Chaga mushroom: useful properties and contraindications, use, benefits and harms. Chaga-birch mushroom, birch cancer A quick way to make a healthy drink

Chaga (birch fungus) are small growths on hardwood trees. You can meet mushrooms on trees such as alder, maple or mountain ash, but only birch chaga has unique healing properties. The benefits of these growths are undeniable. Since ancient times, they have been used by traditional healers for the treatment of various diseases, including malignant neoplasms. Also, tinctures, decoctions are prepared from chaga, or simply brewed into tea. We will talk about how to properly collect and dry chaga for the winter in this article.

It is believed that birch chaga can be collected all year round, but in summer it is problematic because of the deciduous mass, which makes it difficult to find chaga, and in winter because of deep snowdrifts. Folk healers claim that chaga concentrates the maximum amount of useful substances in the spring, before the greenery blooms, or in the autumn period, after the leaves fall off.

Watch the video from the channel "Health - Life!" – Chaga useful properties and applications

In order to cut chaga from a tree, you need to arm yourself with a sharp thick knife or a small hatchet. Useful outgrowths cling quite tightly to the trunk, which makes the procedure for collecting chaga quite laborious.

It is necessary to distinguish a birch fungus from a build-up pest of a tinder fungus. Chaga is always irregular in shape and black in color. The tinder fungus has the shape of a hoof and differs from chaga in lighter shades. At the same time, it can be easily separated by hand from the birch trunk.

You can not collect chaga from dead trees or growths located close to the ground. It is believed that the most useful product is located as close to the top of the tree as possible.

It is also better to collect chaga in birch groves, and not on lonely growing trees. It is believed that mushrooms located on birches by a “company” contain much more useful substances.

Preparing chaga for drying

The collected raw materials should be prepared as follows:

pieces of chaga are beaten off with a sharp knife, getting rid of the light loose part that was in contact with the tree;
with the help of an ax, the hard black bark covering the chaga from above is removed;
the brown inner part is cut into pieces no larger than 3-5 centimeters in diameter.

Watch the video from the Tactical + channel about the correct collection, cutting and brewing of birch chaga

How to dry birch mushroom

The main and most correct way of drying chaga is natural, without the use of special heating devices.

The prepared pieces are laid out in a small layer on paper and placed in a dry, well-ventilated room. Also, it is important to protect raw materials from direct sunlight.

In summer, chaga can be dried on verandas or under a canopy, and in winter it can be placed on windowsills, covered from the sun, not far from heating radiators. Drying time in a natural way is 2-3 weeks.

You can also dry chaga in the oven. Drying time is reduced to 8-10 hours, but the risk of losing some of the nutrients remains. The oven is heated to a maximum temperature of 50 degrees, and the door is kept ajar.

Modern electric dryers can also cope with the task of quickly drying birch chaga. To do this, the unit is heated to a temperature of 40 degrees and the raw material is dried for 7-8 hours, periodically rearranging the trays in places for more uniform drying.

How to store chaga

Dried raw materials are able to retain their useful properties for two years. This is possible only if it is properly stored. Chaga is laid out in paper bags or in cardboard boxes. It is impossible to store the medicinal mushroom in containers with a tightly screwed lid, since the chaga must “breathe”.

This fungus grows and develops on birch trunks in the form of black, cracked growths of irregular shape, 5 to 40 cm in diameter, up to 15 cm thick and weighing up to 5 kg.

From the inside, the chaga mushroom is dark brown, closer to the wood it has a reddish-brown color. The growth is quite dense and is pierced with white veins, which consist of colorless hyphae, extending up to 100 cm along the length of the trunk. The development of the fungus can last up to 15 years and inevitably leads to the death of the tree. Therefore, chaga is also called birch cancer.

Birch chaga can only begin to develop when the spores of the fungus land on the surface of the damaged bark. Birches are most susceptible to infection with chaga, but chaga also develops on alder, mountain ash, and maple. Birch chaga is found predominantly in the birch forests of eastern Europe, also in the northern United States.

Collection and preparation of raw materials. For medicinal purposes, the body of the fungus (growths) of chaga is used and harvested. Harvesting can be carried out throughout the year, but it is preferable to harvest in autumn or spring. The growths are cut down with an ax only from living trees. The loose light-colored part is considered unsuitable, so it is separated and discarded. The mushroom is cut with an ax into pieces about 5 cm in size, dried in the shade under a canopy, in the attic, or in a room with normal ventilation. In the dryer can be dried at t 50-60°C. Dry raw materials must be stored in a dry room. Shelf life up to 2 years.

Plant composition. Birch chaga contains a lot of ash (up to 12%), which includes salts of manganese, aluminum, iron, potassium, magnesium, silicon, sodium, copper, manganese, zinc. It also contains polysaccharides, pterins, lignin, free phenols, cellulose, ertosterol, inotodiol, lanesterol, organic acids (oxalic, acetic, formic, butyric, paraoxybenzoic, vanillic), oblique and inonotic acids, polysaccharides, water-soluble colored chromogens, which are formed from the complex active phenolic aldehydes, polyphenols, hydroxyphenolcarboxylic acids and their quinines.

Chaga useful properties, application, treatment.

Chaga preparations have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, healing, diuretic, choleretic properties. They also stimulate the central nervous system and the neurohumoral system of the body, improve metabolism, blood composition, restore the activity of enzyme systems, regulate the activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, increase the body's defenses, inhibit the growth of tumors, normalize the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract and its work, have a general strengthening effect.

In scientific medicine, chaga is used for peptic ulcer, gastritis, radiation leukopenia, radiation therapy, as well as for cancer patients as a symptomatic remedy that improves the general condition of patients.

In folk medicine, chaga is also used in the treatment of tuberculosis, diabetes, female diseases (mastopathy, cysts).

Dosage forms and doses.

Chaga infusion. 100 g of the mushroom is placed in an enamel bowl, poured with 3 cups (500 ml) of boiled water up to 50 ° C (no more!), Incubated for 5 hours to soften. Next, the softened mushroom is ground on a fine grater. The water in which the mushroom was soaked is heated over low heat to a temperature of 50 ° C (no more!), And the newly obtained slurry is poured for infusion. Insist 48 hours, filter through cheesecloth, folded in 3-4 layers. The resulting infusion is adjusted with cool boiled water to a volume of 600 ml.

