Chaga birch: description and medicinal properties. Chaga - how they are treated, folk recipes What is chaga grows on a birch

20.04.2022 Complications

The chaga mushroom is an asexual form of the tinder fungus, belonging to the genus Inonotus of the department of Basidiomycetes.

Most often, chaga can be found on a birch.

Most often, chaga can be found on a birch, or rather, on its trunk, so its other name is black birch fungus. But it can also be found on other trees - alder, mountain ash, beech, elm or maple, but much less often. It grows only on living trees, as it receives nutrition from those nutrients that enter the trunk from the roots.



Medicinal properties of chaga mushroom (video)

Where does chaga mushroom grow

Usually this plant can be found on trees in birch and other groves throughout our country, even in the taiga and forest-steppes. It is also found in the highlands in North Carolina, in the northern states of the United States, in the forests of Korea.

The larch species of chaga grows in the northeast of our country, almost throughout Siberia, as well as in the Far East.

The chemical composition of chaga

All the active substances that are collected in the fruiting body, it extracts from the tree on which it grows. The most useful is the black chaga mushroom, which grows actively thanks to birch sap and the nutrients that make up its composition.

In its composition:

  • polysaccharides;
  • agaricic and humic chagic acids;
  • organic acids (oxalic, acetic, formic, vanillic and a number of others);
  • pterins;
  • lipids;
  • sterols;
  • lignin;
  • tetracyclic triterpenes;
  • cellulose;
  • flavonoids;
  • ash;
  • Cu, Ba, Zn, Fe, Si, Al, Ca, Mg, K, Na.

The color of the inside of the mushroom is brown, dark

Useful and healing properties of chaga

Any drinks based on this mushroom are very strong biogenic stimulants due to the active substances that it absorbs from the tree. And before using any drug based on chaga, you should consult your doctor.

Doctors examined this mushroom and came to the conclusion that it has the following properties:

  • antispasmodic, diuretic and bactericidal;
  • normalizes the digestive system, improves intestinal microflora;
  • accelerates the process of scarring of ulcers in the stomach and duodenum;
  • improves the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, and respiratory organs;
  • stabilizes blood pressure and pulse rate;
  • stimulates the process of blood formation;
  • restores the central nervous system and neurohumoral system;
  • contributes to the improvement of the metabolic process throughout the body, including in the brain tissues;
  • improves the functioning of the immune system, helps the body to better fight infectious diseases;
  • has an anti-inflammatory effect when applied externally and internally;
  • preparations based on chaga are effective in the treatment of skin diseases, as well as inflammatory processes in the oral cavity due to their anti-inflammatory, healing and analgesic properties;
  • helps the body more successfully fight fungal and viral diseases;
  • enhance the work of anticancer drugs, helping to quickly decompose malignant cells;
  • enhances the resistance of all internal organs and the body's defense in the fight against cancer cells and tumors;
  • lowers blood glucose levels;
  • removes intoxication of the body;
  • activates the process of enzyme production;
  • increases the level of leukocytes in the blood.

The use of chaga for medicinal purposes at home

At home, both fresh and dried chaga raw materials are used. Decoctions, tinctures, ointments, as well as oil are prepared from it, the benefits of which are undeniable. For medicinal purposes, only the middle of the mushroom is used.

uterine fibroids

Along with the conservative treatment of this disease, you can use an infusion of this fungus. ¼ kg of this raw material is soaked in 2 liters of water, then the mushroom should be grated on a fine grater and again poured into the same water. This mixture is put on a slow fire and steamed, not boiling for 60 minutes. Then the resulting infusion should be filtered and filtered. At the same time, 100 g of dried viburnum is infused for ¼ of a day in a liter of cool water, then put in a water bath for 15 minutes, cooled, filtered and mixed with chaga infusion, a glass of honey is added, ¼ liter of agave juice. The mixture is stirred, water is added to a volume of 4 liters and left to ferment in a dark place for 6 days. When the fermentation process begins, it is removed in the refrigerator. 30 ml per day should be taken at least three times before meals for 0.5 hours. The general course of treatment can be about six months.

