Medicinal Mushrooms….What Does The Evidence Say?

Mushrooms have been used as medicine for thousands of years, the earliest documented use of mushrooms was by Hippocrates (The Greek physician) around 450 BC , specifically the amadou mushroom which he believed was a potent anti-inflammatory and useful for sealing wounds. Over the years medicinal mushrooms have been associated with a range of healing benefits from curing cancer to aiding weight loss. I would like to know if there is any truth to these claims?

I am going to look at one mushroom in particular as I have recently included it into my daily routine and I am really feeling the benefits but I am keen to know if there is any evidence that supports this. The Mushroom is known as the Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus). It grows mainly on birch trees in very cold climates and has an appearance of burnt charcoal.

Is the Chaga mushroom safe?

Starting with the Hippocratic oath….above all do no harm…

I can safely say from my own personal experience that I have had no side effects from drinking one cup of Chaga tea a day for the past few months. I chose a Bhudda teas product I bought from Amazon with pre packaged envelopes of the tea. The price packs a punch when consuming regularly however when considering the potential health benefits I felt it was worth a punt. There are also cheaper loose tea options available from other sources however I was aware that variations in concentration could occur with the loose tea unless measuring or weighing out the required amount so opted for the teabag to save time and be consistent. The bags are unbleached which is a plus. There is also the option of buying the Chaga mushroom in powder or capsule form however I personally do not recommend this and I will explain why below.

What does the evidence say?

On the whole the evidence does not report any negative effects and does deem Chaga to be safe however there are situations where you should avoid consuming.

If you are taking medications for diabetes or if you are taking any anti-clotting (blood thinning) medication, Chaga has anti diabetic and blood thinning properties so this is not a safe option. If you are taking any medication or at all unsure if you should consume this tea please visit your medical health professional for advice.

Chaga tea also contains high levels of oxalates (which are naturally found in plants such as spinach) which if consumed in excessive amounts can cause kidney stones and reduce absorption of important minerals such as iron. There is anecdotal evidence of a female who consumed Chaga tablets for 6 months and developed kidney stones . This is why I would personally be cautious of consuming the powder or tablet for long periods. I feel the tea form may be a safer option as I believe the heat from the boiling water would destroy some of the oxalates however I have not come across any specific evidence that confirms this theory.

What are the benefits?

“Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” Hippocrates

The Chaga Mushroom has antiviral properties…….Can it protect me from Covid-19?

Given the current pandemic I must admit that the claim that these mushrooms are antiviral is very appealing but is there any evidence to suggest Chaga can give us protection against Covid-19? In short no, there is no current evidence that supports this however this is an emerging situation and there is much to learn. Evidence does suggest that there are antiviral properties in this mushroom, namely for the Hepatitis C virus and the Herpes Simplex virus (better known as the cold sore) In both of the viruses studied it appears the Chaga mushroom has the ability to reduce the infectivity of the virus with very low risk to healthy cells.

The effect of Chaga on Diabetes

The Chaga mushroom demonstrates blood sugar lowering abilities, it was also shown to be able to repair damage to the pancreas in diabetic mice. It could also tackle obesity as there is evidence which suggests that this mushroom can increase metabolic activity , lower body weight and increase body temperature.

The Chaga mushroom and cancer

This is the area with the most extensive evidence. In the study of human cells Chaga has been shown to be able to selectively target some cancer cells and is able to cause cell death of cancer in liver, lung, brain, colon and cervical cancer cells.

The Chaga mushroom and inflammatory conditions

There are a number of studies demonstrating the anti-inflammatory effects of Chaga in vitro (in a petri dish) as well as human cell studies, particularly relating to the gastrointestinal tract and inflammatory bowel disease . In animal studies it has demonstrated both anti inflammatory and pain relieving effects.

In addition to all of these benefits Chaga has demonstrated exercise and endurance enhancing abilities as well as resulting in gains in cognitive function and having anti-oxidant effects in animal studies so it could help us to be fitter, and faster both physically and mentally. I can testify that during the time I have been drinking Chaga tea my brain fog has significantly lifted and I have more energy.

Consensus: After weighing up the substantial evidence of Chaga’s health benefits one thing strikes me, that although there are human cell studies there are no studies on living humans, therefore it is not possible to say with absolute certainty that this mushroom has the suggested health benefits in humans not to mention what would be the optimum dosage. For me, I will continue to drink my daily cuppa as I feel there is a substantial body of evidence suggesting a variety of benefits and very little that suggests harm.