After being ignored for hundreds of years by western pharmacologists, Chaga is currently enjoying a resurgence as a treatment for a wide variety of diseases and health problems, including chronic fatigue syndrome, the flu, stomach problems, obesity and even HIV and certain types of cancer.

Recent studies in the U.S., Russia, and other countries have shown Chaga to have anti-tumor benefits related to the mammary glands and female sex organs; studies in Finland have demonstrated that inotodial, one of the most active ingredients in Chaga, was effective against influenza virus and various cancer cells; and Japanese research not only found similar antiviral activity, but also discovered that Chaga shows activity against HIV (protease inhibition).

Chaga has even been classified as a medicinal mushroom under World Trade Organization (WTO) codes.

Arguably, the most well known western research conducted on the use of Chaga has been performed by Dr. Kirsti Kahlos and her team at School of Pharmacology, at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Dr. Kahlos’ team conducted studies validating the immuno-modulating impact of Lanosterol-linked triterpenes effective as a flu-vaccination and for anti-tumor applications.

Institutional studies at the University of Tokyo, Japan have determined effectiveness of Inotodials in the destruction of certain carcinosarcomas and mammary adenocarcinomas.

The Melanin complex produced by the Chaga mushroom demonstrates high antioxidant and genoprotective effects ( Melanin Complex from Medicinal Mushroom Inonotus Obliquus, Journal of Medical Mushrooms, 2002, vol. 4) .

The polysaccharide beta-glucan, also present in Chaga, is proven to be effective at inhibiting mutagenic and immuno-modulating effects of cancerous tumors by triggering immune system response (SP Wasser, 2002, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel).

In 1998 there was a study in Poland that demonstrated Chaga's inhibiting effects on tumor growth.

1. Noa et. al found that betulin seems to work highly selectively on tumor cells because the interior pH of tumor tissues is generally lower than that of normal tissues, and betulinic acid is only active at those lower levels.Fulda et al. found in 1997 that once inside the cells, betulinic acid induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the tumors.

2. In 2005 there was a study done at Department of Medical Nutrition in South Korea. The Chaga Mushroom was evaluated for their potential for protecting against oxidative damage to DNA in human lymphocytes. The study found that the polyphenolic extract protected these cells against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress.

3. Another study that year found the endo-polysaccharide of Chaga produced indirect anti-cancer effects via immuno-stimulation.The mycelial endo-polysaccharide of Inonotus Obliquus was identified as a candidate for use as an immune response modifier and indicates that the anti-cancer effect of endo-polysaccharide is not directly tumorcidal but rather is immuno-stimulating.

4. It has also been demonstrated as anti-inflammatory.

5. Saitoh Akiko published on the antimutagenic effects of Chaga in 1996, and Mizuno et al. published on the anti tumor and hypoglycemic activities of the polysaccharides from the sclerotia and mycelia of Chaga.

The following article was published by the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) a joint venture by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.