- August 21, 2018
- Gastroenterology
- Timoshenko Mikhail
Chaga is popularly called a perennial tinder fungus that grows on tree trunks. In most cases, you can see it on the bark of birch trees. However, chaga is also found on other common trees that grow in Russian latitudes. It’s worth noting right away that only birch tinder has healing qualities. Most often it is used to treat gastritis and other ulcerative diseases of the digestive system. In our material, we will look at the healing properties of chaga, tell you how to prepare medicine from the medicinal mushroom, and also find out what contraindications there are for taking it.
Appearance
Chaga is a beveled tinder fungus, presented in the form of growths of arbitrary shape on birch wood. Fungal colonies develop in areas where the trunk is damaged. The weight of chaga can reach several kilograms. The diameter of the largest mushrooms is more than 50 cm.
The surface of chaga has a black tint with numerous cracks. The inside of the mushroom is brownish-red. The core has a hard, fibrous structure. Chaga is tasteless and does not contain its own distinct odor. The age of individual colonies of the fungus can reach several decades or more.
Beneficial features
The inner part of the polypore contains substances that have hemostatic, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, diuretic, antiviral, antispasmodic, antifungal effects inside the body and on skin surfaces. Chaga treats many diseases and alleviates the condition of patients.
Therefore, it is used as a preventive and therapeutic agent for oncology, skin diseases, digestive system, joint pain, colds and bronchitis, laryngeal tumors, nervous disorders, etc. In particular, when the stomach hurts, the product creates a protective film on the surface of the mucous membrane, normalizes acidity, provides scarring of ulcerative areas in it and the duodenum.
Chaga normalizes microflora and intestinal functions, increases immune barriers and body resistance.
Properties
What are the medicinal properties of chaga and contraindications to the use of the mushroom? The traditional medicine in question is famous for the following characteristics:
- wound healing;
- anti-inflammatory effect;
- ability to stop bleeding.
Chaga is widely used in the prevention of skin and cancer diseases. The product is used to treat gastritis, bronchitis, and colds. Decoctions and tinctures from this tinder fungus are effective in combating chronic joint pain.
Treatment of the stomach with chaga promotes scarring of ulcers that form on the mucous membranes of the walls of the digestive system. The use of the product for gastritis helps restore healthy intestinal microflora, normalize stomach function, strengthen the immune system and, as a result, improve overall well-being. However, chaga has both medicinal properties and contraindications. We will talk about the latter later.
Contraindications
Folk remedies based on birch polypore should not be used for certain indications:
- Colitis and dysentery. In case of such diseases, it is necessary to seek medical help as soon as possible. If they are not treated, complications may develop and the patient’s condition may worsen.
- It is highly not recommended to combine the use of chaga and penicillin antibiotics.
- When prescribing droppers with glucose, the polypore fungus should not be taken orally.
- The list of contraindications also includes individual intolerance to the drug. In such cases, allergic reactions may develop.
Doctors warn that self-treatment for chronic and acute diseases of the stomach and intestines is highly discouraged. The main goal of traditional medicine is to enhance the effect of essential drugs, reduce the symptoms of disease and enhance natural immunity.
In what cases should you not resort to using the medicine?
It is not recommended to take medicines prepared from chaga:
- For dysentery and colitis. In such situations, therapy using folk remedies can only lead to the development of complications.
- In case of taking antibiotics. Particular caution applies to the combination of tinder fungus-based products with penicillin-type medications.
- When the treatment of a specific disease is accompanied by the use of glucose drips.
- In combination with alcohol tinctures. Chaga is by its nature incompatible with alcohol. They resort to this option of using the drug only in the treatment of cancer. However, the solution does not give an absolute result with this type of therapy and carries some danger.
- In case of individual intolerance to drugs based on tinder fungus. For this reason, before moving on to targeted therapy, it is worth checking how the body perceives the drug by trying it in a small amount.
You need to understand that treating the stomach with chaga is only an additional measure. Preparations made from tinder fungus should not be regarded as an absolute panacea for diseases of the digestive system. A positive effect from taking this kind of medication is possible only if you follow proper nutrition, which is prescribed in the event of the development of peptic ulcers and gastritis. Among other things, chaga (for the stomach) must be approved by the attending physician. Only a specialist can determine the correct balance between taking medications and traditional medicine.
Healing properties for the stomach
Chaga contains a number of components that have a beneficial effect on the human body. Regular use of mushroom-based medicines has the following effects:
- inflammation is blocked;
- pain is reduced;
- accelerates the healing of wounds and ulcers;
- a slight diuretic effect is achieved;
- pathogenic bacteria and viruses are neutralized;
- minor bleeding in erosive lesions stops.
Due to these characteristics, tinder fungus is often used as part of the complex treatment of stomach diseases.
