Chaga Mushroom Tea Explained
A Tea Drinker’s Guide to Everything Chaga
Want to shake up your tea drinking routine? Chaga mushroom tea might be just what you are looking for. Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries for its numerous health benefits, this mighty mushroom is gaining in popularity around the world, and for good reason. Hailed as a superfood, chaga is packed with a plethora of powerful antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are crucial to keeping the body performing in peak condition. The chaga mushroom has been shown to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, promote cardiovascular health, regulate blood sugar, and treat lung and liver cancer. If you are looking to take your tea drinking experience to the next level, read on to learn why you should drink chaga tea.
What Are Chaga Mushrooms?
Found growing on birch trees throughout the Northern Hemisphere, the chaga mushrooms —also known as Inonotus obliquus—mushroom has been used in the East for centuries for its many health benefits. This non-toxic fungus has a burnt charcoal exterior with a yellowish-brown colour on the interior. After birch trees become infected with chaga, the fungus can be harvested sustainably in about 3 to 5 years.
Consuming chaga in tea form is the best way to take advantage of this medicinal mushroom’s benefits. Today, both natural health enthusiasts and physicians alike are raving about its potent bio-active ingredients.
What Are the Health Benefits of Chaga Tea?
Curious about the wonderous health benefits of chaga mushrooms? Read on to learn about the amazing chaga tea advantage that does the body good.
Boost the immune system
Chaga mushrooms are known for its ability to support the immune system. Chaga can provide your body with the boost it needs to fight off colds, flu, and other viruses. Recognized as a Biological Response Modifier (BRM), chaga is also capable of stimulating immune cells that can fend off serious illnesses and diseases.
Prevent and treat cancer
Researchers have discovered that chaga is effective in fighting and preventing a variety of cancers, including lung, cervical, and liver cancers. The antioxidants in chaga prevent free radicals from causing cell damage. What’s more, chaga may reduce the growth of tumours without affecting the healthy cells.
Treats gastrointestinal issues and ulcers
Struggling with painful ulcers? Drinking chaga tea can help ease your suffering. Because of its amazing immune-boosting properties, chaga can improve gastrointestinal health. For centuries, it has been used to treat ulcers and support the entire digestive system.
Slows the aging process
One of the top causes of the physical signs of aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, and grey hair, is oxidative stress. The sun, pollution, and other factors can also contribute to free radical activity that can speed up the aging process. Chaga tea, when consumed regularly, can help fight free radicals and slow down the hands of time.
Reduces inflammation
Whether it is due to stress, injuries, or a chronic health problem like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation is a common issue for many people. Chaga can have an anti-inflammatory effect by regulating the production of cytokines. In addition to fighting inflammation, regularly drinking chaga tea can also prevent the onset of autoimmune diseases.
Offers stress support
Chronic stress can cause or worsen a wide range of health issues, from insomnia and mental health concerns to gastrointestinal problems and immune system dysfunction. Chaga promotes the body’s ability to adapt and respond to stress by normalizing the body’s physiology.
Improves endurance
If you are feeling sluggish, chaga can give you a much-needed energy boost without the jitters. Researchers have demonstrated that chaga contributes to increased physical endurance and energy levels. While these studies are in the early stages, the results are promising.
Where can Chaga Mushrooms be found?
These mushrooms grow best on the outside of yellow and white living birch trees in colder climates. Chaga mushrooms can be found in Canada, Russia, northeast China, and northern European countries and the United States. We’ve found chaga growing rarely in southern British Columbia.
The average size of a full-grown mushroom is 15 to 20 inches, but they can definitely grow larger.
What Does Chaga Tea Taste Like?
Just because something is good for you doesn’t mean it has to taste dreadful. The flavour of chaga tea is delicate and distinct. It has an earthy and slightly bitter flavour, but still smooth. In addition, chaga contains a naturally occurring form of vanillin, giving it a slight vanilla taste. If you are worried about the taste, we recommend combining it with your favourite herbal tea.
How To Make Chaga Mushroom Tea?
Just like you would steep any other kind of tea, soak your chaga mushroom tea bag for at least 5 minutes in hot water. If you are using chaga powder for your tea, you should filter it through a fine-mesh strainer. The temperature of the water is also important. Preferably, it should not exceed 180°F or 82°C.
Whether you are a seasoned tea sipper or new to the tea-drinking scene, the advantages of consuming chaga are far too many to ignore.
For health and happiness in a cup, our Chaga Chunks make great tea!
Brainfood Mushrooms Company also carries chaga supplements if you would like to get the health benefits from chaga mushrooms but don’t have time to sit an enjoy a cup of chaga mushroom tea. Pick up a bag of our organic dried chaga chunks in bulk.