Chaga Mushroom - Inonotus obliquus

Chaga mushroom, Inonotus obliquus, grows on the birch tree, Betula, in the family Betulaceae. In fact, it is not a mushroom, but something called a sclerotium. The important metabolite birch produces is betulin, which concentrates inside the chaga. From betulin we get betulinic acid, a pentacyclic triterpene. Betulinic acid is being studied as an anticancer agent. Studies have found betulin effective against gastric carcinoma¹, pancreatic carcinoma,² and squamous cell skin cancer.³ It is antiviral and antimalarial.⁴ It appears to have particularly effective cytotoxic results against hormone-dependent breast cancer and works by disrupting mitochondrial signaling pathways ⁵ Studies have found it to be active against lung cancer.⁶ Chaga contains betulin in the rusty orange interior while the skin of the fungus turns black in sun exposure due to the melanin it contains. This black crust is rich in antioxidants. Chaga can be taken as a tincture, or a pleasant tea.

Suggested dosing: Tincture 3 ml 3x day a day. Gradually increase up to 10 ml.

Possible side effects: Gastrointestinal upset.

Contraindications: Kidney disease, low blood sugar, bleeding disorders.

¹Wang H, Wang H, Ge L, et al. Betulinic acid targets drug-resistant human gastric cancer cells by inducing autophagic cell death, suppresses cell migration and invasion, and modulates the ERK/MEK signaling pathway. Acta Biochim Pol. 2021;69(1):25-30. doi:10.18388/abp.2020_5530

²Drag M, Surowiak P, Drag-Zalesinska M, Dietel M, Lage H, Oleksyszyn J. Comparison of the cytotoxic effects of birch bark extract, betulin and betulinic acid towards human gastric carcinoma and pancreatic carcinoma drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cell lines. Molecules. 2009;14(4):1639-1651. Published 2009 Apr 24. doi:10.3390/molecules14041639

³ Yuan DY, Meng Z, Xu K, et al. Betulinic acid increases radiosensitization of oral squamous cell carcinoma through inducing Sp1 sumoylation and PTEN expression. Oncol Rep. 2017;38(4):2360-2368. doi:10.3892/or.2017.5872

⁴ Wang X, Lu X, Zhu R, et al. Betulinic Acid Induces Apoptosis in Differentiated PC12 Cells Via ROS-Mediated Mitochondrial Pathway. Neurochem Res. 2017;42(4):1130-1140. doi:10.1007/s11064-016-2147-y

⁵ Bishayee A, Ahmed S, Brankov N, Perloff M. Triterpenoids as potential agents for the chemoprevention and therapy of breast cancer. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2011 Jan 1;16(3):980-96. doi: 10.2741/3730. PMID: 21196213; PMCID: PMC3057757.

⁶ Géry A, Dubreule C, André V, Rioult JP, Bouchart V, Heutte N, Eldin de Pécoulas P, Krivomaz T, Garon D. Chaga ( Inonotus obliquus), a Future Potential Medicinal Fungus in Oncology? A Chemical Study and a Comparison of the Cytotoxicity Against Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells (A549) and Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells (BEAS-2B). Integr Cancer Ther. 2018 Sep;17(3):832-843. doi: 10.1177/1534735418757912. Epub 2018 Feb 27. PMID: 29484963; PMCID: PMC6142110.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose or treat any illness. I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose or treat any illness.