For cancer, gastritis, gastric ulcer, take 1 cup 3 r. per day 30 minutes before meals. In the treatment of gastritis, gastric ulcer, the course of treatment is usually 4 weeks. After a week break, if necessary, treatment can be continued. With tumors of the small pelvis, enemas are also made to crush the infusion of chaga (at night).

Patients with fluid retention in the body prepare an infusion of double strength (200 g per 500 ml of water), but the dosage is 2 times less (100 ml 3 times a day). In the treatment of diabetes mellitus and female diseases (mastopathy, cysts), take 1 tablespoon 3 r. a day before meals. Four weeks take the infusion, then 1 week off, then again 4 weeks of taking.

Treatment may take 3-4 months. When treating these diseases, it is better to prepare an infusion at the rate of 50 g of chaga per 250 ml of water. Chaga infusion is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4 days.

Contraindications. Chaga infusion should not be used in chronic colitis and dysentery. When taking chaga, one should not take antibiotics of the penicillin group and inject glucose intravenously. Do not eat smoked, salty, spicy dishes, meat broths, sausages, spicy foods, hot sauces, spices, garlic, onions, coffee, strong tea.

Before starting treatment with chaga, consult your doctor!

Birch chaga - mushroom against 100 diseases

Birch chaga is an ancient remedy, the effectiveness of which has long been recognized by traditional medicine. You can meet her on the trunks of old trees in birch forests. It is not difficult to recognize birch chaga - these are shapeless black growths growing from under the bark, covered with cracks. It should be borne in mind that only chaga growing on birch trees has pronounced healing properties. In medicine, only growths growing on living trunks are used. Birch chaga can reach large sizes and weight up to 3-5 kg.

Medicinal properties of chaga

Birch chaga has a complex healing effect on the human body. Preparations from chaga have a tonic and tonic effect. The medicinal properties of chaga are extremely diverse. In particular, birch chaga contributes to:

increase immunity;
decrease in blood sugar;
improvement of metabolism in the brain tissue;
normalization of the heart rhythm;
stabilization of blood pressure;
regulation of the gastrointestinal tract in various diseases and digestive disorders.

However, birch chaga is primarily known as an anti-cancer agent. Its ability to inhibit the growth of certain types of cancerous tumors has been known for centuries.

Birch chaga: composition

The birch chaga contains the following biologically active substances:

ash (including oxides of silicon, aluminium, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, sodium and manganese);
acids (oxalic, acetic, formic, vanillic, etc.);
free phenols;
lignin;
cellulose;
polysaccharides;
sterols.

Collection of chaga

For medicinal purposes, chaga is collected only from the trunks of living birches. Birch chaga must be distinguished from false tinder fungus, which also grows on birches. False tinder fungus has a velvety gray surface and is shaped like a hoof, flat down, while chaga is round. Old crumbling birch chaga is unsuitable for treatment. Chaga growths are cut along the tree trunk with an ax. Then the loose inner part of the fungus is removed, the bark and wood are chopped off from it. Chaga is dried at a temperature not exceeding +50 degrees. The dried mushroom easily becomes damp and moldy, so you need to store birch chaga in a dry place. Remember that the medicinal properties of the mushroom are not eternal, after 3-4 months it will lose its healing power.

birch chaga recipe

Pour raw or dried birch chaga with cold boiled water for 4-5 hours to soften it. Then we pass through a meat grinder or rub on a grater. To prepare an infusion of chaga, we take five parts of boiled water with a temperature not exceeding +50 degrees, at the rate of five parts of water per one part of crushed chaga. We insist for two days. Then drain the water and squeeze out the thick. In the squeezed out liquid, add the water in which the chaga was soaked. The shelf life of chaga infusion at room temperature is 5-6 days, in the refrigerator a little longer.

The use of birch chaga

Chaga infusion is taken 30 minutes before meals, one glass 2-3 times a day. The daily rate can be divided into 6 doses of 0.5 cups. During the course of treatment with birch chaga, the diet should consist mainly of dairy and vegetable products. Eating meat, smoked meats, hot spices and canned food is not recommended. The use of chaga is carried out in courses lasting 4-5 months, with breaks for 7-10 days.

From the chaga, the drug befungin is produced, which is used in the treatment of chronic gastritis and ulcers, as well as oncological diseases (especially cancer of the stomach and lungs) as a symptomatic agent.

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Useful properties of chaga or birch fungus

Birch chaga is popularly called an irregularly shaped growth that forms on trees as a result of damage to them by a fungus of the tinder fungus species (Inonotus obliquus). The sizes of the growth range from 5 to 40 cm in diameter, and the thickness sometimes reaches 15 cm.

The appearance of the chaga is rather unattractive - the black color of the surface in the inner part changes to dark brown, while adjacent to the wood, it becomes reddish. Such an outgrowth appears on different trees, but most often on birches, and it is the birch chaga that has healing properties. It is found in the groves of Russia and Korea, as well as in the East of Europe.

The pulp of the birch fungus contains all kinds of acids, tannins and minerals, as well as lipids, alkaloids and fiber. Due to its composition, chaga has a beneficial effect on the human body.

Medicinal properties

improving the general condition, increasing immunity and resistance to infectious diseases;
calming effect on the nervous system, treatment of restless sleep, insomnia, mental illness;
normalization of metabolic processes;
prevention and treatment of malignant tumors;
therapy of diseases of the intestines, liver, stomach, as well as the urinary tract and lungs;
improvement in psoriasis, eczema, as well as acne, frostbite and burns;
increase in blood pressure and treatment of anemia;
improvement of vision;
prevention and treatment of women's diseases;
slowing down the aging process.

Secrets of traditional medicine

Tea, alcoholic tinctures, as well as solutions for taking baths, ointments and oils are prepared from chaga.

Infusion recipe

Ingredients: 100 g dried mushroom, 500 ml water.

pour chaga with warm water and let it brew for 3 hours,
crush the softened mushroom and return to the water,
heat to 40 degrees and set aside for another 48 hours,
strain the infusion and add water to it so that its volume becomes the original.

