Exploring the charcoal-colored chaga mushroom
California air quality is still very poor, so I am exploring supportive foods this week, and a very unusual, Northern-Hemisphere native is high on my list — the charcoal-colored chaga mushroom.
I am purposely careful when suggesting mushrooms to my clients (the culinary and medicinal kind, that is…. I’ll leave the psychedelic ‘shrooms to others!). Some mushrooms can be classified as more than just food. They can be seen as nutraceuticals, which are foods (or food products) that provide significant health and medical benefits and have physiological effects.
While button and portobello mushrooms have long been commonplace in our grocery markets and mainstream cuisine, other species are new to many of us, and species like chaga are especially potent. Studies do suggest chaga can be beneficial, but it is a good idea to use it mindfully and with care.
Mushrooms are an ancient friend to humans (and to all of nature, in fact) and have been used as a folk remedies for a range of ailments.
The two therapeutic uses of chaga that piqued my interest this week are the stimulation of immune system and the reduction of inflammation.
Do NOT consume chaga if: *
- You are taking blood-thinning medications (eg, warfarin): Laboratory studies suggest that chaga may cause additional effects.
- You are taking diabetic medications: Laboratory studies suggest that chaga may also lower blood sugar, causing additional effects.
- You have kidney disease: Chaga is high in oxalates and may cause kidney problems in some individuals.
(* https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/chaga-mushroom)
And I will add two more caveats:
If you want to try chaga, don’t overdo it and listen to your body. Anything consumed in excess can cause problems — even too much water or kale, believe it or not — but when it comes to nutraceuticals like chaga, which may be new to you, this cliché seems to fit: a little goes a long way.
Medicinal mushrooms are classified in one of two ways — edible or extracted. Chaga is an extracted species. The extraction process is necessary to make at least some of the active components usable by the body. Today, I used a packet of Foursigmatic’s chaga mushroom elixir in my coffee.
This is how I made it:
- 10 ounces of brewed coffee
- 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
- Dash of cinnamon
- Dash of vanilla extract
- 1 packet of Foursigmatic’s chaga mushroom elixir
Put all ingredients in your high-speed blender. (When blending hot beverages, I always add coffee, tea or hot water last to minimize its time in the plastic blender jar). Blend for 30 seconds until frothy.