Chaga for gastritis
To alleviate the condition of gastritis, you need to take a small piece of dry tinder fungus, soaking the latter for about 5 hours in pre-boiled water. The proportion of mushroom used to liquid should be 1:5. The resulting mixture is filtered. Add a few teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Treatment of the stomach with chaga for gastritis comes down to the following. The infusion is consumed 3 times a day, one glass. The product must be taken half an hour before meals. You can store the product for up to 4 days, after which it is recommended to prepare a new one.
Methods of application
Several options for using this remedy will be effective in eliminating even the most advanced forms. Among the most commonly used and effective is a decoction.
How to prepare a decoction of chaga to treat the gastrointestinal tract? This is a fairly simple method that anyone can do. You will need:
- 3-4 pieces of dry raw materials;
- 1 liter of boiling water.
Place everything in a thermos and fill it with water at 50-60 degrees. Let stand overnight. The resulting raw material is filtered and diluted until the color of light tea is obtained. Drink 100 ml once a day 30 minutes before meals. This re-brewing can be repeated up to 5 times.
If you don't have a thermos, you need to:
- 3-4 pieces of mushroom;
- water.
Initially, fill the main product with water and let it sit for a day. During this time, it will soften a little and you can easily grate it. After this, heat the infusion in which it was soaked to 50-60 degrees. And fill it again. Now wait 48 hours. Then squeeze everything out and apply. It should not be stored longer than 4 days. The course of treatment can be from 2 weeks to 3 months. Please note that this aspect is determined by the doctor. Between doses you should take breaks of 7-14 days. Basically, use 1⁄2 cup 2-3 times a day half an hour before meals.
Chaga with herbs
This option is most useful when using chaga for gastritis with high acidity. Take in equal quantities:
- yarrow;
- birch growth;
- St. John's wort;
- 200 ml of warm purified water.
All components are combined and crushed. Next, separate a teaspoon and fill it with liquid. Let it brew for 2 days. Drink a third of a glass before eating food.
Mushroom infusion
Another variation of the infusion will also help eliminate inflammatory processes. It requires:
- 100 g mushroom;
- boiled water.
Grind the main raw material and fill it with water. Next, wait 6 hours. Finely chop the softened substance and add boiled water again. Place in a dark place for a day. At the end of the allotted time, pass through several layers of gauze. Take 1⁄4 - 1/3 cup half an hour before meals. It is often recommended to do 6 approaches like this every day. The course lasts 2 weeks.
Recipe for polyps
helps well with polyps in the intestines in the following combination:
- 100 g tinder fungus;
- 50 g each of rose hips and yarrow herb;
- liter of water.
Mix everything and leave for 2 hours. Simmer for the same amount of time. After this, prepare another remedy from:
- 200 g honey;
- 100 ml aloe juice.
Combine everything and let it sit. Strain and store out of direct sunlight. The method of use is as follows: three times half an hour before meals, take a dessert spoon. You should first shake the contents of the container.
Does chaga help with constipation ? Yes. Especially if it is used for enemas. They will need:
- liter of liquid;
- 50 g of raw materials.
Leave for 6 hours to soften. Then grind everything and fill it with the same water again. Place in a water bath and keep for at least 4 hours. Before each use it is worth warming it up a little. It is recommended to carry out manipulations if necessary. But it’s better not to stop after improvement, but to do a couple more to consolidate the positive result.
Collection against colitis
This collection with chaga for intestinal colitis will have a miraculous effect on normalizing the digestion process. To prepare it you need:
- pine buds;
- yarrow;
- sagebrush;
- birch growth.
The ratio of all components should be 1:2:2:4. Grind everything thoroughly and fill it with water for 3 hours. Next, bring to a boil and keep in a water bath for 2 hours. Pass through a filter and take a tablespoon three times a day a quarter of an hour before meals.
Chaga for diseases of the duodenum and stomach ulcers
Chaga for stomach and duodenal ulcers gives a positive effect when using a simple remedy. Composition of the drug:
- take part of the dried tinder fungus ground into powder;
- an equal amount of crushed yarrow herb is used;
- a similar part of St. John's wort is added to the composition.
How to prepare chaga to treat the stomach and duodenum? The above components are mixed. A tablespoon of the resulting composition is poured into a glass of boiled water. After a few hours, the medicine is carefully filtered. You need to take the drug several times a day before meals, a third of a glass.
Pharmacy products with chaga
To save time, you can use ready-made medications that are sold in pharmacies:
- Chaga syrup. This useful product belongs to dietary supplements and is presented in liquid form. The main component in the composition is birch mushroom extract. Taking syrup speeds up metabolic processes, corrects gastrointestinal functions, and enhances the effect of other medications. Dietary supplements are taken 1 dess. l. every day 2-3 rubles.
- Herbal drink Chaga. The manufacturer offers a packaged form. To brew the medicine, you only need to pour boiling water over it, like tea. With the help of this chaga-based drink, the main symptoms of stomach diseases (nausea, heartburn, pain) are relieved.
- Birch mushroom extract. This product is available in several dosage forms: as a concentrate, capsules and tincture.