It should be consumed 3 times a day strictly before meals, 200 ml. Keep no longer than 4 days.

Chaga infusions are indicated for oncology, stomach diseases and insomnia. The allowable time for taking the infusion is 6 months, the recommended break between courses of treatment is 10 days.

alcohol tincture recipe

Ingredients: 100 g of chaga, 1 liter of alcohol.

Preparation: pour chopped mushroom with alcohol and, shaking occasionally, keep for 14 days in a cool and dark place.

Dilute the prepared alcohol tincture with water and take 1 tbsp for 2 weeks. l. before meals no more than 3 times a day.

The remedy is effective for chronic gastritis. It also improves the general condition of cancer patients.

Fortifying tea recipe

Ingredients: 3 liters of water, 250 g of chaga, 1 glass of decoction of viburnum berries, 200 g of honey.

soak chaga in 2 liters of warm water for 2 hours,
remove the mushroom, chop and return back,
put tea on low heat, heat for about 1 hour, cool and strain,
combine with honey, a decoction of viburnum and 1 liter of warm water,
Leave the mixture overnight at room temperature.

Keep tea cold. Drink 3 times a day for 2 tbsp. l. 30 minutes before meals. The duration of the course is up to 3 months.

Harm and side effects

Exceeding the allowable time for taking chaga can cause digestive upset and nervous excitability. Symptoms will resolve after dose reduction or discontinuation of the drug.

Neither chaga, nor solutions and infusions with it have any other side effects.

Rules for collecting, drying and storing chaga

The unique properties of a birch fungus depend on how correctly it was harvested, and therefore, having decided to stock up on it yourself, you should follow certain rules:

Chaga grows on birches all year round, so you can collect it at any time. Although in early spring and late autumn, the mushroom is most enriched with useful substances. In addition, snow often prevents access to the birch trunk in winter, and dense foliage in summer.
To separate the growth from the trunk of a birch, strong hands are not enough, and therefore, when setting off for it, you should always have a sharp knife and hatchet in your arsenal. The growth should be cut in a vertical direction as close to the tree trunk as possible.
It is also important to keep track of which birch the mushroom lives on, because if the tree is dead or begins to die, then it will not have even a fraction of its medicinal properties. In the same way, you should not cut a mushroom located near the ground itself.
The growth must be processed immediately after collection. Unlike the upper dark surface, the light and loose parts of the fungus do not have healing properties - they should be disposed of.
Chaga quickly becomes moldy, so it is important to cut it into small pieces (no more than 6 cm thick) and dry it in a timely manner. This can be done, for example, in the oven at a low temperature (about 50 degrees). Exceeding the thermal regime will lead to the loss of useful properties.
You can store dry mushroom in glass containers, paper bags or linen bags. Properly dried and packaged, it will retain its healing power for up to 2 years.

Diet when using chaga

Birch fungus can cure serious diseases, but for this you need to change your eating habits. At the time of taking chaga, you should:

exclude all smoked, canned and fried,
limit the amount of meat products in the diet,
do not abuse spicy foods, including onions and garlic,
refrain from sweets
add more fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to your menu,
observe the strictest ban on alcohol and smoking.

Nowadays, preparations based on chaga can be found in any pharmacy. But in the presence of serious health problems, first of all, you need to consult a doctor.

Birch mushroom "chaga," can it be used after long-term storage?

"Chagu" - a birch mushroom, has a shelf life of no more than two years. With a longer storage period, its medicinal qualities are lost and the internal composition of the raw material changes. That is, you can use it, but there will be no benefit from its use.

Chaga is preferably harvested from "live" birches that are at least 20 years old.
The fungus can be cut or cut off with an ax, but only from the upper part of the trunk, since root chaga has much less healing properties.
Although chaga can be harvested all year round, it is believed that it is better to do it in the spring, when sap flow begins.
During harvesting, you must immediately remove the top layer of the fungus (which is covered with cracks) and the inner one, which is more loose. Only the middle part of the mushroom is used for harvesting.
The remaining raw material is chopped into small pieces and dried in a well-ventilated area. Drying is also possible at elevated temperatures up to 60 degrees.
The dried mushroom is stacked and stored in hermetically sealed containers.

Chaga mushroom has its own storage time. Chaga is usually harvested in spring and autumn, only at this time the fungus has a stronger biological effect. The mushroom is stored in a cool dry place that does not receive sunlight. It is best to store Chaga in the basement. The shelf life of this mushroom is 2 years, no more. The finished tincture is stored for 3 to 4 days, after which the use of this tea is not recommended.

Shelf life of birch chaga

Birch has always served man, even if the tree is sick. On a birch, a fungus is often formed, which is called chaga. This outgrowth is a barren form of beveled tinder fungus, mainly this fungus is formed on birch trunks. The spores of this fungus penetrate the birch wood in places of its damage, and gradually destroy it. However, for humans, they can be beneficial. It is about the beneficial properties of birch chaga that we will tell today.

In places of infection with a tinder fungus, black growths appear over time, which have a bumpy surface with shallow cracks. Gradually, the growths increase. The shape of the tinder fungus is determined by the nature of the damage to the tree bark. The most common forms of mushrooms occur in the form of nodules that are centimeters thick and centimeters long. The outlines of the growths are incorrect. Spherical outgrowths are usually formed in places of cut branches.

Often, growths on birch trunks leave remnants of birch bark on their hard surface. When cutting the mushroom, three layers can be seen. The first layer is superficial, black in color, hard to the touch, its thickness is about 1-2 mm. The second layer is medium, brown-brown, dense. The third layer is internal, has a yellowish or brown color, loose in structure. The inner layer extends deep into the wood in the form of rotten wood.

The appearance of the birch fungus differs from typical polypore fungi. Chaga does not form fruiting bodies that grow on dead trees or stumps. It also lacks a tubular layer, which is characteristic of all mushrooms of this type. The life of chaga is 10 years or more, it should be noted that it forms substances that are not typical for plant tissues.

The chemical composition of birch chaga

In modern medicine, this type of fungus is used to treat gastritis, peptic ulcer, and malignant tumors. There are positive trends in the treatment of cancer of the stomach, as well as other organs. Such treatment is used, if not possible, surgery.

