In ancient times, people constantly used natural gifts for medicinal purposes. How many amazing plants around us that can help in the treatment of diseases or restore and maintain strength in difficult times. There are many medications based on natural healers. Many recipes are passed on from generation to generation. So consider the healing birch fungus chaga. How to brew and drink it?
How does chaga appear?
Often, walking through the forest, on the trees you can notice a strange growth on the trunks of some trees. They are infected with the parasite Inonotus obliquus. Its spores are viable only if the tree bark is damaged. Getting on such a site, they penetrate inside and begin their harmful effects, the process develops very slowly.
After a few years, a fruiting body of irregular shape forms. The mushroom grows slowly, and in 20-30 years it will be from 5 to 40 centimeters in diameter, with a thickness of 10-15 centimeters.
What form the mushroom will have depends on the nature of the damage to the bark of the tree through which the infection occurred. Chaga mushroom has a black surface with small cracks. Inside, the color is from dark brown to reddish brown. There are bright veins. It grows and develops from 10 to 20 years. Its roots grow in a tree, destroying it, as a result of which the tree dies.
Such mushrooms are most often found on birches. Hence the name "black birch mushroom." He also bears such names: tinder funnel beveled, inotus beveled, chaga.
Where does the chaga grow and what does it look like
This mushroom can be found in the taiga, forest-steppe. A large number in birch groves of Russia. The mushroom does not like high temperatures, so it can not be found in the southern regions.
Chaga parasitizes not only on a birch, but also on such trees as aspen, mountain ash, alder. However, you need to know that only mushroom growing on a birch has healing properties.
What the chaga looks like, we described earlier. But it is worth noting that he is often confused with polypants. They are false and real. Pipers have a pronounced rounded shape. Most often yellow or gray. Easily separated from the trunk, maintaining its integrity.
The chaga mushroom has an irregular, nosolate form. It is not easy to separate from the tree. At the same time, they use an hatchet, since you have to cut a tree trunk. It has three distinct layers. Top, black cracked. Medium brownish, very dense. And friable, reddish-brown, with bright veins. The last layer, as a rule, is not used and removed with the remnants of the bark.
Before we learn how to brew and drink chaga, we will familiarize ourselves with its positive and negative properties.
Beneficial effect
Chaga is used in the treatment of many diseases due to its unique properties. Oxalic acid, acetic, tartaric and formic acids were found in the chemical composition of the fungus . And also the following trace elements: silver, magnesium, nickel, cobalt, copper and others. Fiber contains melanin. There is also a large amount of volatile, phenol, sterols and resins.
Chaga has the following healing properties:
- It has anti-inflammatory and hemostatic properties.
- The antimicrobial and diuretic effect is pronounced.
- Contributes to the normalization of the digestive tract.
- Accelerates the healing of mucous and ulcerative formations.
- It normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Promotes hematopoiesis.
- Improves the functioning of the human nervous system.
- It has antiviral and antifungal properties.
- Normalizes blood sugar and cholesterol.
- It activates the immune system.
Before using a birch mushroom, a doctor's consultation is necessary. How to drink chaga mushroom in order to get the most out of it, we will learn a little later.
When not recommended to use chaga
Chaga is not able to provoke an allergy, but still there are a number of contraindications for its use:
- Chaga should not be used for people with colitis and dysentery.
- Co-take with intravenous glucose injections.
- Use in conjunction with any antibiotics.
- People with an easily excitable nervous system. Also, prolonged use of chaga can lead to increased excitability.
- A small likelihood of developing allergic reactions.
- You should stop smoking and drinking alcohol while using chaga.
- Do not use the mushroom for pregnant and lactating mothers.
How to collect and store chaga
You can collect a medicinal mushroom at any time of the year, but it is advisable to do this in the early spring or late fall.
It is necessary to stock up with a sharp long knife or a small hatchet. The mushroom must be cut at the base, while separating the soft unsuitable part.
The mushroom tends to become almost stone after being cut. Therefore, you must immediately cut it into small pieces. You will have to do it anyway before drinking chaga. This will facilitate processing in the future.
Some tips for collecting chaga:
- Do not cut off the mushroom that grows at a height of less than one meter above the ground.
- Only chaga from a birch, whose age is at least 20 years, is considered healing.
- It is only necessary to collect chaga from a living tree.
Having cleared the fungus from the top layer and unnecessary loose, the middle of the fungus is cut into pieces of 4-6 cm. Then it is dried under natural conditions. You can use an oven preheated to 60 degrees for drying.
Keep the mushroom in a dry, clean container with the lid closed. It is not worth harvesting a lot of chaga, since the healing properties of the collected mushroom are preserved only for 4 months.
How to use
From Chaga in folk medicine make:
- Tea.
- Decoctions.
- Infusions.
- Oil.
- Extract.
Most often, people use teas, decoctions and infusions.
How to use chaga mushroom properly, how to make and drink teas and infusions, we will talk further.
Correctly brew
In order to extract the maximum benefit from the birch mushroom, it must be properly brewed.
- If fresh chaga is used, then it must be chopped. You can use a meat grinder or grater.
- Raw materials must be soaked if the mushroom has already been dried. Soak it for several hours until it softens. Water, which is filled with raw materials, should not be too hot.
- Then a soft mushroom can be grated or chopped in a blender. Water does not need to be poured, it can be used to prepare an infusion. It is correct to use ceramic or porcelain for brewing chaga.