With gastritis

For the treatment of this disease, 200 g of chaga infusion should be taken several times a day 0.5 hours before meals.

With arrhythmia

To treat this disease, you should take the following mixture:

  • ½ cup of chaga infusion;
  • 300 g of honey;
  • 20 g lemon juice.

All ingredients are mixed and taken 20 g twice a day 60 minutes before meals for 8 to 10 days.

The opinion of doctors about the treatment of oncology with the help of chaga

Doctors recommend using an infusion of chaga and serpentine roots in the treatment of oncological diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, experts note that the simultaneous use of antitumor drugs and chaga-based tinctures enhances the effect of the first drugs.

Contraindications and harm of chaga mushroom

Although chaga has a lot of useful properties, there are still contraindications:

  • you can not take preparations from this fungus for children under 12 years of age and expectant mothers. Since these categories of people are intensively growing cells, and the components of the fungus block the development and growth of such a process;
  • with dysentery and profuse processes, such drugs should also not be taken orally, since chaga has a laxative effect;
  • some of the ingredients that make up this fungus are incompatible with drugs from the penicillin group, as well as with glucose. Therefore, during the period of antibiotic treatment, as well as if an intravenous infusion of glucose is required, preparations based on chaga are not taken.

How to brew chaga mushroom (video)

No other harm to the human body was found.

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- a seemingly unremarkable mushroom that has a unique combination of minerals, polyphenols, vitamins, acids and fiber. The medicinal properties of chaga are widely used in folk medicine to combat oncology, digestive problems, disorders in the urinary system, and heart disease.

Description of birch fungus

At first glance, an unsympathetic formation on a tree is fraught with a storehouse of useful substances, microorganisms and compounds. It contains:

  • polyphenols, vegetable ash, phytoncides;
  • micro and macro elements;
  • melanin, pterin;
  • resins, glycans, fiber;
  • acids - methane, ethanedioic, ethanoic;
  • vitamins - D2, B1, B2, B3.

The composition of the birch growth contains a lot of protein, and almost no fat, which makes it a low-calorie product.

Useful properties of chaga

The combination of useful substances in the tinder fungus gives it valuable healing properties:

  • cleansing - stimulates the outflow of bile and urine;
  • general strengthening - stimulates the production of immune cells;
  • anti-inflammatory;
  • anticancer - inhibits the growth of cancer cells;
  • healing - stimulates the processes of regeneration in the body;
  • antispasmodic - stabilizes the state of the myocardium, strengthens the vascular walls;
  • hemostatic - stimulates the work of platelets.

Birch chaga controls water and electrolyte balance, stimulates metabolism in the body, and regulates digestion.

Ways to use birch chaga

The tinder fungus is used for the preparation of healing drinks, tinctures and cosmetics - the mushroom is not added to food.

The greatest amount of healing properties is found in young mushrooms collected in the spring during threshing. It is at this time that chaga is saturated with birch sap and has a pleasant sweetish aftertaste. But in the absence of young growths, mature mushrooms are also suitable, only they are coarser and denser. They are usually crushed and stored dried.

For the preparation of strengthening decoctions and teas from the tinder fungus, only its inner part is used. The upper crust is cut off, the surface is well cleaned, and the pulp is cut into small pieces for further storage. The dried mushroom is ground into powder before use.

Knowing how to brew a tinder fungus correctly, it is realistic to prepare healing remedies for all occasions. The main thing is to adhere to the dosages and not to abuse the folk drug. The vast majority of medicines from chaga is drunk on an empty stomach 30-40 minutes before meals.

Honey with chaga for oncology

Chaga powder, seaweed and cinquefoil 1 tbsp. l. combine and mix. Brew the collection with boiling water (500 ml), wrap with a towel and leave to infuse for at least 4 hours. Separate the drink from the sediment, add 10 g of mint. After 15 minutes, the product is ready for use.

For oncological diseases, take an infusion of chaga diluted with honey

Drink 200 ml of a warm drink at lunch and in the evening. Before use, add 1 tsp. honey, a slice of lemon. Treat 60 days.

