Chaga Mushroom

Mushroom found on birch tree holds promise as a potent anti-cancer tonic
(NaturalNews) A little known mushroom is establishing a solid reputation in medical circles as a powerful defense against cancer. Although relatively unheard of in mainstream media, the chaga mushroom has been used in folk medicine for generations. Research has shown chaga to be extremely effective in protecting cellular DNA from damaging free radicals. It also has anti-tumor and immune stimulating benefits.

Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) is a fungus that grows on birch and other hardwood trees. The variety that is found on birch is believed to be the most potent because of its high concentration of betulinic acid which is toxic to cancer cells. Chaga is unusual in the mushroom world as it resembles porous wood and is black and hard - similar to lumpy charcoal. Natives of China, Siberia, Finland, Japan, Poland, and North America have all recognized chaga's importance for centuries. Russian author and Nobel laureate Alexandr Solzhenitsyn is given credit for introducing chaga to the West where the principal character in his novel Cancer Ward is cured of his illness by the mushroom.

Healing properties

Several studies support chaga's medicinal value. Researchers at Kyunghee University in Seoul, South Korea examined chaga's effectiveness in protecting cellular DNA. Cells were treated with chaga mushroom extract then exposed to oxidative stress. The extract-treated cells had 40 percent less DNA mutation compared with the untreated cells. In another study, Japanese researchers discovered that chaga had higher levels of cell protective antioxidants than other medicinal mushrooms included in the investigation. Chaga has been shown to be effective against cancers of the liver, uterus, breast, colon, skin, cervix and lung. It also attacks tumor cells without disturbing healthy tissue. Additionally, this mushroom has been found to be antiviral and anti-inflammatory.

Chaga mushroom is nutrient rich. Sterols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals are just a few of the constituents found in chaga. Immune function is enhanced by the beta glucans present in the mushroom which activate T-cell activity and the production of antibodies.

Methods of consumption

Chaga can be taken as a tea, applied to the skin, consumed as a powder or inhaled as smoke. For a traditional tea, dissolve one teaspoon of the dehydrated mushroom in one cup of water. Recommended dosage for alcohol extract (1:5 tincture): 40-60 drops, two to three times a day.

Sources for this article include:

"Chaga Mushroom" Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Retrieved on July 26, 2012 from: http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/chaga-mushroom

"Chaga mushroom health benefit, review of effect on immune system and cancer" Ray Sahelian MD. Retrieved on July 26, 2012 from: http://www.raysahelian.com/chaga.html

"Benefits and Properties of Chaga Mushroom" Malja Haavisto, August 17, 2009, Natural Medicine at Suite 101. Retrieved on July 26, 2012 from: http://suite101.com

About the author:
Carolanne enthusiastically believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, natural foods chef and wellness coach, Carolanne has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of organic living, gratefulness and joyful orientation for over 13 years. Through her website www.Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people from around the world who share a similar vision.

Read her other articles on Natural News here:

http://www.naturalnews.com/Author1183.html

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Rosemary and its benefits

Rosemary - Boost your memory with this nutritional powerhouse and super antioxidant

(NaturalNews) Its rich scent, prominent historical presence, and deeply-symbolic significance throughout the ages has earned the rosemary herb quite an honorable status in many cultures around the world. And a significant portion of rosemary's legacy involves the incredible soothing, nourishing, and healing properties possessed by this amazing herb, including its ability to improve memory and protect the body against cancer, among other benefits.

Rosemary has long been appreciated as a symbol of friendship, commitment, loyalty, and remembrance, as it was often used in both weddings and funerals of old to bring to mind each of these important facets of civilized humanity. The herb has also long been used medicinally to relieve and even cure chronic health conditions like gout, for instance, or rheumatoid arthritis.



Long before humans were able to identify scientifically how rosemary works to improve health, civilizations of old were using the herb as an antiseptic to kill harmful germs, and as a mechanism by which to improve blood flow to the brain, which aids in boosting memory. There are so many medicinal uses for rosemary, in fact, that even Biblical accounts of this precious herb refer to it as a cleansing agent of choice for purifying the body.

"Rosemary is a much-cherished symbolic and medicinal herb with a history that goes back for thousands of years," says a Body Ecology piece on rosemary. "Since ancient times it was a symbol of friendship, loyalty, and remembrance. Brides wore rosemary wreathes as a symbol of their love and fidelity, believing that this beautiful herb was a gift from the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite."

Protect your DNA with rosemary

One of rosemary's most powerful medicinal functions is its ability to prevent malignant mutations of human DNA, particularly in the liver and bronchial cells, which in turn helps to prevent the development of cancer cells and tumors. Because it is also rich in free radical-fighting antioxidants, rosemary can effectively protect cell membranes from being damaged, as well as protect brain cells from destruction.

As far as brain function and memory are concerned, rosemary has a stimulating effect on the mind in that it promotes healthy blood flow to brain tissue, and cleanses blood all along the way. Rosemary also prevents the degradation of acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter that is responsible for maintaining proper memory and cognitive acuity.

Fight candida with rosemary

Beyond its antioxidant and memory-boosting capacities, rosemary can also help improve circulation; relieve muscle, nerve, and sciatic pain; help clear up eczema and other skin conditions, relieve rheumatism, boost liver function, eliminate bad breath, boost immune function, cure adrenal fatigue, improve digestion, and kill harmful bacteria.

Rosemary is also said to possess unique anti-fungal properties that make it a powerful tool in fighting the debilitating yeast overgrowth condition known as candida, or candida albicans, from which thousands of people now suffer. Because of its unique ability to fight harmful bacteria and fungi while preserving that which is beneficial, rosemary is also a great, natural alternative to antibacterial drugs, which tend to disrupt proper bacterial balance by killing off all living organisms within the body.

Sources for this article include:

http://bodyecology.com

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/rosema17.html

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/rosemary-000271.htm

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036827_rosemary_antioxidant_memory.html#ixzz23lzQOoKv