- It is necessary to take five parts of water for one part of the mushroom. Water temperature should be 60-70 degrees. Fill the chaga and insist 24-48 hours.
- Then you need to strain the infusion through the folded gauze. Thickness can be used for re-brewing. The resulting liquid must be diluted to the required consistency.
Infusion can be stored in the refrigerator for three days. The drink is tart and tastes good.
A Hiking Way to Make Chaga Drink
When there is not enough time to let the broth brew, or if there are no conditions for this, you can brew the chaga as follows.
- Chaga is not soaked for several hours, but immediately finely chopped or rubbed.
- Brewed with boiling water. After a few minutes, tea can be drunk. This drink has excellent energy, tonic properties.
If we talk about how to drink chaga in the form of tea, then it comes down to the use of ordinary tea. You can add various berries and herbs to the drink. For example, currant leaves or raspberries, cloudberries, blackberries.
Cooking a strong tincture
To prepare a strong tincture of chaga, we need:
- 100 grams of dried chaga.
- Water half a liter of boiled.
It is necessary to fill the mushroom with boiled water for 4 hours . Drain and grind the chaga. Then we transfer the mushroom to the water in which it was soaked, and heat it to 40 degrees. Then we filter the liquid and add water to a volume of 0.5 liters. We will talk about how and how much to drink chaga in the form of tincture a little later.
A quick way to make a healthy drink
It is based on a short insistence. Namely:
- For 250 grams of dry raw materials use 1 liter of boiling water. Pour boiling water over the mushroom, cover and set in a warm place for 7 hours. If you have time, you can do more.
This infusion does not require storage in the refrigerator, but must be used for three days.
Make tea
How to drink chaga in the form of tea? For this we need 200 grams of dried raw materials.
- Pour raw materials with 1 liter of boiling water.
- Next, you need to darken the solution for 10 minutes.
- Then strain. You can dilute it with boiled water to reduce the strength.
Many healers have their own opinions on how to drink chaga. Boil the mushroom, not everyone considers it right. However, time has shown that such a drink also has healing properties.
Features of brewing and eating chaga
I would like to note that brewing the same raw material is allowed up to five times.
Many note that the maximum effect is achieved with 3-4 brewing. In this case, the concentration of nutrients is maximum.
It is very convenient to brew chaga in a thermos. So, as described in the first brewing method, only use a thermos for infusion. After insisting for 2 days, the infusion is drained and the raw materials can be poured again.
It is worth noting that if you want to achieve effective results, you must begin to adhere to a diet. Namely, exclude from nutrition:
- Smoked meats.
- Marinades.
- Pickles.
- Meat products.
- Spicy seasonings.
It is necessary to consume more vegetable and dairy products. To refuse from bad habits.
Before drinking chaga for medicinal purposes, it is necessary to consult with a specialist. And also make sure that there are no contraindications.
How to drink chaga
As we know, chaga tincture is used for treatment and prevention. It helps with many diseases. The infusion is stored for 4 days. Use for treatment an infusion that has stood for more than 4 days is unacceptable.
If we talk about how long to drink chaga, then the answer will depend on the course of the disease and on the effect that must be achieved.
As a rule, for the treatment of chaga drink courses. Duration is from 5 to 7 months. Use infusion before meals for half an hour, 200 ml 3-4 times a day. Between courses you need to take a break for 1-2 weeks.
Often ask a question about how to drink chaga for prevention? For this purpose, mushroom tea is used. You can add other herbs and berries to it. Such a drink can be drunk regularly, like regular tea. In places where chaga is quite common, people use mushrooms instead of tea leaves. They note good health, a surge of strength and energy after drinking such a drink.
We drink chaga from oncological diseases
Chaga is widely used in the treatment of cancer.
Prepare the infusion. Pour dry pieces with water of 50 degrees, insist 5 hours, and then grind, transfer to a thermos and fill with water in a ratio of 1: 5.
After 48 hours, drain the infusion and add boiled water. You need to eat 1 hour before a meal, a glass three times a day. Drink for a month, then a 10-day break, and the course can be repeated. Courses must be repeated within six months, and more can be.
Such an infusion can be drunk for prevention.
When treating oncologists, the following positive results were noted:
- Tumor growth slows down.
- General health improves.
- The number of metastases decreases.
Chaga is widely used to treat pathologies of the stomach, intestines, even oncological character. How to take a decoction depends on the stage of the disease, and how much you can drink chaga, the doctor will help determine. After all, treatment with folk remedies should also be under the supervision of a specialist.
When treating cancer, the following medicinal plants are added to 200 grams of chaga:
- Rosehip 100 g.
- Pine buds 100 g.
- Bitter wormwood 5 g.
- St. John's wort 20 g
- Licorice root 10 g.
The mixture is poured with 3 liters of cold water. After that they are kept on fire for 2 hours at a low boil, then the infusion is put in a warm place for one day. After that, filter and add to it 500 grams of honey and 200 grams of aloe juice. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and left for 4 hours.
Take this medicine according to the following scheme:
- 6 days for a teaspoon a couple of hours before meals. 3 times a day.
- Then 1 tablespoon an hour before meals three times a day.
You can take this medicine from 2 weeks to 4 months.
In the treatment of many diseases, other medicinal herbs are allowed to be added to the chaga. This only enhances its effectiveness.
It should be remembered that before you start using chaga for medicinal or prophylactic purposes, you need to consult a specialist so as not to harm your health, and also you need to familiarize yourself with how to brew chaga and drink properly in order to extract as much as possible from the drink good.