Wildcrafted Chaga Mushroom Tea
Chaga Mushroom is a parasitic carpophore that grows on the side of birch trees, somewhat resembling charred or burned wood on the side of the tree itself. These deeply cracked, black charcoal-like extensions take 10-15 years to fully mature, resulting in what has come to be recognized as a Super Antioxidant containing the highest level of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) detected within any food or herb to date. In terms of antioxidant comparison, you would have to eat 3 Pounds of Blueberries to equal 1 gram of Chaga... Amazing.
Chaga has been an integral part of daily herbal practices in places like Russia, Scandinavia, China, and Korea for more than 500 years from what we can tell. However the earliest confirmed use by humans dates back to 3,300 BCE, with the discovery of "Otzi the Iceman," who was found by two German Hikers in 1991 in the Italian Alps. Having been completely preserved in glacial ice, his clothing and tools were still on his person, and what is very fascinating is that inside the medicine bag he was carrying was a piece of Chaga Mushroom.
Chaga is considered an Adaptogenic Herb, and is also considered a very effective Immune Modulator, or Immune System Regulatory Herb. This makes it a perfect single herb for anyone who might be noticing that they've started catching every cold or flu that happens to be going around, a clear indication that ones immune system has become weaker than what it optimally should be. As an Immune Modulator, and on the opposite side of the spectrum, it is also helpful for those individuals who suffer from overactive immune systems, or auto-immune type conditions. In these cases the consumption of Chaga will actually tone down that individuals immune function back to normal levels, and the immune function will stop attacking healthy tissues and cells as is evident with conditions such as psoriasis, which is an inflammatory response. In addition Chaga is very effective in eliminating accumulations of Candida and Yeast within the body, something that many people struggle with yet have all sorts of trouble in finding a single solution that can clear what is present, even after making the necessary dietary changes. For those people, they will find that Chaga Tea is very clearing, and that it essentially vaporizes phlegm conditions (Candida).
Modern Scientific Research continues to study this life preserving, life extending herb, and what has been discovered thus far is nothing short of amazing. It's been found that a component of Chaga known as (3,4-dihydroxybenzalacetone) or simply as (DBL), has the ability to inhibit Nuclear Factor KappaB (NF-κB) within the body. This is extremely important, as the activation of NF-κB has been shown to be linked with virtually all degenerative and inflammatory diseases. NF-κB has been demonstrated to essentially act as the Inflammation Switch, or one could even say the Death Switch that's encoded into human DNA. Turning that switch off ensures a better quality of life which is very important for all of us.
To date, there is no pharmaceutical that has been produced as of yet, that has demonstrated inhibitory activity on NF-κB. However Adaptogenic herbs like Gynostemma, Chaga, and Reishi Mushroom very kindly have the ability to turn off the NF-κB pathway, and the best thing is that it's as easy as making a cup of tea, what's better than that?
Resolving Confusion On How To Prepare Chaga
A lot of people have become quite confused about how to prepare Chaga, due entirely to too much conflicting information floating around on the topic. However it doesn't have to be confusing in the slightest. The Traditional Siberian Method of brewing Chaga Tea involves heating the Chaga in a pot of water at very low heat, just under simmering, for a duration of up to 5 hours. This is a very unpractical, very time consuming and a very lengthy process, yet yields a very clean and beautiful batch of Chaga Tea.
Chaga Mushroom has been utilized in places like the Shaolin Temple in China for centuries, and Chaga being a tonic herb, is treated and prepared in the same way as any other tonic herb. Which is to prepare the Chaga at a very light simmer for 50 minutes. The tea that results from this brewing method is very effective, and the Chaga that is utilized can be used again for a second batch of tea.
Brewing Guide: 1 Tablespoon of Chaga for every 24 oz. of water / lightly simmer for 50 minutes
Origin: Canada