Since ancient times, people have known that chaga has antitumor properties.

Back in the 17th century, there are references to the beneficial properties of birch fungus. But the mushroom is not always used as a medicine. Among the peoples of the Far North and Siberia, chaga is a drink, something like a substitute for black tea. "Tea" brewed using this plant, restores strength, invigorates, increases a person's appetite.

Chaga infusion is a kind of medicine. During medical procedures using infusion, they insist on a vegetable-milk diet. This medicinal infusion is categorically contraindicated when used together with drugs of the pinicillin group and with glucose injections.

To prepare an infusion from chaga, it should first be soaked in boiled water for 5 hours, while making sure that the birch fungus is completely immersed in water. Then chop the mushroom by grating or passing it through a meat grinder. Then heat five parts of the water in which the chaga was soaked to 50 degrees Celsius. Leave this mixture for 3 days, then drain the water and squeeze the mushroom. Dilute the resulting liquid with boiled water to the original volume. This liquid should be stored no more than 3-4 days.

Chaga infusion is used for tumors, while it is necessary to consume at least 3 glasses a day, after dividing the infusion into equal parts. It is important to remember that there are contraindications for certain diseases, so it is advisable to limit the intake of chaga infusion. In diseases that retain water in the body, only infusion should be taken, it is not advisable to drink other liquids.

Currently, chaga is not so often found in pharmacies, but now industrial production of birch fungus has been established, which offers a remedy called befungin. This drug relieves pain, as well as tones the body.

Befungin is indicated for use in gastric ulcers, various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and is also used as a symptomatic agent for some oncological diseases. Before use, Befungin should be shaken and diluted in boiled water in proportions: 3 tsp per 150 ml. water. Take orally 1 tablespoon 30 minutes before meals, 3 times a day. Take this remedy for 7-10 days.

To preserve all the medicinal properties of birch chaga, you need to follow some rules when preparing it. Of particular fundamental importance is not what time of the year to collect chaga. Some experts recommend harvesting chaga when the trees have no foliage. During this period, the fungus is clearly visible.

The birch fungus is separated from the trunk with an ax, after which the loose inner part should be thrown out, as well as the bark and wood on it. After that, dry the chaga at a temperature not exceeding 60 degrees Celsius, after crushing it into small pieces.

After complete drying, the fungus becomes dense and takes on an indefinite shape with numerous cracks. The upper layer of chaga is dark, and the inner layer is dark brown with a pattern of small dark veins. It has a bitter taste, odorless.

The shelf life of chaga is no more than 2 years, since this fungus quickly begins to mold.

Shelf life of birch chaga

Chaga, how to brew?

Not everyone knows what chaga is, what its healing properties are, and how to brew chaga in order to get the most effective result. Therefore, about everything in order.

What is chaga?

Chaga is a unique creation of nature

Chaga collection time and storage:

Before drying, which is carried out in an oven or in a conventional ventilated room, the chaga must be cut into small pieces. Chaga is kept for about two years in a tightly sealed container or bag made of natural fabric.

What can birch chaga treat?

Problems of the digestive tract, gastritis, ulcers, normalization of the acidity of gastric juice.
Improving metabolism and stimulating the central nervous system.
Stopping the development of cancer and inhibiting the reproduction of cancer cells.
Eczema, psoriasis, herpes and other skin diseases.
Increased activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
Restoring the body's defenses and increasing resistance.
General strengthening of the body in the postoperative period

Proper preparation of decoctions based on chaga:

There are several ways to prepare medicine from birch chaga.

Boiled, preferably melt water with a temperature of no more than 60 degrees is taken and poured into ceramic or porcelain dishes at a rate of 5 to 1 relative to the volume of the dried mushroom. The mushroom should swell, so it is necessary, having covered it with a lid, leave the future broth for 5-6 hours. After this time, the mushroom is removed. Now that it has softened a little, it must be grated or cut into small pieces. The liquid in which the chaga was located is heated and the already chopped mushroom is put there again, insisting for 4-5 hours. The decoction is ready for use. The shelf life of the resulting liquid is 3-4 days. Application: 3-4 times a day half an hour before meals.
This method is more complicated and will require more patience in cooking. Boiled water is taken (up to 60 °), dry mushroom is poured (5: 1) and left for a day. During this time, the chaga will give the water its useful elements as completely as possible. At the end of the day, the mushroom is again crushed and dipped in the same heated water. Now it is necessary to insist at least two days. It is necessary to store the container in a cool place, in order to avoid the fermentation of the fungus.

It is important to strictly adhere to the recommendations on how to brew chaga, so that the result from the application is desired. In order to achieve maximum effectiveness from treatment with the help of chaga, it is necessary to adhere to a diet during the period of admission. It is recommended to consume dairy and vegetable products, completely eliminating meat and the use of hot spices. In any case, in order not to get the opposite effect, the consultation of an experienced doctor will be necessary.

Chaga mushroom: rules for collecting and drying birch chaga - harvesting chaga at home

How and when to collect chaga

Watch the video from the channel "Health - Life!" - Chaga beneficial properties and uses

You can not collect chaga from dead trees or growths located close to the ground. It is believed that the most useful product is located as close to the top of the tree as possible.

It is also better to collect chaga in birch groves, and not on lonely growing trees. It is believed that mushrooms located on birches by a “company” contain much more useful substances.

Preparing chaga for drying

The collected raw materials should be prepared as follows:

pieces of chaga are beaten off with a sharp knife, getting rid of the light loose part that was in contact with the tree;
with the help of an ax, the hard black bark covering the chaga from above is removed;
the brown inner part is cut into pieces no larger than centimeters in diameter.

Watch the video from the Tactical + channel about the correct collection, cutting and brewing of birch chaga

How to dry birch mushroom

The main and most correct way of drying chaga is natural, without the use of special heating devices.

The prepared pieces are laid out in a small layer on paper and placed in a dry, well-ventilated room. Also, it is important to protect raw materials from direct sunlight.