Chaga for liver pain
In order to combat liver failure and relieve pain in this area, a decoction based on the following ingredients is used:
- a tablespoon of yarrow;
- a spoonful of crushed tinder fungus;
- similar amount of mint.
The ingredients must be placed in a thermos, filled with several glasses of boiled water. The composition should be left to infuse throughout the day. It is recommended to take the medicine half a glass several times a day before meals. The remedy becomes especially effective in the development of inflammatory processes in the liver area.
Precautions when treating stomach with chaga
When using birch polypore for medicinal purposes, you must follow the following precautions:
- Chaga for the stomach and intestines is drunk in small quantities and strictly according to proven recipes. An overdose of a healing agent can have the opposite effect.
- Chaga drinks cannot be combined with antibiotic drugs and glucose drugs. If other treatment is carried out at the same time for gastritis, you need to check the drugs for compatibility.
- When drinking chaga tinctures and teas, you need to carefully monitor your sensations. If gastritis only gets worse after taking birch polypore, you need to give up the medicinal mushroom or additional ingredients in the infusions, which can also affect your well-being.
Chaga in the fight against cancer
Surprisingly, birch polypore can have a positive therapeutic effect even in the fight against such a serious disease as cancer. According to reviews, the disease can be cured through the use of an oil emulsion. To prepare the medicine, you need to take sunflower oil and alcohol tincture of tinder fungus. The components are combined in a 4:3 ratio in a glass container. Before use, the mixture is shaken in a container. You need to take the medicine three times a day. This should be done at the same time, about 20-30 minutes before meals.
Contraindications and side effects
A ban on the use of the mushroom is imposed for patients under 12 years of age, during pregnancy, to prevent exposure to the embryo when dysentery and colitis occur. It is not combined with taking antibiotics (penicillin, etc.) and glucose, smoking and drinking alcohol. There may be an increase in the excitability of the nervous system, which can be relieved by stopping the drug.
The effects of the choleretic, laxative and diuretic effects of the fungus, individual allergic intolerance, weakness, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea may appear. The use of black fungus is prescribed and adjusted, like all treatments, by a doctor. At this time, a special diet is observed.
Traditional methods
Drug therapy for stomach diseases is supplemented with traditional methods. These include treatment of gastritis with chaga in the form of tinctures and combined preparations. When there is no time to prepare folk remedies, take the powder from the inside of the mushroom 2 times a day, a pinch.
Tincture
Decoctions and tea from birch mushroom need to be prepared regularly, because after preparation they do not last long. A tincture of tinder fungus will help solve this problem. The shelf life of the product is 2 years. Half a glass of chopped mushroom is poured with 300 g of vodka. The mixture is poured into a bottle with darkened glass and placed in the refrigerator. After 3 weeks, the tincture is ready for use.
How to prepare and take chaga?
There are many folk recipes that allow you to prepare a medicinal infusion of chaga at home. But, before you get the raw materials for tincture or tea, you need to know when to collect and how to properly store birch mushroom.
Since tinder is a year-round plant, it can be collected throughout the year. But it is better to refuse to collect mushrooms in hot, dry periods and give preference to “spring” fruits.
Note! Collect chaga that grows at the furthest distance from the ground. Eating just such a plant will bring the greatest benefit.
The collected raw materials must be cleaned of dirt, cut into plates up to 3 cm wide and left in a warm, well-ventilated area to dry completely. After this, the dry pieces can be stored in glass jars or in hermetically sealed linen bags for two years.
Fresh chaga tea
This tea has a beneficial effect on all body systems, increases immune properties and is indicated for weakened conditions.
- Fresh mushroom – 1 part.
- Hot boiled water – 5 parts.
Grind the body of the mushroom, pour slightly cooled (up to 90 ° C) boiling water, and brew for 24 hours (it is better to do this in a thermos). Take the filtered infusion half a glass before meals. Nutrients are stored in the drink for no more than 4 days.
Tea prepared according to this recipe contains the lowest concentration of plant components. Therefore, you can drink it regularly and for quite a long time.
Note! If you use infusions and decoctions as a therapeutic agent, you must adhere to the recommended doses, and after completing the course, which lasts from 3 to 5 months, take a week's break.
Brewing correctly
All chaga-based medicines are prepared and used only on the recommendation of a doctor. The therapy will bear fruit if the dosage is followed exactly. Both dried chaga and fresh chaga, which was collected a few days ago, are suitable for preparation.
The choice of one or another recipe using chaga directly depends on the type and form of the disease. You can prepare a gastric mixture, which, in addition to tinder fungus, includes currant leaves and dry strawberries. To brew 1.5 liters, take two tablespoons of strawberries, currants, and a spoonful of chaga. The raw materials are mixed and poured into one container with a capacity of 1500 ml or more. For example, a thermos or a saucepan. All components are poured with boiling water. The tea can be consumed within two hours after infusion. Duration of therapy is up to 2 months.