Description
The chaga is a birch mushroom, orInonotusobliquus in Latin. First accounts of use of chaga in traditional medicine date back to the 12th century when it was used to treat visceral tumors.
Chemical Composition
The chaga mushroom contains water-soluble pigments forming a chromogenic polyphenol carbon complex, pterin, polysaccharides, agaric and humic-like chaga acid, organic acids, lipids, steroids, linguine, fibers, free phenols, flavonoids, coumarine, peucedanine, cellulose, resins, traces of alkaloids of a yet unknown structure, manganese-rich ash, and other oxidized micronutrients.
Pharmacological Properties
Chaga mushroom preparations have broad-spectrum action and are used as active biogenic stimulant. Such preparations applied topically or taken per os improve metabolism, provide natural protection against infections, boost brain metabolism, improveimpaired functions of the body, and have anti-inflammatory effects.
The comprehensive and broad-spectrum action of the chaga mushroom encouraged Russian researchers of
N.N. Blokhin Cancer Research Center to develop and produce medicines based of the chaga mushroom, which are successfully used in medical practice all over the world.
Chaga-based preparations have an advantage over other chemotherapeutical drugs, since they are low-toxic and are well tolerated by patients.
Use in Health and Beauty Products
In addition to its traditional use as an option of symptomatic therapy in malignancies, the chaga mushroom is used to treat gastrointestinal diseases, such as chronic gastritis, hypokinetic-type dyskinesia, non-acute peptic and duodenal ulcer disease, gastric and intestinal polyposis, stomachache, enterodynia, and liver and splenic diseases. Chaga-based preparations are used to improve sleep quality, relieve emotional stress, boost catalase and protease activity, and protect the body from infections. Chaga helps to heal skin defects and treats eczema, atopic dermatitis and erythrodermia; it facilitates healing of wounds, burns, cold burns, juvenile acne, cutaneous and mucosal lesions caused by Herpes simplex virus, papillomas, condylomas, leukoplakia, and verrucosis. Chaga preparations applied topically have anti-inflammatory, healing and pain-killing effects, protect the skin from environmental hazards, including fungal and viral infections, relieve edema, and facilitate skin regeneration.
Chaga is often used by ENT specialists as an additive to inhalations to treatpharyngeal tumors.
“Milamed” Company offers “Life-Giving Chaga” chaga-based product.