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Chaga Mushroom Tea Benefits
Chaga mushroom tea contains numerous health-promoting compounds, which may boost metabolism, regulate cytokines to combat oxidative stress, promote digestion and stomach health and more.
Before beginning to make your chaga tea, always consult a healthcare provider first if taking blood thinners or dealing with preexisting health issues.
Antioxidants
Chaga mushroom tea‘s antioxidant properties help fight oxidative stress that is the source of heart disease, certain cancers and chronic conditions such as asthma. Chaga’s ORAC score, which measures how many free oxygen radicals it neutralizes per unit tested by scientists to date, ranks it among the highest natural substances tested.
Chaga contains polysaccharides that strengthen your immune system by activating white blood cells – the body’s first line of defense against infections and diseases. Their anti-inflammatory effects may stem from them hindering production of pro-inflammatory entities. Triterpenoids play an integral part in its anti-inflammatory benefits as they block them from entering your system.
Due to their antioxidant properties, chaga mushroom benefits skin health by helping to reverse signs of aging such as wrinkles and sagging skin. Melanin produced naturally by these mushrooms protects against UV radiation damage that damages DNA in skin cells; and animal studies have demonstrated melanin’s DNA-protective qualities as an effective treatment against cell damage caused by oxidation (35).
Chaga may help reduce digestive inflammation that contributes to conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome by acting as an immunomodulatory substance. Studies on mice have demonstrated its inotodiol triterpenoid content preventing secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (18).
Chaga mushroom could provide another potential health advantage: helping reduce cholesterol and improve cardiovascular wellbeing. Antioxidants present in its cells have been demonstrated to help lower LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, an established risk factor for heart disease in both animal studies as well as human studies (19).
Chaga may not be suitable for everyone, so before beginning its use it is advisable to consult your physician. This is particularly important if you have any health conditions which could compromise its use as well as pregnant and breastfeeding mothers or if allergic reactions could arise from taking this fungus; to be safe it would be wiser if possible to forgoing its consumption altogether if uncertain of its safety – symptoms of an allergic reaction include skin rashes, swellings, breathing difficulties and digestive discomfort.
Anti-Inflammatory
Chaga is an effective anti-inflammatory substance and may assist the body’s natural ability to fight off harmful pathogens by stimulating white blood cell production; white blood cells play an integral part in fighting viruses and bacteria.
Triterpenes present in this extract have demonstrated antiviral properties both in animal studies (48, 49). Inotodiol and betulinic acid in particular have proven their efficacy (48).
Chaga can aid the body’s defenses against infection and illness by helping balance different immune system cells and regulating production of cytokines – messenger proteins which act as support to other immune cells.
Chaga mushroom tea has long been revered for its therapeutic powers; traditionally steeping it for hours in hot water was believed to bring immense healing benefits, including decreasing inflammation, increasing immunity, fighting cancer and supporting weight management, brain and bone health, relieving pain from neuropathy, normalizing cholesterol levels and blood pressure as well as soothing pain associated with neuropathy and supporting weight management. Furthermore, as an adaptogen it also helps the body adapt more easily to stressors as well as having anti-ageing properties.
Chaga offers many incredible health benefits due to its abundance of antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent cell oxidation – one of the primary contributors to aging and disease – thereby prolonging longevity and staying youthful.
Chaga boasts one of the highest ORAC values among food sources and boasts an extremely low glycemic index value – both qualities essential for maintaining a healthy weight while decreasing risks related to heart disease and diabetes.
Chaga tea has also been proven to inhibit the growth of various bacteria and viruses such as E. coli, herpes simplex virus and tuberculosis.
There have been multiple lab and animal studies showing chaga to have potential anti-cancer properties, particularly for liver cancer, however more research needs to be conducted in order to validate this claim. Still, antioxidants found within chaga have an anti-dna damage protection factor and could possibly help stop or slow tumor growth.
Anti-Cancer
Fans, foragers and alternative medicine advocates alike have long touted chaga mushrooms as potential cure-alls, but few scientific studies support this claim. Animal and in vitro tests, however, have revealed potential in chaga extracts for cancer prevention, immune system support and blood sugar regulation – among other uses.
One study demonstrated how chaga mushroom extract could effectively prevent oral cancer cells from growing in vitro, and increase both early and late apoptosis rates. Furthermore, it significantly lowered glycolysis while increasing mitochondrial basal respiratory rates and the levels of ATP produced in treated cells. Furthermore, LC-MS analysis demonstrated the extract contained three potential anticancer compounds including 2-hydroxy-3,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, protocatechuic acid as well as activating AMPK which promoted autophagy while simultaneously activation via NF-kB activation of MAPK; both processes significantly accelerated apoptosis by both early and late MAPK activation of both early and late MAPK activation processes thereby hastening cell death via early and late MAPK activation processes;
Another study demonstrated that chaga mushroom water extract significantly aided bone marrow cell recovery and hematopoietic stem cell differentiation in chemically immunosuppressed mice. Furthermore, it increased erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-GMs) within their bone marrows.
An animal study demonstrated the positive benefits of chaga mushroom extracts on animal’s immune systems by decreasing oxidative stress and increasing antioxidant activity in rats. Oxidative stress can contribute to atherosclerosis and heart disease as well as increase diabetes risks; with its protection from high-fat diet-induced oxidative stress comes reduced weight gain as well as improved cholesterol and glucose tolerance tolerance.
Animal and in-vitro studies suggest that chaga may help lower blood pressure in humans while improving cardiovascular health by decreasing inflammation, improving endothelium function and decreasing oxidative stress levels. Further human trials will be necessary to confirm these findings.
Chaga can be purchased in different forms, including tea, powder and capsules. While it’s generally safe for consumption, those with certain medical conditions or taking medications that affect blood pressure or sugar levels should consult a healthcare professional prior to beginning any new supplement regimens.
Immune System Support
Chaga mushroom benefits include strengthening the immune system. Polysaccharides present in these mushrooms help stimulate white blood cell production – these cells serve as your body’s first line of defense against infections – while simultaneously helping regulate production of cytokines which communicate between one another to combat serious illness.
Chaga tea not only boosts immunity, but it can also reduce inflammation throughout the body thanks to its natural antioxidant properties. Studies have revealed its ability to prevent oxidative damage that leads to health conditions like arthritis and heart disease – in fact one study found chaga extracts inhibited cancer cell growth while significantly reducing oxidative stress!
Chaga mushrooms have also been proven to possess antiviral effects. One 2011 study demonstrated this property by showing how chaga extracts could slow the spread of hepatitis C among mice, while another demonstrated its efficacy against its spread in cats by inhibiting cell replication and stopping viral particles from disseminating further.
If you are considering including chaga in your diet, do your research and speak to your healthcare provider prior to making any decisions about supplements or adding anything new into your routine. Because it may interact with certain medications, chaga should only be consumed if there are no existing health conditions or concerns that need addressed by healthcare professionals.
To maximize the potential of chaga, choose organically grown products from a sustainable distributor and brew it in accordance with traditional methods in order to preserve its healing properties. Or if you feel adventurous enough, foraging for it yourself from local birch trees and making your own batches! Be careful not to disturb its symbiotic relationship with its host; alternatively, you can purchase it as powder or capsule form from online retailers – just make sure they provide quality and sustainability certifications before making your purchase decision. If you don’t want to spend extra money, health food stores offer various chaga tea brands – just read labels carefully to avoid purchasing anything labelled “immunomodulatory.” For optimal performance, choose tea without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or fillers.