Chaga is a fungus in the family Hymenochaetaceae. It is parasitic on birch and other trees. It is proclaimed as “the Diamond of the Forest”, and has been used as medicine in Eastern Europe and North America in traditional folk medicine.
The taste is similar to coffee. Chaga is used for strengthening the immune system, for colds and flu, asthma, bronchitis, stomach pain and poor digestion. It’s a powerful antioxidant, and can keep skin and hair healthy.
The homeopathic remedy prepared from Chaga is called Inonotus obliquus (Inon). It’s a “small remedy”, meaning there’s not much about it in our Materia Medica (homeopathic library). Clinical practise has shown Inon effective in cases with asthma, bronchitis, cancer, chronic fatigue, diabetes, hypertension, influenza, tuberculosis and tumours. Further explorations into this potentially powerful gem of a remedy should be done!
My partner spotted this piece of Chaga on a birch tree, on our hike a few weeks back – to Kroktjernet in Ringsaker, Hedmark. As you can see from the photos, we now have a substantial amount of this medicinal growth in our stack! Next step: Buy the homeopathic remedy from Helios (UK homeopathic pharmacy) 😉