Chaga Mushroom
Introduction-
Chaga Mushroom is a great healing American medicine. It is a mushroom that typically grows from birch trees high in the mountains. Chaga is a hard, wood-like mushroom (similar to the texture of reishi). This mushroom grows very slowly, it takes about 5 years to become of a size that can be harvested.
The point of this article is not necessarily to educate on the uses of the Chaga although it will contain a minute amount of facts regarding the mushroom. My primary concern in regards to writing this article is to present a fact that I believe has been over looked perhaps due to the commercialization of this mushroom as a substitute for coffee.
The Point
My point is as follows:
The typical method I see recommended is a hot water extraction. Here's the thing though, the most recognized unique active component of Chaga is an enzyme known as superoxide dismutas which is a powerful antioxidant. Now Chaga is new to me, however the information I stumbled upon from various sources, is that ALL enzymes are destroyed by heat. Therefore I fell that doing a hot water extraction of Chaga destroys a great deal of it's potential.
In Conclusion-
The common method of hot water distillation is destroying the most potent component this mushroom has to offer in terms of healing. I don't believe there is anything wrong with commercializing a natural medicine, but with a fungus that takes years to grow it is important that it is used to it's full potential when it is simply used as a coffee substitute. With a fungus that is fairly rare and take a long time to propagate I believe it is important that it is used to the fullest extent it has to offer, but with the current hot water extraction method that seems to be so popular today I feel that we are losing most of what Chaga has to offer.
Once again, I would like to make the point that using even mildly hot water can destroy much of the potential Chaga has to offer. A hot water extraction can certainly be useful after a cold water extraction and may pull out nutrients that the cold water extraction does not.
Recommended Extraction Process-
After steeping in cold water for several hours much of the melanin,
and nutrients have seeped into the water, it is now ready to drink,
Take a sterile 64 ounce mason jar or any glass jar of this size, place1 - 2 Ounces of Chaga in the water for 12-24 hours. After 12- 24 hours (when water is very dark) you may drink the tea, one cup a day should be efficient, but more can be taken as desired. Refrigerate all left over tea and use whiten one week. The same 1.5 Ounces may be used in a cold water extraction 2-3 times (until the water no longer turns dark. I would recommend that the Chaga not be in one jar for more than a few days.
After several cold water extractions the distillation process may be used to extract the residual vitamins, minerals and various compounds.
Have a great day, enjoy nature, respect yourself and treat yourself to good health.
-Douglas Dedrick
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I do sell Chaga at my Etsy store here is the link:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/101506223/chaga-mushroom-12-pound-half-pound-wild?
Chaga Mushroom also known as inonotus obliquus in scientific terms is a mushroom that grows on birch trees. Unlike other mushrooms that draw their nutrients from the soil, this mushroom draws its nutrients from the birch tree. Other than drawing its nutrients from trees, another unique feature of this mushroom is that it’s usually hard instead of soft like other mushrooms. The insides of chaga have the color of rusted iron and the veins are cream-colored. The texture of the mushroom is cork-like and it has a charcoal-like appearance.
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