Chaga Tea

Some have black tea with added milk that is their daily source of caffeine and helps them get through the day. But from all the different types of teas in the world have you ever heard of Chaga Tea? Keep reading to find out more about it.

What is Chaga?

Chaga is a form of fungus that grows on the bark of birch trees found in places with cold climates. Chaga is also known as the black mass, birch canker polypore, clinker polypore. It looks a little similar to that of burnt charcoal and is roughly around 10-15 inches.

Even though it is hard on the outer side but from the inside, it reveals a softer core which is orange in color. Did you know? Chaga grows for approximately a period of 15 years and swells up to 11 pounds. It is found in Northern Canada and Europe, Russia, Korea, Siberia, and Alaska.

Added Facts And Benefits Of Chaga

Chaga produces a woody growth called the conk, which is used to make various medicines. They are low in calories, free of fat and sugar, and high in fiber.

1 teaspoon of raw Chaga chunk contains:

• 15 calories
• 0 grams fat
• 3.5 grams carbohydrates
• 3.5 grams fiber

– Chaga is consumed for quite a few diseases and makes them quite better such as heart diseases, stomach aches, liver diseases, diabetes as well as Tuberculosis.

– It is consumed all over the world since the olden times as herbal medicine.

– Chaga contains numerous nutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, copper, aluminum, magnesium.

– Has the same effects as caffeine but surprisingly it does not disturb your sleeping cycle. – Chaga is also considered a superfood.

Potential Health Benefits

– Immunity:

Are you one of those people that quickly make a hot cup of tea even if they feel a little bit cold or dull? It’s not just you, many people turn towards a hot cup of tea in such circumstances.

So imagine yourself drinking a hot cup of Chaga tea which helps you ease a sore throat and not only does it help you with a bad throat but increases the immunity levels and helps in strengthening your immune system.

Research says that Chaga in the form of powder boosts the production of white blood cells, hence playing an essential part in strengthening the defense system of our body. Read More.

– A complete package of antioxidants:

Chaga is full of antioxidants that thoroughly help get rid of elements that may later onwards be a reason behind serious health issues.

One of these elements is oxidative stress. It is in the form of rust in the body and has interlinked to umpteen problems starting from early aging and increasing chances of various categories of cancer.

Not only is it helpful in getting rid of oxidative stress but consumption of Chaga tea helps in decreasing the size of tumors.

If you are someone who’s conscious about anti-aging and wrinkles and wants to look fresh, Chaga tea is for the one you. The compounds in it help in the elimination of free radicals as a result production of collagen is also reduced. Read More.

– Fights inflammatory:

Chaga is packed with ingredients that help in decreasing inflammation in our body. Inflammation is a process that takes place in our body that helps in healing the body but there are serious forms of inflammation too such as chronic inflammation, which can cause a lot of damage to a human body and can be a cause of diseases like arthritis and/or heart problems too.

This is where Chaga or Chaga Tea comes in and helps in moderating blood sugar levels as well as balance out other health problems. Read More.

– Diabetes:

Chaga helps in controlling and preventing diabetes. Research says that Chaga helps in the reduction of the inflammation of damaged pancreas cells as a result allowing the organ that produces insulin to function a little normally. Read More.

– Lowers cholesterol:

Chaga also helps in decreasing cholesterol problems found in quite a few people after the age of 40. Having a bad cholesterol level or higher cholesterol level could result in you having higher chances of heartburns and disease. Consumption of Chaga or Chaga tea could fight these cardiovascular diseases. Read More.

At this point, you are probably well-aware of how beneficial Chaga is to you and your body and is beneficial for problems that are quite serious. Read more to find out how to prepare this warm cup of goodness. Read More Here. 1, 2, 3, 

How To Prepare Your Warm Cup Of Chaga Tea?

Chaga is found in two main varieties:

– In Tea Bags

– In Chunks

The teabags have Chaga in a grounded form which may or may not be as fresh as you think it is. This tea bag helps you to make Chaga Tea pretty quickly and is very convenient.

Chaga found in chunks is quite popular as they ensure that the Chaga is fresh and strong. You can use both the forms of Chaga and make tea.

– Start by preparing water in a deep pan. Fill it up. Now, remember if you are preparing Chaga tea using chunks you need to let the Chaga brew because it will take longer.

But at the same time if you’re using tea bags then heat up a cup of warm water and add the tea bag to it.

– If you are using Chaga Chunks you can start by preparing them first before adding them into your hot pot of water. Start off by breaking them into small pieces, since the Chaga is very hard you might as well get the hammer out from the toolbox and pull your sleeves up for a mini workout because this will require a bit of energy.

Smaller pieces give you a good Chaga tea experience whereas larger pieces will not be able to prepare properly hence lessening the health benefits as well as the flavor.

How To Make Tea With Teabag?

– For tea bags, steep them in the water for a few minutes approximately 6-8 minutes. Teabags help you make the Chaga tea in minutes and require no extra effort except warming the cup of water. This produces a very mild cup of tea that makes you feel elevated.

– Chunks on the other hand don’t just take a few minutes to brew. To get the complete flavor out of the chunks you need to at least steep it for an hour in warm water.

Wait till the water changes its color and becomes a little reddish and brownish. Some people enjoy simmering the tea for 4 hours for a stronger taste while one can still enjoy the Chaga tea by steeping it for an hour.

– Remember after you have steeped your Chaga chunks don’t just throw them away instead you can them twice more after the first tea.

– They can later onwards be used in powder form by grinding them in a coffee grinder.

– You can serve the tea with cinnamon and a side of maple syrup. This helps bring out the taste even better and you can enjoy it even more.

– Chaga tea is consumed by many people in cold form as well, you can also do the same. Keep it in the fridge for a while and add some ice and a little bit of lemon and enjoy.

What Does Chaga Tea Taste Like?

Chaga tea surprisingly has a sweet, pleasant taste. 

How Can Chaga Be Stored?

Chaga being extremely versatile is quite easy to store. Fill up a jar with all the Chaga chunks that are leftover and keep it in the fridge. They can be used for the next three days so make as much use of them as you can in the time being. You can also enjoy brewing Chaga tea with other teas.

Conclusion

If you are a tea lover and want to broaden your taste horizons you can go for Chaga Tea. With its different taste and added health benefits, it’s pretty good in times when you aren’t feeling yourself and need a little pump of energy. Grab your Chaga Tea from the nearest mart and enjoy!

Other Recipes To Try

• Moringa Smoothie
• Detox Tea Recipe
• Blueberry Banana Smoothie
• Cucumber Water Detox
• Green Detox Smoothie
• Nature’s Penicillin
• Ginger Turmeric Shot

The Information contained in this article is for information purposes only and one should consult their physician for further advice.

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