Chaga Mushroom* Extract

Wild Chaga grows naturally in the vast forests of Russia, northern China and northern climatic zones in general where birch make up the primary tree species. *Even though Chaga is commonly referred to as a mushroom, it is actually a sterile conk, a hardened mass of wood and mycelium with an amorphous shape and dark pigmented outer layer. It has been estimated that the chaga conk is approximately 10% mycelium. A tree pathogen known as a canker, Chaga slowly causes birch trees to decay and die. For hundreds of years Chaga has been wildcrafted and utilized by the people of northern Europe and Russia.

Birch trees contain precursor compounds such as the triterpenoid betulin. Chaga draws betulin and other precursors directly from the birch tree and turns them into inotodiol, trametenolic acid and betulinic acid. Chaga needs the tree-bound precursors to synthesize the triterpenoids for which it is famous. Chaga is traditionally used for stomach problems and immunity issues.

In 1996, CEO and Founder of Nammex, Jeff Chilton organized organic mushroom production in China. That initiative paid off and today all Nammex mushrooms are grown or wildcrafted deep in the mountains of China by our Certified Organic production partners. Learn more about our growers in China.

US lab-grown Chaga is not sclerotia but mycelium grown on grain. Analysis has shown that US Chaga mycelium on grain has low levels of beta-glucan and very high levels of starch. Nammex only uses 100% organic sclerotia which are rigorously tested and guaranteed for active compounds. Learn more about the mycelia myth and the 10 Questions to Ask about Your Mushroom Supplement.