What is Chaga?
Chaga is a type of slow growing, non-toxic fungus typically found on birch trees. The exterior looks like burnt charcoal. This odd shaped mass found in forests may look like just another mushroom, but inside it is a super powerful source of nutrients and anti-oxidants.
Tomas Čekanavičius,Wikipedia
How is Chaga harvested?
Chaga should only be harvested from living trees and great care must be taken to ensure the tree is not damaged or the chaga is over harvested. The chaga is then dried and broken into chunks or ground into powder. It's a good idea to make sure you are buying from a reputable vendor. Many Chaga vendors will let you know where the Chaga comes from.
Where does the Chaga come from?
Chaga often comes from Northern regions where birch trees are plentiful. For example, Maine is the source of our Chaga tea.
What are the health benefits of Chaga?
Chaga Mushroom is an adaptogen. Adaptogenic plants and mushrooms help to bring the body back into balance and have beneficial effects including:
- Nervous system
- Immune system
- GI tract
- Cardiovascular system
- Endocrine system
By supporting the body and mind in these ways, adaptogens help us to cope with stress, stay healthy during the cold and flu season, fight cancer, and lift us out of the dark depths of depression and adrenal burnout.
Chaga tea = Massive amounts of anti-oxidants and nutrients
You already know that eating foods rich in anti-oxidants will help prevent many forms of disease and help you feel better. Anti-oxidant rich tea, such as green tea is a great way to keep anti-oxidants circulating in your bloodstream throughout the day. Because of the way chaga grows, it accumulates an enormous amount of anti-oxidants over time. Chaga tea is an excellent way to consume additional anti-oxidants without caffeine.
Let ORAC speak for itself:
ORAC (Or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) measures the free oxygen radicals that food or supplement can absorb in your body. Chaga contains some of the highest amounts, but it will vary depending on when/where is is grown among other things. Compare ORAC values here.
What does Chaga tea taste like?
Chaga mushrooms do not taste like a typical mushroom found in a grocery store. It has a somewhat earthy flavor with a slight bitterness. It also contains a naturally occurring form of vanillin, the same as what is found vanilla bean. You can drink chaga mushroom straight, but the flavor may not be appealing to most. But because it is so dense in nutrients and anti-oxidants, the chaga mushroom lends itself to be an ideal component when blended with other herbs and spices. Like cooking with mushrooms, the earthy flavor will complement many other ingredients like ginger, turmeric and honeybush.
How often should you drink Chaga tea?
Chaga tea can be safely consumed in moderate doses. Drinking it in a blend with other beneficial herbs will lower the overall dosage, but give you exposure to a variety of other healthy compounds. Some users will increase dosage especially if they are sick or have an on-going health issue. If you are drinking chaga for this purpose, make sure you do your research! The "ideal" dose will vary from person to person, but we always like the middle way, with moderate doses. Remember, if you have any underlying medical condition you should consult a doctor.
Where to buy Chaga Mushroom Tea
Fortunantly, we've developed a very flavorful, Chaga mushroom tea with organic ingredients that blends perfectly with the earthy chaga. Sign up to receive a special chaga tea offer directly to your mail box plus learn about some amazing additional benefits of mushrooms.