If you suffer from hypertension, using medicinal mushrooms like chaga mushroom may benefit your condition. Chaga mushroom grows in cold climates throughout Eastern Europe, and is used for heart problems, hypertension and immune health in traditional herbal medicine. Consult with your doctor and registered medical herbalist before purchasing chaga mushroom products, to determine if they are right for you.
History
Chaga mushrooms, also known as Inonotus obliquus, have been used in Russia, Poland and Baltic countries as a folk medicine since the 16th century. The mushroom grows wild on birch trees throughout Eastern Europe, and is used to treat a range of ailments of the stomach, liver and heart, as well as tuberculosis of the bones. In Siberia the chaga mushroom is popular as a blood cleanser and a disinfectant. Norwegians called the chaga mushroom "kreftkjuke," translating to "cancer polypore."
Chemistry
Chaga mushrooms are a rich source of chemicals that may have a beneficial effect on human health. In a review of research published in "Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology" in 2010, Chinese researchers from Xuzhou Normal University describe the spectrum of active compounds that have been discovered in the fungus. Chaga mushrooms provide polyphenols, melanin, sterols and betulinic acid -- all chemicals with significant antioxidant, antiviral, immune-enhancing and antitumor properties. Researchers concluded that chaga prevents infection, fights pathogens and may be a source of discovering future drugs.
Hypertension
Chaga mushrooms have been used in traditional folk medicine as a remedy for heart problems and hypertension. Russian research studies from 1958 discovered chaga mushrooms had a beneficial effect on hypertension, according to the Chaga Mushroom web site. However, no research has been done since then into the effects of chaga mushrooms on high blood pressure. If you suffer from hypertension or take hypotensive medications, take chaga mushrooms only under supervision by a doctor.
Safety and Toxicity
Chaga mushrooms are edible and considered safe and well-tolerated by the majority of the population. Researchers from Tianjin University in China investigated the potential toxicity of chaga mushrooms in mice and published their findings in "Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering" in 2009. No toxicity was found in the liver, thymus, kidneys, heart or spleen of the mice, and researchers concluded chaga mushrooms had a very low risk for toxicity. If you take prescribed medications, especially anticoagulant and hypoglycemic drugs, talk with your doctor before taking chaga mushrooms.
References
- "Mycobiology"; Introduction to Distribution and Ecology of Sterile Conks of Inonotus obliquus; M.W. Lee, et al.; 2008
- "Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology"; Chemical diversity of biologically active metabolites in the sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus and submerged culture strategies for up-regulating their production.; W. Zheng, et al.; 2010
- "Chaga Mushroom": Medical Research Concerning Chaga
- "Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering"; Acute Toxicity Evaluation and Compositional Analysis of a Polysaccharide from the Medicinal Mushroom Inonotus obliquus; H. Chen, et al.; 2009
- "Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center": Chaga Mushroom