How to store chaga

Proper storage and handling of chaga before use

There are literally legends about the medicinal properties of chaga these days. This fungus is used to treat a wide variety of ailments, including those that are beyond the power of official medicine: tumors, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and other organs. Chaga is able to alleviate the condition of people suffering from cancer, significantly improving their well-being, delaying the development of tumors and metastases. It is well known that adherence to the technology of collection and storage of medicines created by nature itself is the key to their successful, effective use. And chaga is no exception. The preservation of its unique natural components, biologically active substances that can work miracles, in the understanding of modern medicine, directly depends on how accurately all the subtleties of the collection and storage of the mushroom are observed.

When is it prepared?

Most representatives of the plant world have well-defined seasonal periods when it is possible to produce their efficient, high-quality harvesting, processing and preparation for storage. There is a widespread opinion that chaga can be harvested all year round and its medicinal properties will not go anywhere. How true is this statement?

Indeed, mushroom harvesting can be done at any time of the year. It belongs to the category of perennial mushrooms. He is not afraid of external adverse atmospheric influences. But the content of biologically active substances necessary for the human body in the fungus varies depending on the season.

Traditional medicine says: harvesting chaga should be carried out either in spring or autumn. What is it connected with? With the fact that it accumulates the substances of the fungus that are useful for humans in the maximum amount precisely during the period when there is an intensive movement of juices from trees. They give vitality to green spaces either in autumn, when trees are preparing for winter, or in spring, when nature awakens. It is this time that is important for the “quiet hunt” for the mushroom.

It is collected according to certain rules. For example: a mushroom is not taken from dry, lifeless trees. It is not collected very low, close to the ground. And this is only a tiny fraction of the nuances associated with the mushroom and its preparation.

Time to gather on the birches

Such a detailed question worries many who have decided to try to collect chaga. For some, this occupation is a profitable business, and for some, it is another one bestowed by nature, perhaps already the last chance to support the body in the fight against the disease. The most optimal months when the mushroom has a full range of useful medicinal substances are April, September, October and November. You can collect chaga all year round, but it is absolutely clear that these actions will be an irrational waste of effort, money and time.

To comply with the mushroom picking technology, an ax is used. You can also use a sharp knife, which is extremely impractical, since it will make it difficult and lengthen the period of separation of the chaga from the tree trunk in the place where it is located.

Chaga grows on alder, willow, mountain ash, but most often on birches. Chaga, which has unique medicinal properties, can only be collected on birch trunks. The most optimal place for collecting the mushroom is not where lonely birches grow, but in a birch grove. Chaga, located on a separate tree, contains much less biologically active substances, for which it is so highly valued.

Chaga is not collected from fallen trees, since the fungus will not have the necessary healing properties on them. If it is distinguished by old, crumbling growths, it is absolutely unsuitable for medicinal use. It cannot be collected and stored in this state. It is correct to cut the chaga vertically, separating the mushroom from the tree as close as possible to its trunk. This operation can be performed in parallel to the direction of its growth.

Processing and storage

After the chaga is separated from the trunk, right there, in nature, in a birch grove, it must be processed, leaving the unusable parts of the fungus, birch sawdust, and debris in the same place where it was cut. The process of processing the mushroom is not so much laborious as painstaking. Chaga is divided into parts: those that are darker and those that are lighter in color. Light, loose chaga, as well as its parts with the same color, do not have the necessary medicinal properties, they do not contain the necessary biologically active additives, and they are not used in traditional medicine. Once the chaga is divided into parts according to its color, the hard and dark components of the fungus are processed so that the chaga can be stored further, before the mushroom is thoroughly dried.

How to store chaga and how many years can it be stored? Pretty controversial issue. Those who have been collecting chaga for a long time, of course, have their own secrets. Someone even assures that chaga is stored for many years without losing its unique properties. But any biological substances have their own shelf life when they have certain qualities. The approximate shelf life of the mushroom is about two years. That is how long chaga does not lose its unique medicinal properties and it contains biologically active substances that are necessary for the preparation of medicines.

Jars and pouches are the best storage containers

Before storing the chaga, it is cut into small pieces and dried thoroughly. Chaga can easily suffer from mold, so it can not be dried and stored in a damp room with poor ventilation, where there are changes in temperature and humidity. Bright sunlight is also an unsuitable option for mushroom storage. Chaga loses its beneficial substances when dried in the oven or if it is stored in a room where the temperature is high. That is why experts recommend storing chaga in a dry room, where there is no dampness dangerous for it, but there is good ventilation. That is, for chaga, an environment is needed in storage, which is commonly called the "golden mean".

Chaga is well dried and stored when it is cut into small pieces no more than six, but not less than three centimeters long. No less important is the issue of optimal, competent selection of containers, where it is stored. The medicinal mushroom is not stored in plastic or iron containers, but glass jars with tight lids will be just right for it. Chaga is perfectly stored in linen, paper bags, but in them the fungus is more vulnerable to the slightest temperature fluctuations, changes in humidity in the room.

Chaga processing plant

Before chaga is placed in jars or bags, its readiness for subsequent storage is checked. If the mushroom, after drying, has become hard and does not crumble, then it can be placed in storage containers. Chaga is stored for its period without losing its medicinal properties, if the jar or bag where it is placed is in a dark, dry place protected from light. When storing it, the same precautions must be observed as in the case of drugs manufactured in pharmaceutical industries.

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Thank you very much for your work. The info is very specific. No overspray, just to the point. I found everything I needed for myself, but I can’t find anywhere whether alcohol or vodka tinctures are made from chaga. Please share if you have anything on this topic. And yet, is it possible to put your information on your page in OK or facebook? If so, how? Health to you and happiness.

Chaga is available fresh and dried up to a ton. I plan to harvest two or three times more. Next season I plan to harvest cones, pine nuts, resin, berries, wild plants, medicinal herbs. Looking for a wholesale opportunity. Sincerely, Konstantin.

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In places of infection with a tinder fungus, black growths appear over time, which have a bumpy surface with shallow cracks. Gradually, the growths increase. The shape of the tinder fungus is determined by the nature of the damage to the tree bark. The most common forms of mushrooms are found in the form of nodules 10-15 centimeters thick and 30-40 centimeters long. The outlines of the growths are incorrect. Spherical outgrowths are usually formed in places of cut branches.

