Chaga Mushroom

(Inonotus obliquus)

Other Names:
Birch canker polypore, Black mass, Cinder conk, Clinker polypore, and Tinder fungus

Range:

Family:
Hymenochaetaceae – Polypore family

Growth Type:
Typically the part of the mushroom we see and call a mushroom is in fact the fruit of the mushroom. The actual mushroom, or mycelium is located below the ground, or surface of the tree or stump. In the instance of Inonotus obliquus the hard black charcoal looking growth you see on the side of the birch tree is in fact the sterile mycelium. There is small fertile fruiting body called a resupinate fungus growing near the mushroom.

Cap:
Does not possess a true cap.

Stem:
Stalkless.

Pores:
Pores (3-5 per mm) angular to elongate;

Spores:
7.5-10 x 5-7.5 µ; broadly elliptical;

Spore Print:
Colorless, becoming light yellow

Height:
10-16" (25-45 cm ) wide

Miscellaneous characteristics:
This mushroom is called the Clinker because its canker resembles something which has been burned and fused together..

Season:
All Year

Habitat:
Moist fertile areas throughout Canada and the northern United States.

Parts Used:
Entire mycelium.

Cautions:
None Known

National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms Description:

Large, Black, Stalkless, cracked canker, mushroom: sterile core 10-16" (25-45 cm )wide; black, very hard, deeply cracked; fertile portion up to 5 mm thick, crust-like, thin, dark brown.
Tubes: 5-10 mm long; oblique, usually split in front.
pores: (3-5 per mm) angular to elongate; whitish, becoming dark brown.
Spores: 7.5-10 x 5-7.5 µ; broadly elliptical; smooth; colorless, becoming light yellow. Setae present.

Culinary Uses:
This mushroom makes an excellent tea, and is used in parts of Asia as a coffee substitute. My favorite use for Chaga is as an all natural energy booster. The constituents of this mushroom increase energy and stamina without any of the side effect of OTC energy drinks. For an energy boost, simply break off a small piece of the mushroom and boil it in a couple of cups of water for about 10 minutes. Strain this tea, sweeten with honey or sugar to taste, and sip to enjoy. The tincture described below will also give the energy boost of the tea, but it is not as easy to prepare in the field.

The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.

Traditional Medicinal Uses:
Medicinally is where this mushroom comes into its own. Siberians call chaga the "Gift from God", or the "Mushroom of Immortality". The Japanese call it the "Diamond of the Forest". While the Chinese call it the "King of Plants'. Knowing that the Chinese have a rich history with medicinal plants, this says quite a lot. It is an excellent Adaptogen. It has also been shown to be highly effective at treating cancer. The Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote about how his own stomach cancer was cured by using Inonotus obliquus. I have read an account of a Russian study where Psoriasis patients were treated with Chaga, and it cured their Psoriasis. This may mean it will also be effective at treating psoriatic arthritis, and other immune related arthritises. Chaga has an immune-modulating effect. Meaning that it normalizes the response of your immune system. If you have an overactive immune system it actually begins attacking your body. Examples of this are Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis, and Crohn's Disease. I read a published abstract from a clinical trial performed on 20 IBD patients and a control group of 20 healthy individuals. The results were amazing. Chaga extract was shown to reduce Lymphocytes by 54.9% in the IBD patients and 34.9% in the control group. If you have an under-active immune system, Chaga will build your immune system so that you can fight off the bugs each of us comes into contact with on a daily basis.

Inonotus obliquus has been shown to be effective in the treatment of tuberculosis, heart disease, cancer and stomach issues (Shikov et al., 2014). Multiple studies have shown it to posess anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidative and immunomodulatory properties (Chen et al., 2015) (Glamoclija et al., 2015) (Hu et al., 2016) (Lee et al., 2014) (Ma et al., 2013). I. obliquus contains triterpenoids, polyphenols, melanin pigments and polysaccharides which are likely to be, at least in part, responsible for its bioactive effects (Chen et al., 2015) (Hwang et al., 2016) (Kim et al., 2005) (Youn et al., 2009) (Zhao et al., 2015) (Zheng et al., 2010).

