Canadian Chaga Mushroom 360mg | Mycelia & Sclerotium | Wild Harvested | 120 Vcaps

Canadian chaga mushroom, scientifically known as Inonotus obliquus, is a functional fungus commonly found on birch trees in cold northern forests. The dark, charcoal-like growth harvested from the tree is known as the chaga conk or sclerotium. Chaga has a long history of traditional use in northern European and Asian cultures and is commonly consumed as tea, powder or capsules.

Chaga is primarily used as a source of naturally occurring fungal compounds that support general health and wellness. Laboratory and animal research has investigated chaga for:

• Antioxidant activity
• Immune-system activity
• Support for a healthy inflammatory response
• Protection against oxidative stress
• General wellness and healthy aging

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a fungus that parasitizes living birch trees in boreal forests across Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia. The visible black mass (sclerotium) is a sterile conk formed by the fungus as it colonizes the birch host over many years. Wild chaga growing on birch accumulates betulinic acid and betulin from the birch host triterpenoids unique to wild birch grown chaga that are absent in laboratory cultivated chaga grown on grain substrates. This chaga is wild harvested from Canadian birch forests.

The sclerotium is the visible black exterior mass traditionally harvested and used in herbal medicine for centuries in northern Russia, Siberia, and Scandinavia. It is particularly rich in the melanin polyphenol complex and birch derived triterpenoids (betulinic acid and betulin) accumulated from the birch host. The mycelia are the thread like fungal network growing through the wood beneath the sclerotium, containing chaga's characteristic polysaccharides, beta glucans, and triterpenoids produced by the living fungal tissue. Including both provides a broader representation of chaga's full bioactive spectrum than a single source product.

Wild chaga growing on birch trees accumulates betulinic acid and betulin directly from the birch host triterpenoids that are a distinctive part of wild chaga's bioactive profile and are absent in laboratory cultivated chaga grown on grain or sawdust substrates. Cultivated chaga does not have access to a birch host and therefore cannot accumulate these birch-derived compounds. Wild harvested Canadian chaga provides the full bioactive profile associated with traditional chaga use, including the birch derived triterpenoids alongside the melanin complex, beta glucans, and polysaccharides.

This formula uses whole dried chaga, not a concentrated extract. All naturally occurring bioactive compounds the melanin polyphenol complex, polysaccharides, beta glucans, betulinic acid, betulin, inotodiol, lanosterol, polyphenols, and flavonoids are present in the ratios in which they exist in wild chaga. No compound class is selectively concentrated or depleted. A concentrated extract selectively enriches certain compounds (e.g. beta glucans or polysaccharides) while potentially reducing others. The 360mg per capsule represents 360mg of whole chaga material containing this full spectrum profile.

Chaga is one of the richest natural sources of antioxidant compounds. Its profile includes the melanin complex (particularly concentrated in the sclerotium), polysaccharides and beta glucans from the fungal cell wall, betulinic acid and betulin from the birch host, inotodiol and lanosterol (lanostane-type triterpenoids characteristic of Inonotus obliquus), and polyphenols and flavonoids.

Contraindication: do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Consult a healthcare practitioner before use if you are taking anticoagulant medications, immunosuppressants, diabetes medications, or prescription medications, or if you have an autoimmune condition, kidney disease, or a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Consult a healthcare practitioner for prolonged use.