Medicinal mushroom CHAGA - where does it grow and what are its effects?

Meet one of the best-known functional mushrooms: Chaga (Inonotus obliquus).

Chaga most commonly grows on birch trees and is easy to recognize because of its unusual appearance. It forms a dark, cracked, irregular growth on the trunk that can look almost like a piece of burnt charcoal. This black outer mass is a sterile conk made up of fungal tissue and wood. Inside, Chaga is orange-brown and has a mild, earthy aroma.

Chaga is a parasitic fungus. Its spores enter a tree through damaged areas in the bark, after which the fungus slowly grows inside the living tree and breaks down the wood. The infected tree can remain alive for many years while the fungus develops. Chaga grows very slowly, and larger conks may take many years to form.

Chaga has a long history of traditional use in Siberia, Russia and other northern regions. Today, scientists are particularly interested in the wide range of compounds found in Chaga, including polysaccharides such as beta-glucans, triterpenoids, polyphenols and melanin. These compounds are being studied for their biological properties and their interaction with different processes in the human body.

Research into Chaga has explored areas such as antioxidant activity, immune-related processes, inflammation and fatigue. Much of this work comes from laboratory, animal or early-stage research, so it should not be interpreted as proof that Chaga supplements can prevent or treat specific diseases.

Chaga grows naturally in Lithuania and other northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America. Because the fungus grows slowly, increased commercial demand has raised questions about sustainable wild harvesting. Research has shown that Chaga can also be cultivated by inoculating birch trees, allowing the fungus to develop under controlled forest conditions.

That is why we are happy that the Chaga used in our extracts is grown in northern Finland. Our partners work with forest owners to inoculate selected birch trees with Chaga. The fungus then grows on the trees for several years and is harvested once mature, providing a more controlled and sustainable alternative to relying entirely on wild harvesting.