Immune Dietary supplementInonotus obliquus (Birch Chaga Fungus)

Chaga

Inonotus obliquus

Evidence: Studied in humans. Example dose: finalize with a provider. Not a fact-check stamp.

500mg-2g daily – 500-1500 mg Oral 1-2x daily

Highest-ORAC Antioxidant FoodTraditional Russian / Siberian Medicine

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a medicinal fungus growing on birch trees in cold northern climates. Used for centuries in Russian, Siberian, and Northern European folk medicine. Notable for its high antioxidant content - the highest ORAC value of any food (50,000-150,000 vs blueberries at ~9,000). Active compounds include polysaccharides (beta-glucans), triterpenoids (inotodiol, betulinic acid), melanin, and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

Quick Start

Route

Oral capsule, powder, or tea/decoction

Start low

500mg-2g Oral

Frequency

1-2x daily

Timing

Independent

Independent.

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Start here. Every protocol below is ordered lowest-first. Begin at the smallest effective dose, hold about a week to assess tolerance, and step up only if needed.

Tiered Protocols · lowest first

Conservative start

500mg-2g daily · Oral capsule, powder, or tea/decoction · 1-2x daily

conservative starter

500mg-2g daily

1-2x daily

Standard

Antioxidant Mushroom Support

500-1500 mg · Oral · Daily

in vitro · Park et al. 2004 (BioFactors)

Ensure extraction utilizes both hot water (for beta-glucans) and alcohol (for triterpenes). The study cited here is laboratory cell research. A concentration in a dish is not a dose, so this amount is community practice rather than a trial result.

500-1500 mg

Daily

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How it works

Chaga's diverse bioactives drive multiple effects:

High Antioxidants

Highest measured ORAC value of any food. Phenolic compounds, melanin, and SOD provide direct ROS scavenging.

Beta-Glucan Polysaccharides

Immune-modulating - similar mechanism to other medicinal mushrooms.

Betulinic Acid

Triterpenoid with anti-tumor, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical studies.

Inotodiol

Lanostane triterpenoid with anti-cancer activity in vitro.

Glucose Regulation

Some studies show improved insulin sensitivity.

Oxalate Content

Chaga contains high oxalates - kidney stone risk in susceptible individuals.

What to expect

Early

Days 1–7

Days 1-14: subtle subjective effects.

Mid

Weeks 2–4

Weeks 2-12: peak effects.

Later

Weeks 4–12

Long-term continuous use traditional.

Evidence

HumanStrong

AnimalStrong

In-vitroPresent

Each reference below was re-fetched from its PubMed record, and the quoted sentence was confirmed to appear in that abstract and to support the claim it sits under. Follow any of them to read the source.

Primary safety boundary: excessive oral Chaga powder (10-15 g/day) plus vitamin C was associated with biopsy-confirmed acute oxalate nephropathy in a human case report.

A 69-year-old man who ingested Chaga mushroom powder (10-15 g per day) and vitamin C (500 mg per day) for the past 3 months developed acute kidney injury (AKI) with the clinical manifestations of nephrotic syndrome (NS).

Chaga mushroom-induced oxalate nephropathy that clinically manifested as nephrotic syndrome: A case report. Medicine · 2022 · PMID 35451393

Evidence scope. Single human case report; oral powder at 10-15 g/day for three months plus vitamin C 500 mg/day, far above the page’s 0.5-2 g/day range. Association does not quantify risk at lower doses.

Claims we could not support

No abstract we checked supports these for this molecule at this route. That is not the same as saying they are false — it marks where the evidence is missing.

Dose/route: 500 mg-2 g orally 1-2 times daily as capsule, powder, or tea. No checked human abstract established this dose/frequency across these non-equivalent formulations.

Mechanism for the displayed oral product. Checked papers used heterogeneous aqueous extracts, isolated polysaccharides/triterpenes, cells, or animals; none established the page’s combined antioxidant, beta-glucan, betulinic-acid, inotodiol, and glucose-regulation mechanism for the displayed product in humans.

Side effects & safety

Commonly reported

Mild GI
Allergic skin reactions rare

Less common & notes

Kidney stones in susceptible (high oxalate).
Hypoglycemia in diabetics.
Antiplatelet activity.
Allergic reactions to mold/fungal protein.

Pharmacokinetics

Illustrative plasma concentration · 18 h

Half-life

Variable

Peak · Tmax

1-3 hours

Elimination

Cumulative effects over weeks

Bioavailability

Oral moderate

Duration of action

Daily dosing

Clearance

Hepatic and intestinal

Storage. Capsule/powder/tea. Cool dry location.

Regulatory status

Dietary supplement (US, DSHEA).

Put it to work

Calculate, log & track

Open Chaga straight into OnePin with your vial and dose pre-filled, then let it handle the syringe math and remind you before the vial runs out.

Open Chaga in the app →

Go deeper

The guide & community

The complete Chaga walkthrough, real protocol discussion and coaching live inside the BlessUp community on Skool.

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