Description of chaga mushroom
Everyone has seen tinder fungi on the tree - we have known them since childhood. But in a number of regions of Russia there are tinder fungi in the form of dark growths with irregular outlines. Their upper surface is black and resinous. If you make an incision, you will find a dark brown hard tissue inside - this is a chaga mushroom. More often it forms on birches, but sometimes on others - alder, elm or mountain ash.
Description of chaga mushroom
Description of the mushroom
A black birch mushroom in the form of a strange growth on trees does not appear by accident. It usually settles on bark cracked from heat or frost - generally damaged. Spores can get inside the body of a tree and through damaged branches, break points.
Growing deep into the trunk, the chaga mushroom gradually attacks the core. Its fruit body grows slowly, but over time, the infected tree still dies. Large trees - later, small - a little earlier.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
No matter how strange it may seem, but for the species Tinder fungus, or Inonotus beveled, the presence of a sterile form is characteristic, which is called chaga or black birch mushroom. This name comes precisely, firstly, from the tree species on which the development takes place and, secondly, from the color of the fruit body. The sterile form of chaga was named because of its inability to form spores intended for reproduction. Chaga will grow on its tree in "splendid isolation" until the moment when the tree begins to die. And at this time, around the chaga and on the opposite side of the trunk, a spore-bearing body of the fungus, consisting of tubules (hymenophore), will appear. It will develop under the bark and outwardly you will not see it. As soon as the maturation of the spores begins, peculiar ridge-like outgrowths - "persistent plates" will appear. They will break through the bark of the tree and open the hymenophore with spores to the "world".
The size of the mushroom depends on the thickness and type of tree on which it settled. If the trunk is thin, the growth will also be small. On larger trees, the size of the black birch fungus can reach 40 cm in length. The thickness of the outgrowth ranges from 10 to 20 cm. The habitat of the chaga fungus is deciduous or mixed forests growing in humid or moderately humid climatic zones.
Varieties
Inexperienced tourists sometimes confuse chaga mushroom with birch polypores. They are also parasites that grow on birch trees. It is easy to distinguish them by their color.
The chaga mushroom is resinous black, and the tinder fungus looks much lighter, the surface of its fruiting body is gray-brown or with a reddish tint. Moreover, the form itself betrays their difference. The chaga outgrowth has no clear outlines. But the tinder fungus is found in the form of a brownish hoof or sponge attached to the body of the trunk. The flat side is always facing down - the hymenophore is located here. The tinder can be real or false. Outwardly, they are similar to each other:
- fruit bodies are perennial, sessile;
- the leg is missing.
However, there are also differences.So, for example, a real tinder fungus is attached to a tree trunk not with the entire back of the cap, but only with the upper central part. False tinderpop uses the entire "back" of the fruiting body for its attachment, as a result of which it will be much more difficult to separate it from the tree than a real tinder fungus.
Aspen tinder fungus is often found. It does not carry medicinal properties. Therefore, everyone who goes to the forest for medicinal raw materials needs to be able to distinguish it. Sometimes it is worth purchasing chaga powder from a pharmacy - this is a more reliable way.
Beneficial features
The properties of the chaga mushroom are extensive. It is better to harvest the mushroom in the fall.
To obtain a potent medicine, only use growths from live birches. The convex part is cut under the very base, and then cleaned of loose yellowish mass, birch bark, and wood residues. It is not worth taking it from dead trees. Do not collect a mushroom that is located on the trunk lower than 50 cm from the surface of the earth.
To make it easier to dry and store, cut whole pieces of birch mushroom are cut into smaller pieces, about 6-10 cm each. The shelf life of such raw materials is up to 24 months. Store it in dry places, glass sealed vessels, paper bags, and other containers suitable for these purposes.
High-quality drying allows you to preserve the maximum useful properties of the chaga birch mushroom. There is very little moisture in the raw material - 12%, but extractive compounds - 20% or more. Due to its rich composition, growths of birch mushrooms can retain their medicinal and nutritional value.
Application
According to the description, the woody mushroom has found widespread use. There are different ways to prepare medicinal products.
In official medicine
Chaga is used to heal wounds. The drug "Befungin" is obtained from black birch mushrooms in the form of a thick liquid extract (100 ml), as well as in the form of pills, tablets. The tool has a multidirectional medicinal effect.
- Has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes.
- Normalizes the activity of immune cells.
- It protects the body from adverse external radiation (radiation, electromagnetic).
- Improves the functional activity of the endocrine glands.
- Improves blood composition.
- Reduces blood pressure.
- It has a positive effect on the state of brain tissue.
- Improves the functioning of the digestive tract.
There are other ready-made preparations from black tree growth in the pharmacy. These are chaga syrup, herbal drink (which contains chaga), cream-balms (100 ml) for joints, legs, wound healing (of the same name), capsule extract, concentrates, tinctures. Determining the cost and indications for each of these drugs is easy.
In folk medicine
The birch chaga mushroom is used in folk medicine for many diseases. Medicines have a beneficial effect on the body. Methods for obtaining such funds are simple and affordable even at home.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
Birch chaga is considered an effective remedy for problems with the digestive tract. 100 g of raw materials are infused in warm water for several hours. Then it is crushed (with a knife, or with a meat grinder) and again soaked in water for 48 hours at + 60 ° C. Both solutions are mixed. Use three times a day, on an empty stomach (30 minutes before meals). Store in a cold place for about 4 days.
