounts? I usually chunk mine up to the size or large marbles and just use what I need to in order to get good, dark tea, but I've considered pulverizing it in a food processor or something like in your photo.

Here are some photos of the process of harvesting and processing Chaga.
 
Interesting side benefit of Chaga to hold a spark! Thanks, Tom.

Regarding benefits related to Gangreen's post, the principle benefit to me for the past year of daily use has been zero colds or illness. I attribute this to the boost in my immune system. Some friends and customers have seen immediate (2-3 days) benefits while my wife needed three weeks of daily tincture use to see incredible differences due to inflammation.

Moral of the story - some people see immediate benefits for very specific issues (breathing, inflammation, cramping) while others do not experience any dramatic changes...me included. However, when I looked back in time, i realized i had not been sick. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary. Hope this helps.
 
Gangreen - Yes, I grind smaller chunks of it in my Ninja smoothie maker...in short spurts. I grind it to make the beneficial compounds more readily accessible - both for tea and in making my tinctures. The cell walls need to be broken down to access many of the compounds (i.e. betulinic acid). Also, when you prepare your tea, don't heat it hotter than 176 degrees F. (DO NOT BOIL). Just slowly steep it for a minimum of 45 minutes. And finally, you can reuse your spent grounds for many times - just add a half teaspoon of fresh chaga for each 2-3 cup batch. Hope this helps.
 
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Thanks wseidel. I had been making large 3-4 gallon batches by steeping "enough" to make good, dark, strong tea, but I guess I'll start pulverizing as suggested to access the active ingredients. Thanks for the info, it's much appreciated.
 
Gangreen - I initially use about one tablespoon of ground Chaga to make 2-3 cups of tea in a saucepan. I filter my tea into my cup and sweeten with honey or whipped cream....yes, whipped cream! The next day I simply add another 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of fresh chaga to the saucepan and re-heat. Hope this provides more clarification.
 
Personally, I think it rather smells and tastes like maple syrup, but I sweeten with honey as well. I've also been known to use a bit of caramel if my wife had baked a cake and some was available.
 
Wseidel, thank you for the information. Honestly, I lived and worked with several native people for many years while I was in the North part of Alberta. Heard about Chaga lots, but never tried it. Then it went the way of knowledge through age. In other words, I forgot. Yesterday I was watching a trapping show and it was mentioned. Memories flooded back. I’ve been fighting serious health issues for years and slowly losing the battle. I’m not looking for a miracle cure, rather help easing some of the gut issues (pain, diarrhea, etc). I know that it must be harvested based on temperature and time below a certain temp in order to maximize effectiveness, as well as to limit collection volume.
This fungus has been used by locals and trappers for centuries, so there must be something to it. Perhaps modern medicine has advanced beyond, and I don’t refuse it at all, but being a bush guy I still like the old ways too. Still, I have no illusions.
I’m no longer in the bush due to the issues, but have friends willing to harvest for me. Just need to clear it with the Oncologist first. Once again, thank you.
If anyone else has feedback, good or bad, I would appreciate it.
Walk
 
Thank you for your heartfelt response, Walk. I would be happy to send you some to try though the tincture would probably be more beneficial given the acute issues you are dealing with. Let me know if your Doctor approves of your trying this as you don't want it to counteract any other meds you are taking. The tincture is s ten-week alcohol extraction process followed by three days of hot water bath. Bottom line: More beneficial compounds are available to your body from the tincture. Plus you hold the tincture under your tongue which allows it be be more readily available to your body. Let me know, Walk.

God bless,
Wayne
 
I got into this in highschool, kind of forgot it as life developed, and getting back into it now. Don’t think chaga grows around here, but I found some turkey tail mushroom on a stump in the back yard last year. Don’t know if it was the turkey tail, but I ain’t been sick all year. Modern medicine is often synthetic forms of plant medicines, but without the supporting micronutrients also in the plant, thus the laundry list of side effects with the synthetic. IMO. I got my wife on Solomon’s seal now while her ankle heals, and have some comfry waiting to be a poultice after the surgical incisions heal.
 
Interestingly, there is some anecdotal evidence that I've read about, but no clinical studies to my knowledge. One of the stories I read involved a nurse who believed it prevented/cured her fom Covid. She was a knowledgeable health care worker who did not appear to be prone to exaggeration. When potential customers ask me the same question about Chagas impacts on Covid I share the same exact information. I do not want to misrepresent it's potential benefits.

Chaga has strong anti-viral properties so combined with adequate levels of D3, vitamin C, zinc and a quality multivitamin AND handwashing...this should hold you in good stead. I take both the tincture and tea forms daily (as well as the above mentioned supplements) and have not been sick from any illness since I started one year ago. Hope this helps.
 
As it just so happened, I was drinking mullein tea, teasel tea, and some turkey tail tea and tinkture when this covid thing started, and as far as I know, haven’t had it. Got tested once around this Christmas when I was “exposed”, but it was negative. I don’t wear a mask in grocery stores, sporting goods stores, unless I have to, or at church ( some stores require it here but most don’t) and in general, I don’t do the precautions recommended by the politicians. I’m not claiming the herbs kept me healthy, but something did since I’m supposedly hi risk behavior.
 
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