Growing throughout hardwood forests in the Northern Hemisphere, chaga has been revered in traditional healing practices for its beneficial qualities. A mushroom, or technically a sclerotia, chaga also goes by the name cinder conk, clinker polypore, and black mass. Often used as a tonic, this unique and strange looking mushroom is employed in many of the same ways today as it was in historical practices.
A fungus, chaga is a parasitic carpophore that looks like the charred remains of burned wood on the side of a birch tree. Chaga is also seen growing on elm and alder, although it mostly prefers birch. It is not the fruiting body of the fungus, rather a sclerotia or mass of mycelium. The parasite enters the tree through a 'wound' in the bark of a mature tree. It slowly grows under the bark until it erupts in a deeply cracked, black charcoal like mass. It usually takes another 5-7 years for the mass to fully mature, at which point it falls to the forest floor, often killing the host tree in the process.
For centuries, chaga has been a part of folk medicine throughout the Northern Hemisphere and is especially significant in the traditional healing systems of Russia, Poland, China, and numerous Baltic countries. Chaga is used in traditional Russian folk herbalism and Traditional Chinese Medicine to support gastrointestinal health, and as a tonic to support overall health.* The antioxidant activity of polysaccharides (beta-glucans) contained in chaga help maintain cell integrity and fight free radicals.* Chaga supports immune health to help you stay feeling your best and supports the body’s immune defenses to stay feeling healthy.*
Chaga has historically been prepared as a decoction but is also commonly made into a tincture. There have even been reports of chaga being the base for liqueurs and as a substitute for hops in beer. In Russia, the mushroom can be found as a syrup, a tablet, an aerosol, and even as a suppository. Today, chaga is added to a range of beverages including chai teas, coffee, and broths.
Our chaga tincture is carefully double extracted in small batches by our expert team. Earthy in flavor with a slight sweetness, chaga extract can be taken directly on the tongue or added to water or juice. We like to mix chaga tincture with some of our other extracts to create personalized, healthful blends. We especially like to combine chaga with other mushroom extracts such as reishi extract or maitake extract and adaptogenic herbs like astragalus extract, ashwagandha extract, and rhodiola extract. The flavor can typically be masked when added to hot teas such as herbal coffee or classic chai.
Ingredients
Organic alcohol, water, and dried organic chaga mushroom.
Packaging & Shipping
• 1 oz., 2 oz., and 4 oz. extracts come in amber glass bottles with a dropper.
• 8 oz. and 16 oz. sizes come in amber glass bottles with a plastic screw cap and do not include a dropper.
• 32 oz. extracts come in plastic bottles with a plastic screw cap.
Precautions
No known precautions. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.