Immuno-strengthening infusion

Cut the pulp of a fresh mushroom into small slices to make 500 g of raw materials and pour water over it. After 5 hours, catch the tinder fungus (put the water in the refrigerator) and grind it into a mushy state, pour 2.5 liters of boiling water. Means to insist 2 days in a dark place, filter and top up the volume with water, in which the pieces of chaga were originally located. Drink a cup of mushroom tea 50 minutes after eating. The therapy lasts 35 days.

Infusion of tinder for the intestines

Heat a glass of water a little, pour 1 tbsp. l. crushed tinder fungus. Insist 2 hours, filter. Drink 1 tbsp. infusion morning and evening. Phytotherapy is carried out for 16 days.

Chaga for the liver

Make a herbal collection of mint, chaga and yarrow by combining the ingredients in 1 tbsp. l. to obtain the maximum result, it is better to prepare the infusion in the evening - pour 30 g of the plant mixture into a thermos with 500 ml of hot water, leave until the morning.

Pass the drink through gauze, distribute into 3 doses. It is realistic to reduce inflammation and stop the destruction of hepatocytes in 30 days of regular use.

Treatment of gastritis with chaga

Heat up 300 ml of water. Pour 30 g of birch growth powder into a container, pour warm water, leave for 6 hours. Separate the liquid from the thick, squeeze out the sediment. Drink medicine 50 ml. Therapy by the folk method lasts at least 3 weeks.

Infusion for the stomach with ulcerative pathologies

Brew 75 g in boiling water (0.5 l), leave for 4 hours, strain. One course is 30 days. At this time, a healing remedy to drink a third of a glass in the morning and evening. Between courses take two-week breaks.

tea to lower blood sugar

There are 2 recipe options:

Chaga tea is prepared to lower blood sugar

  1. Brew in 300 ml of boiling water 2 tbsp. l. crushed pulp of the tinder fungus, let it brew for 3 hours under the lid. Drink a filtered drink in the morning and in the evening, ¼ cup. Treatment from 2 to 4 months.
  2. In 400 ml of boiling water, brew 1 tsp. tinder powder and 1 tsp. chamomile. The remedy is infused for 4 hours, filtered and consumed in the morning, afternoon and evening, 1/4 cup. In order for the remedy to work, and blood glucose to return to normal, it takes at least 4 months of regular intake of healing infusion.

Chaga recipe for men

Ingredients:

  • chopped burdock root - 1 tbsp. l.;
  • boiling water - 300 ml;
  • crushed tinder pulp - 1 tbsp. with a hill.

Preparation: pour burdock root into boiling water, boil for 4 minutes and pour everything into a thermos. After 3 hours, add chaga and leave for 40 minutes. Use the medicine every day, drinking ¼ cup. Treat in this way for at least 21 days.

Alcohol tincture from the fungus

Pour 5 tbsp into 500 ml of good vodka. chaga powder, shake. Put the product in a dark place, closed for 15 days. Strain the tincture and lubricate the affected areas up to 5 times a day. Store antifungal medication in the refrigerator.

5 tsp Steam chaga powder in 900 ml of boiling water, tightly close the lid, cover with a towel and leave for 3 hours. Strained medicine to drink ½ cup every 3 hours, adding honey and lemon to the drink to taste. Treat until complete recovery.

Birch chaga copes well with colds

A decoction of chaga and propolis for weight loss

Pour in 1 tbsp. l. chopped tinder fungus in 650 ml of warm water, add a small piece of propolis and 1 tbsp. l. honey. Stir until smooth, and heat for 2 minutes (do not boil). Pour hot drink into a thermos and leave for 6 hours. Drink the remedy in the morning on an empty stomach.

Chaga oil from trophic ulcers and sore joints

In an infusion of birch fungus (10 ml), add 15 ml of olive oil, shake. Leave the tool in a secluded place for a day. Lubricate the sore spots with filtered medicine 3 times a day. The course of therapy is 2 months.

Herbal face mask with chaga

1 tsp. linden, St. John's wort and chamomile mixed with 3 tsp. chaga raw materials. Pour the mixture into a thermos, pour 1 liter of hot water, leave for 3 hours. In a warm infusion, moisten a napkin and apply to cleansed face skin for a quarter of an hour, then wash with cool water. Masks to do 3 times a week, before going to bed.

