Cancer Fighting Chaga: The Diamond of the Forest

Happy Mushroom Monday!!  Today I want to bring your attention to a very special mushroom that could possibly be growing in your own backyard… the Chaga!!  These mushrooms are known to be dense in many nutrients, including antioxidants and B vitamins but the spotlight remains on their amazing cancer fighting properties; giving these mushrooms not only lots of recognition but also making them a highly desirable fungi!!

Chaga mushrooms are one of the most sought after mushrooms in the world, well known for their ability to boost our immune systems, preventing as well as destroying cancer cells. This hard, lumpy, charcoal like fungi is often seen growing on the sides of hardwood trees and has been used medicinally for centuries by natives of China, Siberia, Poland, Japan, Finland and North America.

The Japanese have labeled these mushrooms “The Diamond of the Forest”, as their medicinal capabilities are like no other in the plant kingdom. Higher in antioxidants then other mushrooms in there class, chaga have the ability to neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals, helping to protect our bodies from the formation of cancer cells.

In addition to their amazing antioxidant properties, strains of chaga found on birch trees have been considered the most potent, containing high concentrations of betulinic acid, which is toxic to cancer cells and destroys any it may encounter while on its path.

Chaga mushrooms go above and beyond in their nutritional density, with numerous B vitamins, flavonoids, phenols, minerals and enzymes; offering necessary support to multiple body functions.

As if that isn’t enough, chaga is also an amazing source of pantothenic acid, an important vitamin required by the adrenal glands as well as digestive organs. With their ability to strengthen our immune systems, prevent and even destroy cancer cells, coupled with their rich nutrient content, these mushrooms really are The Diamonds of the Forest”.

I was inspired to write this post by an amazing new restaurant in the Barrie area: Vidya’s Veggie Gourmet, where I had the pleasure of enjoying a Chaga Mocacchino.  Their menu is amazing; mastering the art of yummy and healthy together, in a unique variety of dishes that will surpass your wildest expectations!!  

Check out their menu here:

http://www.veggiegourmet.ca/menu/

For more information on chaga mushrooms see:

http://www.naturalnews.com/036974_chaga_mushroom_anti-cancer_tonic.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1193547/