This mushroom must be studied in greater depth by this country. I believe however, that the studies must be conducted using complete extracts rather than attempting to identify individual phytochemicals which can then by synthesized by drug manufacturers.

This plant has been shown, by scientific studies, to be effective for the treatment of the following conditions. The fact that studies concerning all traditional uses listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said uses are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopia prior to the rise of allopathic medicine.

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema): Anil Kumar, Nanjangud V., Cristina Quispe, Jesús Herrera-Bravo, Lisandra Herrera Belén, Pía Loren, Luis A. Salazar, Victor Silva et al. "Potential of Mushrooms Bioactive for the Treatment of Skin Diseases and Disorders." Journal of Food Biochemistry 2023, no. 1 (2023): 5915769.

Cancer: Lu Y, Jia Y, Xue Z, Li N, Liu J, Chen H. Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Apr 29;13(9):1441. doi: 10.3390/polym13091441. PMID: 33947037; PMCID: PMC8124789.

Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes): Lu Y, Jia Y, Xue Z, Li N, Liu J, Chen H. Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Apr 29;13(9):1441. doi: 10.3390/polym13091441. PMID: 33947037; PMCID: PMC8124789.

Eczema (Skin rash): Anil Kumar, Nanjangud V., Cristina Quispe, Jesús Herrera-Bravo, Lisandra Herrera Belén, Pía Loren, Luis A. Salazar, Victor Silva et al. "Potential of Mushrooms Bioactive for the Treatment of Skin Diseases and Disorders." Journal of Food Biochemistry 2023, no. 1 (2023): 5915769.

Fatigue (Exhaustion): Lu Y, Jia Y, Xue Z, Li N, Liu J, Chen H. Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Apr 29;13(9):1441. doi: 10.3390/polym13091441. PMID: 33947037; PMCID: PMC8124789.

Hyperlipidemia (High cholesterol): Lu Y, Jia Y, Xue Z, Li N, Liu J, Chen H. Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Apr 29;13(9):1441. doi: 10.3390/polym13091441. PMID: 33947037; PMCID: PMC8124789.

Osteoarthritis (OA) : Qian, Wanfeng, Ruheng Ji, Qiujie Ye, Wenjun Hu, Linying Zhou, Hongwu Pan, and Xiaoming Li. "Inotodiol ameliorates the progression of osteoarthritis: An in vitro and in vivo study." Drug Research 73, no. 09 (2023): 506-512.

Primary Immunodeficiency (Poorly functioning immune system): Lu, Youyou, Xiaohong Zhou, Xi Liang, Yeting Wu, Ruiqi Wang, Zhe Zhang, Pimin Gong et al. "Inonotus obliquus (Fr.) Pilat (IOPE) ameliorates immune response via LKB1-Bax-Casepase-3-PARP pathways in B16-F10 cells induced low immunity BALB/c mice model." (2022).

Psoriatic Arthritis (PA) (Inflammatory arthritis consistent with psoriasis): Dzovor, Deborah Elikplim. "Harnessing the potential of the medicinal fungus Innonotus obliquus to induce tumoricidal macrophages." Master's thesis, 2021.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) (Inflammatory arthritis): Dzovor, Deborah Elikplim. "Harnessing the potential of the medicinal fungus Innonotus obliquus to induce tumoricidal macrophages." Master's thesis, 2021.

Search For
Scientific Papers

Medicinal Actions:
Adaptogen, Alterative, Anti-Inflammatory, Antimitotic, Antimutagenic, Antineoplastic, Antioxidant, Antipsoriatic, Immunomodulator, Immunostimulant, Tonic

This plant has been shown, by scientific studies, to exibit the following medicinal actions. The fact that studies concerning all of the traditional medicinal actions listed above have not yet been completed, does not mean said actions are invalid. The plants I have included have a long history of effective use, and most were part of the U.S. Pharmacopia prior to the rise of allopathic medicine.