Chaga oil for dry skin

In 50 ml of olive oil stir 3 tbsp. l. birch fungus flour, boil in a water bath for 10 minutes, without boiling.

Chaga oil is used for dry skin as rubbing

Wipe the face with a healing agent in the morning and evening daily.

Bath decoction for joint pain

Grind 10 g of linden inflorescence, violet grass and celandine. To the resulting collection, add finely chopped licorice root and fennel fruits (1 tsp each). Combine 15 g of birch fungus powder and 1 tsp with ready-made raw materials. birch leaves. Pour 2 liters of water over the mixture, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour hot broth into a warm typed bath, stir. To maximize the effect of water procedures, baths are taken for 15 minutes in the evening. The number of manipulations per week is 2-3.

Chaga for brittle hair and oily sheen

Giba infusion - brew 3 tbsp in 500 ml of boiling water. raw materials and insist 5 hours - wash your hair 3 times a week.

Mushroom oil will help with split ends. Rub the product into wet tips after each hair wash.

For the preparation of medicines, not only the raw materials of the tinder fungus prepared at home are used, but also the chaga pharmacy. Chaga-based preparations can be bought at any pharmacy. The most popular medicines containing birch fungus extract are Befungin, Chagovit, Chagolux.

Possible side effects

Failure to comply with dosages or exceeding courses of treatment can lead to intoxication of the body, which is manifested by:

Severe overdose causes nausea

  • nausea;
  • vomiting;
  • headache;
  • severe diarrhea;
  • allergic rash.

After stopping the use of chaga, unpleasant symptoms disappear within 1-2 days.

Contraindications

The use of chaga for medicinal purposes is not recommended for people who are allergic to the components of the fungus or ethyl alcohol, as well as those who have enterocolitis and ulcerative colitis. It is forbidden to use decoctions and teas based on birch fungus for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

An unusual medicinal product represents the first stage of development of the tree fungus Inonotus obliquus. It infects trees with damaged bark with its spores. First, the internal tissues of the plant are covered with white rot, then the mycelium sprouts from it.

4 years after the settlement of the spore, a fruiting body is formed. This bumpy outgrowth with a wrinkled surface is called chaga. It can develop for 30 years until the entire body of the tree is riddled with mycelium.

The growth takes the form of an initial lesion in the cortex. As it grows, the fungus can grow up to 40 cm in diameter. Outside it is black, at the break it is brown with a reddish base. The flesh is dotted with light thread-like veins.

By itself, chaga is barren. But shortly before the death of the tree, fruiting bodies with spores in the form of peaks form under the bark. They also have healing properties.

Useful properties of chaga mushroom

The healing effect of birch tinder fungus is explained by its unusual chemical composition. It is dominated by agaricic acid, a substance that can slow down the growth of tumors, stop blood, remove toxins from the intestines, and.

The mushroom is rich in manganese, which synthesizes thyroid hormones, forms blood cells and connective tissue. Wood growth tissues also contain phenol, flavonoids, sterols, and organic acids.

On the basis of chaga, herbal tea, water and alcohol tinctures, decoctions are prepared. These funds are used for the following diseases:

  • gastritis;
  • stomach ulcer;
  • cholecystitis;
  • hepatitis;
  • intestinal polyps;
  • sugar;
  • migraine;
  • cardiovascular diseases;
  • depression;
  • insomnia;
  • benign and malignant tumors.

Preparations from the fungus are also used externally - to eliminate acne, heal wounds, burns, frostbite.

Medical use in oncology

  • stomach ulcer;
  • erosion and dysplasia of the cervix;
  • mastopathy;
  • larynx;
  • viral condyloma;
  • cirrhosis of the liver.

By removing inflammation and regenerating damaged tissues, birch fungus stops pathological processes. A similar effect is manifested in the initial stages of cancer.