The chemical composition of birch chaga

Chaga treatment

Since ancient times, people have known that chaga has antitumor properties.

Chaga infusion is a kind of medicine. During medical procedures using infusion, they insist on a vegetable-milk diet. This medicinal infusion is categorically contraindicated when used together with drugs of the pinicillin group and with glucose injections.

Collection and storage

The shelf life of chaga is no more than 2 years, since this fungus quickly begins to mold.

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The name of the natural product in science is considered to be beveled tinder fungus, but it is more popularly known as “chaga” and “skew-pipe tinder fungus”. The benefits and harms of birch chaga fungus have been known to people since ancient times, and it has found worthy use among the people since the 16th century in getting rid of many ailments.

Numerous reviews are unanimous regarding the beneficial properties of chaga for human health, and first of all, its effectiveness in oncological diseases stands out.

Of course, it is not worth arguing that birch fungus is the only cure for cancer, but it alleviates suffering and often stops the development of the disease at an early stage.

However, the greatest wealth of trace elements, minerals and vitamins is present in this gift of the forest, growing as high as possible from the ground.

Chaga - description

At present, most people do not know where this useful product of nature grows and what its appearance is, but in the forest it is found quite often on trees whose existence exceeds two decades.

When carefully examining old birch trees on their trunks, one can notice extensive shapeless hard and dense growths weighing up to five kilograms, the dimensions of which can reach half a meter in length.

Along with the living, it can affect, but relatively rarely, also dry trees and grow up to 40 cm wide with a thickness of about 15 cm with a lifespan of over 20 years.

In appearance, the birch fungus is a tuberculate cap with small rounded pores and a dark crust, which is indented with numerous shallow grooves.

The body of the skeletal tinder fungus is also dark in color, but at the base it is lighter with small yellow veins and consists of tubules that are clearly visible when viewed from an angle. A thin upper film of the cap is formed by a great many spores (hymenea), which is fleshy to the touch, but becomes hard with age of the fungus.

The flesh is bitter, reddish-brown in color, odorless, located in the middle part of the birch fungus and includes a soft porous mass on the outside, woody and hard on the inside, in which the main volume of useful microelements is concentrated.

As such, the stem of the chaga is not visible, and it has a dark outer layer, a brown middle part and a reddish inner layer that is in contact with wood fibers. A young mushroom, after separation from a tree, has a whitish tone, and an old one is dark brown.

Birch chaga spores approach the trunk of an only mature tree through bark damage that occurs in places of broken branches, as well as under the influence of sunlight burns, insects, frosts and other physical factors.

The mycelium from spores develops over 4 years, after which specific dark growths appear on the surface of the tree, which begin to grow and accumulate nutrients, depriving the tree of nutrition, which eventually dies.

The most common clones of chaga, which also grow on birch, are often mistaken by uninformed people for a product with medicinal properties, the following: true tinder fungus, bordered tinder fungus, false tinder fungus and birch sponge.

They settle, for the most part, on dried trees, and the first two types have a convex shape without cracks on top and look like hooves. They do not contain useful substances, and they do not have medicinal properties, but they are able to bring significant harm to the human body.

Therefore, in order to make a trip to the forest for birch chaga not in vain, it is recommended to carefully and thoroughly familiarize yourself with all the information about the product and take a closer look at its images.

Then, with full confidence, you can count on fresh birch chaga, which is more beneficial than powders and tinctures available in the distribution network.

Collection of chaga

Kosotrubny tinder fungus grows mainly in birch plantations and can be found in any season of the year. After infecting a tree with spores, birch chaga appears after 3-4 years, when its growths acquire a dense shape and are ready for use. From now on, if you cut a birch mushroom, three zones are clearly visible:

outer - dark-colored solid, indented with cracks;
medium - brown, which has a grainy character;
inner - lighter tone and loose.

Harvesting of birch fungus is carried out all year round, but in the summer season it is difficult to see it, as it is often covered with foliage, so it is better to collect chaga when there are no leaves on birches.

In early spring, birch fungus enters a stage of unprecedented biological activity, because due to the rapid movement of juice, it intensively absorbs a rich part of the necessary substances for the human body and brings more benefits.

For harvesting chaga, the strongest trees are selected and preferably in the depths of the forest, but it is highly recommended not to search and collect it, like any mushrooms, near highways with heavy traffic.

It should also be taken into account that birch chaga growths in the lower part of the trunk and old ones, which are distinguished by a black tone, have weakened healing properties, they are large in size and begin to crumble.

A useful raw material for harvesting is the upper body of the kosotrubny tinder fungus and the hard middle. In the process of harvesting, birch chaga is cut with an ax in the immediate vicinity of the tree trunk and the remains of wood, bark and a loose mass of light tone, which is unsuitable for use, are separated from it.

The collected birch chaga is then chopped into small pieces no larger than 10 cm and dried at a temperature not exceeding 60 degrees.

In the summer season, drying of birch fungus is usually carried out outdoors under a canopy, well ventilated and without direct sunlight. Finished raw materials should contain at least 20% extractives at 10-12% humidity and be stored in tightly closed containers, preventing the penetration of moisture, from which it becomes covered with mold.

The shelf life of harvested birch chaga is estimated at about two years, but the peak of its effectiveness decreases after three months of storage.

In addition, it should be noted that birch fungus is ground into powder only before direct use, and chaga collected from dried or unhealthy trees does not have any benefits, but can even be harmful to health.

Birch chaga: medicinal properties

Since ancient times, traditional healers have used birch fungus as a healer's drug for various ailments. Its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects on the body simply fascinated people, and to this day it is used as a general tonic.

So, in Siberia, since the 11th century, birch chaga has been used as a drug for the treatment of many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Later, organic acids and biogenic stimulants with therapeutic effects were indeed discovered in it.

At the end of the 20th century, studies made it clear that a large proportion of manganese and tannins contained in chaga increase immunity and brain activity, normalize blood pressure, reducing sugar, which is essential for diabetics.

In the same period, on the basis of a birch fungus, a therapeutic agent "Befungin" was developed, which was used to get rid of stomach ulcers, chronic gastritis and oncological diseases.