Adaptogen (Improves the body's ability to adapt to stress of any sort): Puiroux, Thomas Etienne. "The Chaga (Inonotus obliquus): an adaptogen mushroom." (2023).

Anticancer (Prevents or delays the development of cancer): Ma, Lishuai, Haixia Chen, Peng Dong, and Xueming Lu. "Anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of extracts and compounds from the mushroom Inonotus obliquus." Food chemistry 139, no. 1-4 (2013): 503-508.

Anti-Inflammatory (Helps the body combat inflammation): Ingo, Caroline. "A comparative study between the medicinal mushrooms Inonotus obliquus and Ganoderma lucidum-An analysis between polysaccharides, triterpenes and their functions." Master's thesis, 2013.

Antimutagenic (Reduces spontaneous mutations within cells): Ham, Seung-Shi, Soo-Hyun Kim, Sun-Young Moon, Mi Ja Chung, Cheng-Bi Cui, Eun-Kyung Han, Cha-Kwon Chung, and Myeon Choe. "Antimutagenic effects of subfractions of Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) extract." Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis 672, no. 1 (2009): 55-59.

Antioxidant (Renders free radicals harmless): Cui, Yong, Dong-Seok Kim, and Kyoung-Chan Park. "Antioxidant effect of Inonotus obliquus." Journal of Ethnopharmacology 96, no. 1-2 (2005): 79-85.

Antipsoriatic (Alleviates symptoms of Psoriasis): Kim, Yeon-Ran. "Immunomodulatory activity of the water extract from medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus." Mycobiology 33, no. 3 (2005): 158-162.

Antiviral (Regulates blood sugar): Tee, P.Y.E., Krishnan, T., Cheong, X.T. et al. A review on the cultivation, bioactive compounds, health-promoting factors and clinical trials of medicinal mushrooms Taiwanofungus camphoratus, Inonotus obliquus and Tropicoporus linteus. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 11, 7 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40694-024-00176-3

Hypoglycemic (Regulates blood sugar): Tee, P.Y.E., Krishnan, T., Cheong, X.T. et al. A review on the cultivation, bioactive compounds, health-promoting factors and clinical trials of medicinal mushrooms Taiwanofungus camphoratus, Inonotus obliquus and Tropicoporus linteus. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 11, 7 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40694-024-00176-3

Hypolipidemic (Reduces the amount of lipids in the body): Tee, P.Y.E., Krishnan, T., Cheong, X.T. et al. A review on the cultivation, bioactive compounds, health-promoting factors and clinical trials of medicinal mushrooms Taiwanofungus camphoratus, Inonotus obliquus and Tropicoporus linteus. Fungal Biol Biotechnol 11, 7 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40694-024-00176-3

Immunomodulator (Modulates immune response#41;: Kim, Yeon-Ran. "Immunomodulatory activity of the water extract from medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus." Mycobiology 33, no. 3 (2005): 158-162.

Immunostimulant (Stimulates the immune system): Ingo, Caroline. "A comparative study between the medicinal mushrooms Inonotus obliquus and Ganoderma lucidum-An analysis between polysaccharides, triterpenes and their functions." Master's thesis, 2013.

Tonic (Strengthens and supports the function of the whole body): Ingo, Caroline. "A comparative study between the medicinal mushrooms Inonotus obliquus and Ganoderma lucidum-An analysis between polysaccharides, triterpenes and their functions." Master's thesis, 2013.

Herbal Preparations For Chaga

While teas from Chaga have been used for centuries, they only provide part of the medicinal benefits of this amazing medicinal powerhouse. In order to achieve the full benefits, you will need to make the double extraction detained below. For those who just want to dip their toe in the medicinal pond, I have also included recipes for a tea and a decoction.

