Chaga

Chaga is a mycological species with a long tradition of use in Siberian medicine, in which it was used to treat intestinal, liver and heart problems. Since the 1960s, studies have been carried out on its effectiveness for oncological processes, cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. This medicinal mushroom stands out for the quantity and variety of naturally occurring polysaccharides it contains. These are immunomodulatory substances of interest in immune system disorders.

Essential notes about Chaga, the immunoregulatory diamond

Inonotus obliquus, popularly known as Chaga or Tsyr, is a fungus that grows naturally in the northernmost forests of the European continent. Given its immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties, it is known as the “black pearl” or the “forest diamond”.

Chaga has been used for centuries in traditional Siberian medicine, consumed as an infusion made from concentrated powder and water (zavarka), which was recommended to treat intestinal ailments, and liver and heart problems.

In the 1960s, Finnish, American, and Russian scientists conducted various trials that demonstrated its usefulness in cancer processes, cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

Following these studies, and after the publication of the Cancer Ward by the Russian Nobel Prize winner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in 1968, this mushroom gained popularity in the West.

Mycology Notes

• Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a fungus that grows wild in Europe, Russia, Korea, and North America.
• What we think of as Chaga is not actually the fruiting body (fertile or sexual form) of the fungus I. obliquus, but a sterile conk that grows on the trunks of various living trees.
• This fungus has a special shape and can be easily identified as a black lump (due to high melanin concentration), which can be reminiscent of a shell or even coal.
• Its sterile form grows wild on live birch trees, which highlights its black and reddish tones. Medicinal properties have only been found in this sterile conk.
• Though more research is still needed on the role of Chaga in the ecosystem, there are several articles that indicate it has a contributory role in its environment.

Chaga at the Hifas da Terra Mico-library

Excellent production systems

At Hifas da Terra, one of our main areas of research is the continuous improvement of the cultivation of different mycological species. This is undertaken in specialised bioreactors using certified organic substrates. We ensure the standardisation and quality of raw materials and ingredients which guarantees the excellence of the final product that we create from each mushroom.

Using this innovative system, which we call Mico-Quality®, we identify mycological molecules and ingredients with therapeutic action, carefully select the fungal strains that contain them using our own specific analytical systems, and apply analysis protocols at different manufacturing stages to ensure quality and consistency.