The fungus tinder fungus or chaga, as it is called in folk medicine, is not difficult to notice on a tree trunk: a swollen porous growth, blackening on cracked bark. Such a “guest” brings only harm to a tree, but rare healing powers are in store for a person in a mushroom. The beneficial properties and use of chaga for therapeutic purposes is a well-known medical fact today.

Mycological characteristics

Trutovik kosotrubchaty (Latin name - inonotus obliquus) belongs to the family of Hymenochetal basidiomycetes. Its spores, scattered in the air, penetrate into damaged places on the bark of a tree and germinate in them, feeding on the juices of the plant.

In the fourth year, the mycelium sticks out in the form of a black shapeless formation. This is the birch chaga mushroom. In the northern regions of Russia, it is called the birch lip.

How to prepare

The fungus is taken only from living or freshly cut birch trees, since only in this way valuable substances are preserved in it. The internal loose part is removed from the growth. It is impossible to collect chaga near highways and industrial centers, since the fruiting body absorbs toxic metals and compounds.

The mushroom is crushed into slices of 8-10 cm and laid out to dry in ventilated rooms or heated in ovens with a temperature of no more than 60 degrees. The taste of the finished raw material is bitter, there is no smell.

The healing role of birch fungus is so great that researchers continue to closely study the plant, discovering new medicinal properties of chaga.

What is useful chaga

Phytotherapists are well aware of how effectively chaga helps with gastritis. In alliance with other medicinal plants, birch tinder successfully treats gastric disorders, ulcers. According to legend, the great Vladimir Monomakh cured a cancerous tumor on his lip with a birch fungus. Chaga tea quickly saturates, invigorates, increases efficiency. Other known actions of the unique mushroom include:

  • decrease in pressure - venous and arterial;
  • regulation of the cardiovascular system;
  • wound healing;
  • analgesic effect;
  • treatment of dermatological diseases;
  • joint healing;
  • removal of inflammation;
  • stimulation of metabolic processes of cells of the cerebral cortex;
  • antioxidant capabilities;
  • bioregulation of protective reserves of the organism;

Chaga is very useful for diabetes. The lectins contained in the birch lip lower blood sugar.

rich composition


In the chemical structure of the tree fungus, there are microcomponents that are significant for human health. Polyphenolic acids are good biogenic stimulants that restore the body's metabolic processes destroyed by the disease.

Abundantly present in the composition of the tinder fungus, melanins have a pronounced antioxidant effect and are able to protect the liver from harmful effects. Amino acids (glycine, aspartic and glutamic acids) have a nootropic effect.

Scientists claim that lectins and agglutinins can block the development and spread of tumor cells, which is why chaga mushroom is often recommended in traditional medicine for oncology.

How to make chaga

Preparation of the infusion

  • Rinse the pieces of tinder fungus thoroughly and soak in cool boiled water for 5 hours.
  • Take out and finely chop.
  • Put the crushed raw materials into boiled water (45-50 degrees Celsius) in the ratio: 1 part of mushroom crumble to 5 hours of water.
  • Close the jug with the resulting mixture and put in a cold dark place for 48 hours.
  • During this time, the workpiece must be mixed 3-5 times with a spoon.
  • Strain the infusion of chaga and use in the required doses.

The medicine is stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to dose the infusion

Portions and the amount of use are determined specifically in each case.

  • Chaga for cancer is recommended at 90 g three times a day.
  • Those suffering from stomach ulcers, 12-colon ulcers are shown to drink infusion in a tablespoon 25 minutes before each meal.
  • A malignant tumor in the pelvis requires treatment with chaga through microclysters: 60-80 ml. infusion for the night.
  • To improve the composition of the blood, a natural medicine can be consumed in a tablespoon 10 minutes before each meal.
  • To regulate blood glucose, it is recommended to take chaga in the form of a glass of infusion 25 minutes before meals 3 times a day.

They are treated with a healing drink from 2 to 6 months with weekly breaks. There are other recipes for making chaga.

How to make ethyl tincture

The soaked and crushed mushroom (100 g) is put into vodka (500 ml). The mixture will be infused for 14 days, it needs to be shaken from time to time. Use the tincture by dissolving a teaspoon of liquid in a tablespoon of clean water 25 minutes before meals. Chaga tincture very successfully heals uterine fibroids, and is highly recommended in the complex therapy of oncological diseases.

