Chaga Research
The recent pandemic made people think more deeply about their health and what they can do to maintain or improve it. People are looking closer at natural remedies and folk medicines, especially those that have the potential to enhance the immune system's ability to defend against viruses in general. It's no wonder, then, that demand for chaga has grown.
There have been hundreds of medical chaga research studies, the first being conducted back in 1958 in Russia.
In 2021-22, 55 medical studies of chaga were published.
There have been no randomised human clinical trials and so for that reason, in Europe, Chaga, Inonotus obliquus, has novel food status and can be used in food supplements only, as powder and/or extract. Source: European Commission Novel food catalogue. Chaga, and its extracts, have not yet been certified for use in medical products in Europe.
Human Medical Research on Chaga
Research has been conducted into chaga's inhibitory effects on human colon cancer cells, lung cancer cells, cervical cancer cells, brain cancer cells, and hepatoma cells.
Research has indicated that chaga is a potentially effective therapeutic agent for Inflammatory Bowel Disease / chronic colitis.
In in-vitro studies, chaga has shown anti-cancer, anti-viral , anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory effects.
Animal Medical Research on Chaga
Chaga has demonstrated cognitive enhancing, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving, exercise endurance enhancing, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer properties.
OUR OPINION
Chaga clearly holds promising therapeutic and potentially significant medical value. Human clinical trials are needed to verify the in-vivo, in-vitro and animal studies.
Why have there been no human clinical trials on chaga you might ask.
We would love to know the answer to that too! We suspect the reason is simply about money.
Big pharmaceutical industries usually fund large scale randomised human clinical trials, which cost millions to run! The fact that herbal medical product patents can’t be easily enforced - circumvention by competitors is relatively straight forward. So competitors could copy or “imitate” products without investing in human trials themselves. This gives big pharma very little reason to invest millions. Chaga is growing in popularity and testimonials of its benefits by users are everywhere on the internet, but still, chaga remains a niche product and perhaps this lack of “mass market potential” is another reason why investment in large scale trials hasn’t happened yet.
So it's up to you to decide if chaga as a food supplement is right for you. Do your research, make your decision.
We believe chaga is good for us and we consume it. What more can we say? Legally, not much.
TRADITIONAL MEDICAL CHAGA FOLKLORE
If you speak Estonian or use Google Translate, then you can read what users say about chaga here: Estonian Folkloric Chaga Medicine.
In Estonia, Finland, Russia, and Northern America & Canada, chaga has been known and consumed for many centuries.
Chaga has been used as “folk medicine” in Estonia, Finland, Russia, and Northern America & Canada since at least the 16th century for gastrointestinal malignancies, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
In Russia, it is claimed that chaga has also been used to relieve tuberculosis and is used in the treatment of various cancers, including inoperable breast cancer, and cancer of the lip, salivary gland, lung, skin and colorectal cancer. Allegedly the Russian ruler, Vladimir Monomahh, was cured of lip cancer in the 12th century.
In Finnish folk medicine, chaga has been used to treat diabetes, gastritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, asthma and other conditions. In the past, the Sámi drank chaga tea every day. Chaga was also utilised in Finland during the Second World War, being prepared and distributed by the Paasivaara Company under the trade name Tikkatee ('Woodpecker tea').
World’s first chaga product? From Estonia’s neighbour, Finland c1930
Did You Know?
Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn described in his semi-autobiographical book "Cancer Ward" how S.N.Maslennikov, a provincial doctor, discovered and investigated the healing power of chaga. Alexander Solzhenitsyn himself recovered from cancer in 1957, and it is known that he not only underwent surgery, but also took chaga. This is not such solid proof of the effectiveness of chaga, however, that's how chaga became known all over the world.
CHAGA RISKS
Research suggests chaga may hold blood thinning properties. People taking Warfarin or other blood thinning medication should avoid chaga.
Research suggests chaga may hold anti-diabetic properties. Diabetics already taking blood sugar-lowering medications should avoid chaga.
Chaga contains high levels of oxalates (so does black tea by the way) and so like many foods with high oxalate levels, it should be consumed in moderation or kidney stones could result.
Pregnant or breast feeding women and children under 12 should not consume chaga.