The medicine also helps with gastritis, dyskinesia, atony. The product is intended for internal use. Pre-dissolve it in water (3 tsp / 100 ml) and drink 1 tbsp. before eating.
A birch outgrowth is used for pancreatitis, significantly improving the rate of secretion of the hormone insulin, without which it is impossible to convert the carbohydrates that have entered the body into glucose - a substance easily assimilated by the body. It is widely introduced in the treatment of cancer patients. It is used for oncotherapy of the digestive organs and lungs.
With diabetes mellitus
The inner part of the growth is taken into the composition of the drug that is used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, it then has the greatest sugar-reducing properties. The infusion is prepared according to the following scheme. Grind 50 g of raw materials and steam with a liter of water. Day to insist in a thermos.
With diabetes, the drink is taken before meals three times a day (30 minutes before meals), and so on for a whole month.
Dermatoses
There are cases of complete cure of psoriasis with drugs from a black birch fungus. The following forms of treatment are used:
- infusions for internal use;
- warm baths;
- lotions;
- ointments.
Preparations for treatment are easy to make yourself or buy ready-made. The infusion is easy to obtain at home, and the ointment is prepared from any fat and mushroom powder.
Arthritis
Tincture heals sore joints
Compresses from chopped mushrooms or rubbing with tincture successfully treat sore joints. In this case, the alcohol extract is also taken orally in 1 tbsp. l. an hour before meals for 7 days. Buy ready-made tincture. For rubbing, use it 1-2 times a day. To make a compress, moisten the bandage and apply it to the sore spot for a couple of hours (it is better to do this in the evening before going to bed).
Vascular disease
- Arrhythmia: Chaga preparations act as an additional remedy for treatment if the disorders were caused by diseases of the circulatory system.
- Atherosclerosis: use a mixture of unrefined vegetable oil (1 tablespoon) and infusion of black mushroom growth (the same amount). This composition is consumed 20 minutes before meals on an empty stomach. The drug is taken according to the scheme: 10-5-10-10-10 days. That is, the first break is only 5 days, the subsequent ones - 10.
- Hypertension: if you suffer from this disease, use a mixture of decoctions (tinctures) of hawthorn and birch growth, taken in equal proportions. In the first case - 2 tsp. twice for 4-5 days, in the second - 1 tsp. in the morning an hour before breakfast, drink 7 days. After a week, repeat the treatment.
- Hypotension: headaches caused by the presence of this problem are also relieved by a growth. Soaked in water + 100 ° C, pieces of the fruiting body are removed and applied to the temples. The broth is impregnated with the fabric and placed on the forehead. Inside take a mixture of tinctures of birch sponge (1/2 tsp) and Chinese magnolia vine (30 drops). Take up to 2 weeks 1-2 times a day.
For other diseases
- Prostatitis: treat with hazel (1 tbsp) and dried outgrowth (1 tsp). Raw materials are boiled in water for several minutes, filtered. Consume 2 tsp. 2 weeks before each meal.
- Periodontal disease: woody infusion is also used for its treatment. Use together an infusion of chamomile and lips, or a decoction of a birch growth with salt. As a prophylaxis for gum disease, rinse with mushroom broth or massage the gums with its oil extract.
- Larynx problems (hoarseness, hoarseness, inflammation): Chaga is used for treatment in these cases as well. Inhalations with the solution are carried out every day for 5-7 minutes throughout the week. The medicinal infusion can be dripped into the eyes for glaucoma, conjunctivitis and other disorders of visual function.
When treating with a herbal preparation, the use of penicillin and intravenous injections is excluded. It is also better for patients to adhere to a dairy-plant diet, limit or completely abandon animal fats, spicy and meat products.
In cooking
The taste of the black birch outgrowth is a bit bitter, the mushroom does not smell as such. He did not find his use in cooking, although it is edible, and also does not have toxic elements in its composition. But it is often brewed like a regular tea drink: 1 tsp. powder on the mug.
Someone succeeds in making coffee, but this is not for everybody. In this case, many times more powder is required. The result is a concentrated brew, which is somewhat reminiscent of bitter coffee.
Contraindications
Before resorting to traditional medicine, you should consult with your doctor. The fungus has a number of side effects that are taken into account in each case. For example, in people with increased excitability, the state of the nervous system will become more complicated.
Chaga is contraindicated in patients with chronic colitis and dysentery. Solutions in the manufacture of which moonshine or other alcohol-containing drinks were used are undesirable for children under 18 years of age. Sometimes, allergic reactions can occur to the components contained in chaga. In this case, it is better not to use the drug.
Growing
Long ago they began to receive medicinal raw materials in artificial conditions. For cultivation, they find an old birch, which is so rich in the Russian forest. Deep cuts are made at a height of about 1 m or slightly higher. On one birch - up to 3-4 cuts. The bark around them is raised, carefully exposing the wood. These places moisturize and infect with mycelium spores. Then they are poured with wax to prevent the competing microflora from entering. The growths appear after a few years. It is best to grow chaga in ecologically safe areas.
Conclusion
The black birch mushroom has medicinal properties. You cannot neglect the gift of the forest - it can bring many benefits to a person. But you also need to use an unusual remedy carefully, observing all the dosages prescribed by the instructions in folk and official medicine.
