CHAGA
Inonotus obliquus
Common Name : Chaga, tinder mushroom, tinder conk, cinder conk, clinker polypore, tschaga (Russian)
Chinese Medicine Name:  Bai hua rong
Family: Hymenochaetaceae
Parts Used:Chaga “conk” or sclerotia – both outer black and inner orange portions.
Actions: Adaptogen, Anticancer, Antioxidant, Antitumor, Antiviral, Hypocholesterolemic, Hypoglycemic, Immunomodulant
Taste:  Earthy
Energy: Cooling Grounding, Energetically, chaga is grounding, calming, and cooling
 
Chaga mushrooms may be good for boosting your immune system, fighting cancer, and lowering your cholesterol.
 
Chaga has adaptogenic, immunomodulating, anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-cholesterol actions. It has been used in folk herbalism for cancer, digestive system complaints, tuberculosis, heart issues, and/or diabetes since the 16th century in Russia, western Siberia, Eastern Europe, and North America.
Chaga is an adaptogen and immunomodulant, due in large part to its immune potentiating polysaccharides. An adaptogen helps increase the body’s ability to resist and adapt to internal and external physical, mental, and emotional stressors, while an immunomodulant helps modulate or activate our immune system as needed in response to these stressors. Chaga can also benefits the immune system via its antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions, attributed to its betulinic acid content. Consuming chaga as a daily tonic is a wonderful can be support to the immune system.
Chaga has traditionally been used for cancer in Siberia, Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, and the United States (Tillotson, 2001). Betulinic acid, which chaga uptakes from its host birch tree, shows promising anti-cancer and anti-tumor activity. Noda et al. (1997) report that betulinic acid is only active at the lower pH levels that are typical of the interior pH of tumor tissues; while Fulda et al. (2009) reports betulinic acid shows “potent anticancer activity” through activation of apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells. Chaga is also high in antioxidants from the phenolic compounds in melanin, the black pigment that is found in the outer “crust” of chaga, as well as the yellow pigments inside the conk. These phenolic compounds help control cell oxidation and reduce damage caused by free radicals. Cui et al. (2005) report that a polyphenolic extract of chaga scavenges free radicals and protects cells against oxidative stress. Other phytochemicals in chaga also show anticancer effects in studies. In general, it is understood that chaga’s anticancer activity is due to its ability to arrest cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis (cell death) (Song et al., 2013).
Chaga has also been used for diabetes and to lower cholesterol. A recent study in diabetic mice showed that an ethyl acetate fraction from chaga had anti-hyperglycemic effects due to its terpenoid and sterol compounds (Lu, 2010). Betulinic acid and beta glucans in chaga help break down LDL cholesterol, thus normalizing overall cholesterol levels and supporting cardiovascular health.
In Summary
Animal and test-tube studies found that chaga extract may boost immunity, prevent chronic inflammation, fight cancer, lower blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol.
 
References
Byers, Steve. (2013). Considering the commercial future of Chaga: Inonotus obliquus. In United Plant Savers Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation, Spring 2013, retrieved on October 24, 2014 from http://www.unitedplantsavers.org/pdf/2013-member-journal.pdf.
Cui, Y., Kim, DS, Park, KC. (2005). Antioxidant effect of Inonotus obliquus. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Jan 4;96(1-2):79-85.
Fulda, S. and Kroemer, G. (2009). Targeting mitochondrial apoptosis by betulinic acid in human cancers. Drug Discov Today. 2009 Sep;14(17-18):885-90.
Lu X, Chen H, Dong P, Fu L, Zhang X. Phytochemical characteristics and hypoglycaemic activity of fraction from mushroom Inonotus obliquus. J Sci Food Agric. 2010 Jan 30;90(2):276-80.