So, in his review back in tsarist times, the former patient Kostoglotov spoke positively about the healing properties of chaga, referring to the old zemstvo doctor Maslennikov from Aleksandrovsky district near Moscow.

In the course of research over decades, Dr. Maslennikov noticed that his ward peasants did not have a tendency to get cancer, when medical sources mention it all the time.

Such a detail did not slip past his field of vision, as the peasants in that region, due to saving money on tea, brewed a birch mushroom instead.

The main medicinal properties of beveled tinder fungus include:

It affects any tumors, supplies the vitamins necessary for the body and improves immunity.
Able to reduce the proportion of cholesterol, remove acute pain and increase appetite.
Hemostatic and anti-inflammatory properties protect the mucosa.
Due to the presence of silver and zinc, it leads to a normal state of the nervous system.
Ultimately, it contributes to the stimulation and promotion of health, replenishing the body with vital useful and extremely necessary substances.

However, along with the healing properties and prevention of cancer, birch chaga, like any product, also has contraindications.

Typical cases where its use is not recommended or completely excluded include:

kidney and vascular disease, when there is fluid retention inside;
puffiness and late pregnancy of women, since such a situation with puffiness often occurs;
ailments associated with chronic dysentery and colitis;
taking antibiotics or internal administration of glucose neutralize the medicinal properties of chaga;
beware of taking in childhood or rejection by the body (allergy).

With prolonged use or excessive doses of preparations from a birch fungus, side effects are possible, for example, such as the occurrence of diarrhea, dizziness, irritability, an allergic reaction to the drug, etc. Therefore, in any case, before using drugs that include a kosotrubny tinder fungus, the doctor's advice will not hurt .

Careful observance of the rules for harvesting a birch fungus guarantees the exclusion of its toxicity and then it does no harm. The use of birch chaga in the treatment of ailments is carried out by two types of therapeutic courses:

short, several visits per year with a long respite;
long, lasting 3-5 months with an interval of a week to half a month.

The first method is designed, as a rule, to consolidate the results of the use of beveled tinder fungus, as well as to prevent the body. Its effectiveness comes after a long time, and according to the second method, the therapeutic effect appears soon.

During the entire period of taking kosotrubnaya tinder fungus, a diet focused mainly on dairy ingredients of the diet, plant foods and a healthy diet will not interfere.

At this time, the consumption of smoked meats, sausages, meat, fats, canned foods with spicy seasonings and spices should be limited, and it is better to exclude them from the menu altogether.

The use of chaga has a strong effect on the body. According to reviews, her taste wishes for the best, but she has a beneficial effect on seriously ill patients. Their pain subsides and their health improves noticeably, but before starting self-treatment, you need to get the support of a doctor.

Birch fungus is used in the form of tea leaves, infusions, various ointments and other medicinal potions. The nature of the disease and the indicator of its neglect have a primary influence on the method of its preparation, but when self-medicating, it is better to follow the doctor's recommendations.

How to brew and infuse chaga

Birch fungus is brewed using various methods: ordinary tea, decoction or infusion. In this case, the range of application of chaga, for example, for inhalation, douching or enemas, is of no small importance, so the proportions may be different.

How to prepare a simple decoction:

One serving of dried birch fungus is poured with 5 parts of warm boiled water, but preferably passed through a filter, and left for 5 hours until completely softened.
The soaked product is rubbed on a coarse grater, placed in a ceramic or faience container and again filled with the same water.
The composition is aged at a temperature of up to 70 degrees, not reaching a boil, for about an hour over low heat.
After aging for one or two days, the broth is filtered through gauze, and the clear liquid is mixed with the water left over from soaking the product.
It turns out a pleasant sweetish drink with a touch of ordinary black tea without a colorful smell.
One glass of heated liquid is taken orally half an hour before meals, and the drink is stored in a cool place for no longer than 4 days.
With a throat tumor, inhalations with a decoction for 5-7 minutes a day are effective and beneficial.

In another method of application, birch fungus is presented in the form of a tincture, but the mixture is not heated, but kept for two days in a place closed from light, filtered and taken half a liter a day.

Chaga extract

In the form of a medicine, chaga extract is also used, which is found on the shelves of the distribution network. To prepare it, 20 g of the powder is poured with boiled warm water, aged for up to two days, and after straining, take 30 ml 10 minutes before meals.

Chaga alcohol extract helps to get rid of the fungus when 300 g of powder is poured into two glasses of vodka and aged for a couple of weeks, but applied externally.

To get rid of periodontal disease, a mixture of powder with chamomile is used, which is infused for about 4 hours in half a liter of boiled water.

In the treatment of birch chaga, two stages are distinguished:

on the first, lasting from a week to 10 days, the sick get relief, their inflammation and acute pain subside;
at the second stage, which manifests itself after a few months, the general condition of the body increases, and studies show that the disease begins to recede.

Chaga in oncology

Official medicine claims that oncological cancer is favored by the acidic environment in the human body, which is a complex system and is distinguished by individuality.

People's academician Bolotov does not agree with this statement, who, on the contrary, suggests that the rapid development of cancer cells is inherent in an alkaline environment.

However, official medicine has not yet developed an effective remedy that allows you to get rid of this common oncological disease once and for all.

Cancer patients have no choice to alleviate their suffering, so the urgent need forces them to turn to traditional medicine recipes.

So, for example, Bolotov's method casually refers to table salt, which allegedly prevents the emergence and development of this serious illness, but this issue is controversial, since the deposition of salts in the body leads to joint disease.

At the same time, reviews of fans of the treatment of the disease at home are unanimously inclined to believe that chaga helps to slow down the development of cancer.

Clinical medicine does not argue with such statements, which recognizes the birch fungus as a raw material for the manufacture of drugs to get rid of cancer, and produces medicines based on it.

A big plus of chaga is that birch fungus has a wide range of activity in the treatment of cancer and is non-toxic. There is practically no allergy to it and pronounced side effects if the dosages are observed.

At the initial stage of the development of the disease, when using preparations based on chaga, one feels better, attacks of acute pain decrease, tumor growth and reproduction of cancer cells slow down. Of course, there is little hope for a complete cure for the insidious disease, but it still manages to be stopped.