Tea

Part Used: Visible Mushroom
Plant State: Fresh or Dried
Place 2 tsp of fresh chopped mushroom, or 1 tsp of dried mushroom in a large mug. Pour boiling water over the mushroom, cover the mug, and steep for 20 minutes. Strain to remove sediment. Sweeten with a tsp of honey if desired, and enjoy your tea.
Dosage: 1 mug up to 3 times daily.

Strong Decoction

Part Used: Visible Mushroom
Plant State: Fresh or Dried
Place 2 ounces of fresh mushroom, or 1 ounce of dried mushroom into a pan. Add 1 quart of water, and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat, stirring periodically, until reduced by half. Allow the mixture to cool completely, and then add enough water to bring the level up to the original starting point. Now bring the water back to a boil, once again reduce the heat to medium, and continue to boil until the liquid has reduced by half. Allow the decoction to cool completely, and then strain it through cheesecloth, a coffee filter or papertowels. This decoction will last for a couple of days in your refrigerator.
Dosage: 4-6 oz up to 3 times daily.

Double Extracted Tincture

Like many plants, mushrooms contain some phytochemicals which are soluble in water, and some which are soluble only in alcohol. Unlike plants, mushroom cell walls are made from Chitin. This extremely strong, substance is only broken down by heat. The problem is that some of the medicinal aspects of the mushroom are destroyed by heat. In order to extract all that a mushroom has to offer, we must use a double extraction method. This is done by first using the fruiting body to create a tincture, and then using that same material to make a strong decoction. Following are the steps necessary to achieve this complete extraction. Rest assured, they sound much more difficult than they actually are.

Part Used: Sporocarp (Fruiting Body)
Plant State: Dried
Alcohol Percentage: 75%
Mushroom to Alcohol Ratio: 1:5
To start your healthful double extracted tincture, add 150grams of chopped mushroom to a quart mason jar. Now fill the jar with 750 ml of 75% ethanol (I use 150 proof Everclear). Next pour the contents of the jar into a blender and blend until all of the plant material is thoroughly chopped into fine pieces and incorporated into the menstrum. This will increase the surface area and provide better leaching of the plant constituents. As a matter of fact, this method works so well that, if necessary, the tincture can be used in as little as 7 days. Now pour the contents of the blender back into the jar, being careful to scrape every last bit of goodness from the blender. Place a lid on the mason jar, shake it well, and place the jar in a dark cupboard. Once a day for the first 7 days, take the jar out of the cupboard and shake it well. Place the jar back into the cupboard, and leave it soak for a total of 4 weeks.

After the tincture has soaked for 30 days, remove it from the cupboard and strain out and retain the mushroom material. Transfer the tincture back to the mason jar. Now place a piece of tape on the outside of the jar, and at the liquid level, draw a line on the tape. Momentarily, pour the tincture into a glass bowl or some other non-reactive container, and set aside. Now add water to the jar to the level marked on the tape. Pour this water into a large pot. Now re-fill the jar a second time with water, and then again, pour it into the pot. When done, you will have twice the volume of water than the volume of tincture. Pour the tincture back into the jar, cover it tightly, and place it in the cupboard while you finish making your decoction.

Pour the mushroom material into the pot with the water, and heat to a boil. Be very careful, as alcohol vapors coming from the mushroom may catch fire. If this happens, simply put a lid on the pot to suppress flames. This may happen a few times at the beginning of your heating. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer until the water level has decreased by half. Turn off the heat, keep the pot covered, and allow the pot to cool completely. Once completely cooled, add enough water to the pot to bring the water level back to the original level. Bring the water back to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the water level once again reduces by 50%. Now turn off the heat, and allow the decoction to cool completely. When thoroughly cooled, strain out the now fully spent mushroom material, and pour the retained decoction into a large glass bowl, or other non-reactive container. Pour the tincture into the same container, and stir to mix. You should have roughly equal amounts of tincture and decoction. This will result in a doubly extracted tincture that is approximately 35% alcohol. Place this extraction into a jar, or jars, large enough to hold its volume. This extraction should remain viable for a year or more.
Dosage: 1-2 tbsp up to 3 times daily