Non-alcoholic tincture

When the consumption of alcohol-containing drugs is undesirable, a quarter cup of very hot water is added to a teaspoon of tincture - most of the alcohol will evaporate.

How to brew chaga correctly


Before brewing chaga, it must be kept in cool water.

  • Part of the tinder fungus (100-150 g) is soaked for a day.
  • Boil for 1-2 minutes in the same water.
  • Without removing the lid, allow the liquid to cool.

The drug is drunk as tea in a cup in 2-3 doses. A decoction of chaga is very good in the treatment of the liver and stomach.

Healing mushroom ointment

The beneficial properties of chaga perfectly reveal themselves in creams and ointments that fight diseases of the skin and joints. Fungodrug quickly removes rashes, peeling and inflammation, has analgesic properties.

  • In a bowl in a water bath, melt 500 g of paraffin either,
  • Pour 60 g of tinder powder and heat the mixture for another couple of hours.
  • The extract is poured through a gauze bag into a jug, the contents of the bag are squeezed into it.
  • While the mixture has not frozen, pour into jars for storage.

Sweet cure

Chaga birch in the form of syrup will help to heal from bronchitis and other inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. A sweet product is recommended for arrhythmia, cardiovascular ailments, it also has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.

Half a liter of infusion or decoction of a birch lip is heated, half a kilogram of honey or brown sugar is put into it. The mixture, stirring, is boiled until a homogeneous consistency, cooled and poured into dark glass containers. Chaga syrup should be taken in a dessert spoon with meals up to 3 times a day.

Application for diseases

Against cancer

It has been studied that the metabolic products of tinder fungus can directly affect the tumor, causing the death of cancer cells. Medical observations have shown that the use of chaga brought significant relief to cancer patients, even in the third and fourth stages of the disease. A monthly course of treatment with birch lip infusion relieved pain, so that patients did not even need narcotic painkillers.

from prostate adenoma

The growth of the epithelium in the prostate gland is accompanied by painful symptoms, as the tumor compresses the urethra. A three-week course of therapy with an elixir of infusion of chaga and burdock roots significantly improves the state of health, stops the increase in the glandular tissue of the organ.

A quarter cup of chaga infusion is combined with. To prepare it, take a tablespoon of fresh grated rhizome and boil in 2 cups of water for 4 minutes. The mixture is consumed four times a day, 2 tablespoons half an hour before a meal.

Therapy for atherosclerosis


A pathology characterized by thickening of the arteries is fraught with disturbances in blood circulation and the occurrence of blood clots. The benefits of chaga in the treatment of atherosclerosis due to the complex of active acids and salts are undeniable. Herbalists advise using a mushroom infusion in conjunction with unrefined vegetable oil in a 1:1 ratio. A tablespoon of infusion is combined in oil and immediately eaten. Do this 25 minutes before lunch.

Before drinking chaga, you need to refrain from food for a couple of hours. The procedure is repeated before dinner. So they are treated for ten days, then they wait a five-day pause and repeat the course again. The next break has been going on for 10 days and ends with the last ten-day cycle of taking the healing mixture.

Help with herpes

There are some effective tips on how to take chaga to get rid of sores. When the very first symptoms of herpes appear, you should use a swab dipped in an alcohol tincture of tinder fungus.

Keep it on the affected area for at least 10 minutes. Another method of treatment is the treatment of viral rashes with a decoction or chaga ointment. The procedure is carried out up to 5 times a day.

fungus vs fungus

Immunotropic and bactericidal activity of the birch lip provides healing of the skin with fungal infections. Ethyl tincture of chaga is washed with damaged areas up to three times a day. A mixture of a tablespoon of chaga infusion and 100 g of bee honey relieves itching.

Pharmaceutical preparations from chaga

There is a line of birch chaga products that can be purchased at the pharmacy chain. These are Chaga Cellular Juice, Befungin medicine, Chaga tea, cream-balm, Litovit Ch tablets, Chagovit phytoelixir.