In folk medicine, it is recommended to use alcoholic tinctures of the tinder fungus in combination with plantain, St.

To prepare an alcohol tincture of chaga, half a glass of the product is poured into 1 liter of vodka and aged for a couple of weeks in a dark, cool place. The drug is taken one tablespoon 3 times a day.

According to another recipe, 50 g of birch fungus is infused with 300 g of vodka, as in the previous case, but for three weeks already. Reception is carried out in 30 ml of tincture, diluted in a quarter glass of water 3 times a day, and the course of application is 10 days.

So, for stomach cancer, a decoction of chaga is useful, the preparation procedure of which is as follows:

Chopped birch fungus in the amount of 200 g is mixed with half a glass of rose hips and pine buds, 20 g of St. John's wort, 10 g of licorice and 5 g of bitter wormwood.
The mixture is poured into 3 liters of water, after 3 hours it is boiled over low heat without boiling, wrapped and infused in a warm place for a day.
Before use, it is filtered and a glass of aloe juice is added to it.
The drug is taken 2 tablespoons before meals 3-4 times a day.

If a cancerous tumor is found in the intestines or uterus, then it is recommended to use the chaga infusion by douching or enema for 3 months each time before going to bed, followed by a week break.

Often, in people prone to cancer, an overgrown mole turns into melanoma, which contributes to the formation of metastases. To prevent its progression, the use of an ointment based on a kosotrubny tinder helps.

In order to keep the situation under control, before using the natural product, as well as during the process itself, it is recommended to undergo periodic examinations to determine the effect of chaga on the patient's body.

Conclusion

Thus, the use of birch fungus chaga is due to the prevention of the body and the treatment of various ailments. Its beneficial properties are confirmed by a mass of reviews, and there is no harm, as such, except for contraindications, which is typical of any product.

The collection of chaga mushroom is carried out almost all year round, but when harvesting it is important to correctly identify it by its appearance, since other false specimens do not bring any benefit. In addition, it is also available in the distribution network.

P.S. Everyone is subject to their own individual train of thought, so if you have any questions, additions, clarifications and wishes, be sure to leave them in the comments. I will try to answer and jointly dot the "and".

Chaga is one of the unique creations of nature that helps a person to improve health. The growth on the tree seems useless, but it is a fungus. The fungus is able to grow from just one spore that has fallen on a tree, and reach enormous sizes. The fungus feeds on tree sap, as a result of which it is saturated with valuable substances.

When collecting chaga, it is important not to confuse it with another fungus growing on a birch - a false tinder fungus. To do this, study the main differences:

Chaga has a dark (almost black) rough surface of irregular shape. Its outgrowths are hard and broken, softer and lighter at the base.
false tinder fungus similar to a hemisphere, convex from above and smooth from below. The outer side is velvety and less rough than that of chaga, gray in color with dark brown circles.

The mushroom is harvested with an ax or a large knife. The growth is cut at the base, the inner softer, lighter and outer hard, bark-like layer is separated, adjacent to the tree, leaving a useful middle part. Since chaga hardens quickly, after removing it from the tree and removing unnecessary parts, it is immediately cut into pieces 4-5 centimeters in size. Then the mushroom parts are dried in a warm, dry, ventilated place or in a dryer at a temperature not exceeding 50°C. After the chaga is put into jars and tightly closed with a lid. For storage, you can use tied linen bags. You can store the mushroom for about two years.

Many people drink chaga tea not to cure a disease, but for pleasure. The mushroom has a pleasant taste, so it diversifies the diet. However, regular use has an excellent effect on the body. Namely:

improves immunity;
normalizes metabolism;
rejuvenates internal organs;
strengthens the nervous system;
improves the quality of sleep;
improves brain function;
reduces inflammatory processes;
prevents the development of cancer;
improves skin condition.

How to brew chaga

There are many ways to prepare birch mushroom. Often, whole or grated pieces are poured with boiling water and insisted. The method is simple, but you should not expect a grandiose effect from the drink: it is suitable for prevention.

Sometimes birch chaga is prepared as follows - dipped in 1 liter of boiling water 200 gr. mushrooms and boil over low heat for 15 minutes. This method is simple, but it has many opponents who argue that the mushroom should not be boiled, as this destroys most of the valuable substances.

Of the quick ways to cook chaga, brewing in a thermos will be the most useful. To do this, pour 1 part of the mushroom into a thermos, pour 4 parts of boiling water and leave for 12 hours.

If you brew chaga correctly, you can get the maximum of useful substances from it. This is done in two ways:

Basic method of making chaga

Place one part of the chaga in a suitable container (preferably ceramic), pour five parts of boiled water cooled to 50 ° C and leave for 6 hours.
Remove the mushroom and grind in any way possible, for example, using a grater, blender or meat grinder.
Place the water in which the raw materials were infused on the stove and heat to 40-50 ° C. Dip the chopped mushroom into it, cover it and put it for a couple of days in a dark place with a low temperature.
Strain the finished infusion and squeeze out the remaining thick. Then add boiled water to it so that it returns to its original volume.
Store in the refrigerator for up to four days.

For all types of tumors, an infusion of chaga prepared in the basic way is used. It is recommended to drink it shortly before meals 3 times a day. The alcohol tincture of chaga has the same effect. It is used as an infusion, but only in a dessert spoon. The duration of the course may be different, it all depends on the severity of the disease. Usually, chaga is taken continuously for about two weeks, then they take a break for a couple of days, after which they resume taking it.

When tumors are located in the rectum or uterus, microclysters and douching with infusion of the fungus are additionally used. These procedures should be carried out at night continuously for a month, then take a break for a week and continue using the fungus. With formations that are superficial, the affected areas are also recommended to be treated with chaga oil.

A good result in the treatment of cancer of the stomach, rectum, breast and lungs has the following remedy: in a glass, mix 30 ml of alcohol tincture of the fungus and 40 ml of sunflower oil. Cover it tightly, shake it, and then drink the mixture in one gulp. Take the solution 3 times a day, 20 minutes before meals at the same time. Carry out the treatment according to the scheme: 10 days of admission, 5 - a break, again 10 days of admission, 10 - a break, then resume.