Reference:
1. Alexander N. Shikov, Olga N. Pozharitskaya, Valery G. Makarov, Hildebert Wagner, Rob Verpoorte, Michael Heinrich, Medicinal Plants of the Russian Pharmacopoeia; their history and applications, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 154, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 481-536, ISSN 0378-8741, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2014.04.007. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874114002827)

2. Chen, W., Zheng, R., Baade, P.D., Zhang, S., Zeng, H., Bray, F., Jemal, A., Yu, X.Q. and He, J. (2016), Cancer statistics in China, 2015. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 66: 115-132. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21338

3. Jasmina Glamočlija, Ana Ćirić, Miloš Nikolić, Ângela Fernandes, Lillian Barros, Ricardo C. Calhelha, Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira, Marina Soković, Leo J.L.D. van Griensven, Chemical characterization and biological activity of Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), a medicinal “mushroom”, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 162, 2015, Pages 323-332, ISSN 0378-8741, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2014.12.069. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874115000045)

4. Yang Hu, Yi Sheng, Min Yu, Koukou Li, Guangming Ren, Xiuhong Xu, Juanjuan Qu, Antioxidant activity of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharide and its amelioration for chronic pancreatitis in mice, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 87, 2016, Pages 348-356, ISSN 0141-8130, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2016.03.006. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014181301630229X) 5. Lee, K. R., Lee, J. S., Song, J. E., Ha, S. J., Hong, E. K."Inonotus obliquus-derived polysaccharide inhibits the migration and invasion of human non-small cell lung carcinoma cells via suppression of MMP-2 and MMP-9". International Journal of Oncology 45, no. 6 (2014): 2533-2540. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2014.2685.

6. Lishuai Ma, Haixia Chen, Peng Dong, Xueming Lu, Anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of extracts and compounds from the mushroom Inonotus obliquus, Food Chemistry, Volume 139, Issues 1–4, 2013, Pages 503-508, ISSN 0308-8146, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.01.030. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814613000526)

7. Chen, W., Zheng, R., Baade, P.D., Zhang, S., Zeng, H., Bray, F., Jemal, A., Yu, X.Q. and He, J. (2016), Cancer statistics in China, 2015. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 66: 115-132. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21338

8. Hwang, B., Lee, IK. & Yun, BS. Phenolic compounds from the fungus Inonotus obliquus and their antioxidant properties. J Antibiot 69, 108–110 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ja.2015.83

9. Yong Ook Kim, Hae Woong Park, Jong Hoon Kim, Jae Young Lee, Seong Hoon Moon, Chul Soo Shin, Anti-cancer effect and structural characterization of endo-polysaccharide from cultivated mycelia of Inonotus obliquus, Life Sciences, Volume 79, Issue 1, 2006, Pages 72-80, ISSN 0024-3205, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2005.12.047. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024320506000026)

10. Myung-Ja Youn, Jin-Kyung Kim, Seong-yeol Park, Yunha Kim, Channy Park, Eun Sook Kim, Kie-In Park, Hong Seob So, Raekil Park, Potential anticancer properties of the water extract of Inontus obliquus by induction of apoptosis in melanoma B16-F10 cells, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 121, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 221-228, ISSN 0378-8741, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2008.10.016. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874108005576)

11. Yanxia Zhao, Weifa Zheng, Deciphering the antitumoral potential of the bioactive metabolites from medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 265, 2021, 113321, ISSN 0378-8741, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2020.113321. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874120332037)

12. Analysis of antioxidant metabolites by solvent extraction from sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) Weifa Zheng, Meimei Zhang, Yanxia Zhao, Kangjie Miao, Shenyuan Pan, Feng Cao, Yucheng Dai First published: 24 January 2011 https://doi.org/10.1002/pca.1225