For self-production of preparations, chaga extract is also sold in the form of capsules and concentrates. These remedies perfectly heal wounds and ulcers, soothe pain, increase the body's resistance.

Application restrictions

In certain circumstances, a ban is imposed on the use of birch fungus. It:

  1. Edema and fluid retention in the body;
  2. Taking antibiotics.
  3. Getting glucose intravenously.
  4. Disease of dysentery.
  5. Overexcitation of the central nervous system.
  6. Pregnancy.

Chaga contraindications apply, of course, to those who have an individual intolerance to the components of the tinder fungus.

About the benefits and harms of horse chestnut.
Be healthy!

Trutovik beveled or inonotus beveled belongs to the department of fungi Basidiomycetes. The barren form of the fungus is called chaga or birch fungus. Since the fungus most often infects birches, it received the popular name "black birch mushroom".


Chaga grows in the birch forests of Russia, in the east of Europe, in Korea, in the USA. The area is closely connected with the area of ​​birch growth. Sometimes the fungus affects such types of trees as alder, mountain ash, beech, elm, maple.

As a medicinal raw material, fruit outgrowths and spore-bearing bodies of birch chaga are collected throughout the year, but most actively in late autumn, winter or early spring, when there are no leaves on the trees and it is easier to notice the fungus.
Chaga is chopped with an ax near the tree trunk, the loose light-colored part, which is not suitable for use, is cleaned, the remnants of bark and wood are removed, and the mushroom is divided into pieces. Chaga is dried in air or at a temperature not exceeding 60 ° C in dryers. The dried mushroom is stored in a glass, tightly closed container, protected from light for up to 2 years.


Birch chaga is not an edible mushroom, but it is used in medicine as it has antimicrobial, antispasmodic and diuretic effects, normalizes the intestinal microflora, accelerates the healing of duodenal ulcers and stomach ulcers, normalizes the functioning of the heart and respiratory system, improves immunity, speeds up metabolism, has antitumor, analgesic and anti-inflammatory action, lowers blood sugar levels.
Chaga is used for gastritis, for the treatment of diseases of the skin, kidneys and liver, pancreas and gallbladder. Means based on chaga are also used for colds, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. Decoctions and infusions are known as a laxative, hemostatic and hypnotic. For preventive purposes, chaga is taken as a tea.
Tea with birch chaga:
Dried chopped mushroom is poured with boiling water (1:5) and infused in a thermos. Take an infusion of half a glass half an hour before meals.

Types of birch chaga

Related species of birch chaga are radiant and bristly-haired tinder fungi.


The fruit body is annual, looks like a sessile, widely adherent lateral cap, if there are several of them, then they form a kind of “tile”. The caps are about 5 cm long, 6-8 cm wide, 5-20 mm thick. The caps are flattened, the edge is sharp, in young mushrooms the surface is velvety, from yellow to red-brown, later it becomes naked, shiny, rusty or dark brown, wrinkled. The flesh is shiny, fibrous, light brown or red-brown.
The fungus infects the wood of deciduous trees, grows mainly on alder, rarely on birches. It is found in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, in the Himalayas.


The fruiting body is annual, capped, sessile, solitary or 2-3 caps form a "tile", grows widely to the substrate. The size of the cap is 10 × 16 × 8 cm. The surface of young mushrooms is colored red-orange, later red-brown or blackish, velvety-hairy. The flesh is brownish in color, light at the edge and surface of the caps, radially fibrous.
The fungus is common in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, grows on broad-leaved trees, oaks, ash and apple trees, less common on fir, maple, horse chestnut, alder, birch, hawthorn, beech, walnut, mulberry, pear, plane tree, poplar, plum.

Poisonous and inedible species of birch chaga

Poisonous similar species have not been described for birch chaga.


Calorie content of 100 g of birch chaga is 20 kcal. Of them:
Proteins:………………..2.1 g
Fats:………………..0.8 g
Carbohydrates:……………1.2 g


On the basis of chaga, the drug befungin is produced, which is used to treat chronic gastritis and ulcers, in the treatment of cancer patients.