ANGARA INC.

CHAGA (Inonotus Obliquus ) There have been 150 species of medical mushrooms found to inhibit the growth of different kinds of tumors, especially cancers of the stomach, esophagus, and lungs. But chaga seems to stand out from the rest. This is a mushroom that commonly grows in northern regions on birch, alder and beech trees. However for medical purposes only birch chaga can be used. Because of its close association with birch trees, it is often referred to as the &＃39;birch mushroom. Unlike most mushrooms, chaga is a polypore, a fungus with pores instead of gills. It has the appearance of a black, irregular, cracked mass, grows on tree trunks and is most often sterile. It is not cultivated but wild-crafted. Chaga is a fungal parasite which draws its nutrients out of living trees, rather than from the ground. Fungi digest food outside their bodies by releasing enzymes into the surrounding environment, breaking down organic matter into a form the fungus can then absorb. A look at the research on chaga shows a similar pattern with respect to its effect on tumors. Scientific research regarding the effects of chaga have centered around its common folk uses. The anti-cancer properties of betulin or betulinic acid, a chemical obtained from birch bark, is now being studied for use as a chemotherapeutic agent. Chaga contains large amounts of betulinic acid in a form that can be ingested orally, and it also contains the full spectrum of immune - stimulating phytochemicals found in other medicinal mushrooms such as maitake mushroom and shiitake mushroom.