Chaga: The “Mushroom of Immortality”

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A few years ago was the first time I had ever heard of the chaga mushroom and thought it might be a little too good to be true.

The claims of it as a health food or superfood were seemed pretty miraculous. However, the more and more I learn about nutrition in general the more I realize how healing a food can truly be. Chaga is certainly no different and should certainly be recognized as one of the most nutrition foods in the world.

 

At this point you may be asking yourself, “what makes chaga such a healthy food or superfood?” This is a great question and one that I would love to answer for you. Afterall, who among us does not want to be as healthy as possible using something as simple as the foods we eat?

 

What Sets Chaga Apart

First chaga grows on birch trees in some pretty harsh environments. This serves it two fold. When growing in harsh environments, like those of Siberia, the plant must be very strong to survive. Many times it will be on trees at high elevations as well. This helps to make chaga a powerful adaptogen and help the body handle stress better because of the stress that it too must go through when growing. The Russians discovered this in the 1950s and have been using it to enhance athletes, astronauts and anyone involved in physical labor since. For quite some time it had even been kept a secret.

 

Also, by growing on a living birch tree it is able to harness and concentrate the nutrients present in the tree to make it one of the healthiest plants in the world. It contains vast amounts of the B vitamins as well as many other important minerals, phenols and enzymes. One standout enzyme is superoxide dismutase (SOD). SOD is able to slow down free radical damage by stopping oxidation, which is a major contributor to aging and breakdown of the body. It is said to have the highest levels of antioxidants in the world. This is a claim that I have seen for several different superfoods and so take it with a grain of salt. That being said, it should not be overlooked as anything with these claims must still be among the healthiest foods in the world.

 

Quotes About Chaga

Since chaga is associated with some amazing quotes I thought it would be important to share them with you:

  • “Gift from God” -Siberians
  • “Mushroom of Immortality” -Siberians
  • “The Diamond of the Forest” -Japanese
  • “King of Plants” -Chinese

 

These quotes should carry some serious weight for a few reasons:

  • They come from cultures that have been at the top of the health food game for thousands of years and studied everything they could get their hands on to give them the healthiest lives they can.
  • The people in these cultures are long-lived and have proven that what they put into their bodies, whether they be superfoods, adaptogens or what have you, truly works.

 

If this has not been enough for you to go out and try using some chaga, then I’m not sure what will. I’m going to let this special mushroom help carry me for years to come.

 

Have a Great Day!

Nick Horowski