From olden times in Russian folk medicine chaga has been known as curable mean against internal tumors. Chronicles assert that for this purpose it had already been used even in the beginning of 12^th century. In Russian herbals, reference books and folk medical manuals were found many references about the treatment by chaga. From official medical literature it is known several attempts to explain the therapeutic action of birch fungus on the patients with cancer by clinicians and practicing doctors of 18^th-19^th centuries.

 

Thus, in 1858 Russian doctor Z. Froben described the case of recovery of heavily sick man with cancer of parotid gland with the aid of the birch mushroom broth.

 

In 1862 in Saint Petersburg doctor A. Furkht described the case of recovery of the patient with cancer of lower lip, and what’s more the sub maxillary gland had been already implicated in the cancerous process. In this case the thick decoction of chaga was taken inside and applied in form of a compress 3 times a day in the course of several months.The treatment ended by complete disappearance of cancerous tumor and cancerous ulcer!

 

In 1889 by doctor I.Lapinin of the obstetrical - gynecological clinic of military medical academy carried out the treatment of two sick women ill with malignant tumors by broth from the birch fungus. For this purpose the broth was used inside and in the form of syringing.

 

In 1896 doctor from Pyatigorsk S. Smirnov noted the soothing action of broth from chaga on the patients with the inoperable forms of cancer. At the same time the doctor established the ability of broth to regulate the functions of bowels of the patient.

 

On the basis of some data about use of chaga in folk medicine in 1949 the study of chaga had begun and in 1951 it was continued by the Botanical Institute of the AS USSR. After diverse clinical and chemical research of chaga in 1955 it was approved and permitted by the Pharmacological Committee of the Ministry of Public Health of the USSR for medical use.

 

Chaga has been used for centuries in Russia as a cancer cure, often against stomach and lung cancer, as well as for common stomach ailments such as gastritis, ulcers and general pain. Scientific researches have found significant anti-cancer  activity. Because of its irregular size and weight, chaga is generally sold as dried, cut pieces of varying size. In Russia the infusion or a chaga broth has been used for centuries as a substitute for tea. It can also be taken as a liqueur.

 

Within the framework of the requirements of Russian pharmacopoeia, taking into account recommendations of the Department of Pharmacognosy and Botany of Irkutsk State Medical University, the company "Angara- Forest Ltd" has toughened its requirements for quality of chaga. It's been established that by basic factors influencing the quality of chaga appears to be the locality of its growth, maturity and temperature of drying regime.

 

It’s been experimentally proven that chaga growing under severe climatic conditions with the short vegetative period has the most explicit therapeutic properties, and above all anticancerous ones. The external distinguishing feature of northern Irkutsk chaga from Sakhalin and Primorie chaga as well as Baykalo - Sayan analogs is its higher specific weight (pieces are more solid and heavier). Only ripe chaga can be harvested and stored for medical purposes. As a rule, chaga is considered to be ripe if it is 6-7 years old and only chaga of that age is supposed to have real healing properties.

To define the age of chaga it is recommendable to weigh it and if the results show the weight of one chaga mushroom is about 700-800 grams then you can consider this chaga as  ripe enough to gather.

For chaga drying process should be used only whole (unbroken) lumps. Too big specimens can be cut to smaller pieces but not smaller then 10-15 cm size. The drying regime must not exceed 50ºС in order not to kill live bacterias on which depends anticancer property of chaga and its biofield.

Afterward, the dried chaga is cut to pieces of different size and get sorted in accordance with customer's requirements. For example: Grade “A”(7-10 cm); ”B” (2-7 cm); «С» (0,7- 2 см) and «Premium» - whole, specially selected specimen.