Philosophy and Art beyond conventional practice: November 2014

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)

Inonotus obliquus, commonly known as chaga mushroom (a Latinisation of the Russian term 'чага'), is a fungus in Hymenochaetaceae family. It is parasitic on birch and other trees. The chaga mushroom is considered a medicinal mushroom in Russian and Eastern European folk medicine. A number of studies on cell cultures show that chaga possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-stimulating properties. It’s one of the highest, if not the highest, antioxidants in the world. It’s publicized mostly as an anti-cancer.