Chaga

[BikerDude]

Yup Chaga.
It's a fungus that grows on birch trees.
But it's also one of the oldest known medicinal "Herbs".
The "ice man", the guy they found frozen some time ago had chaga in his pack.
I've run out of my supply and now that spring is almost here I plan to go out and get some more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q2dGq6tISc
Harvesting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnvWOUYm6dI
Or they sell it online.
http://www.amazon.com/Siberian-Chaga-Mushroom-Extract-Powder/dp/B0042LFCOM/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1426255147&sr=1-1&keywords=russian+chaga

Generally you make a tea with it. Which actually tastes good.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/29/chaga-potent-immune-enhancing-fungus/

Chaga is rich in natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phenols, containing the compounds betulin and betulinic acid ? which derive directly from host birch trees. Both betulin and betulinic acid demonstrate anti-tumor effects, which explain why chaga is known as an anti-cancer agent. Additionally, some science shows that betulin can play a beneficial role in controlling metabolic disorders, such as obesity and metabolic syndrome. A group of compounds in chaga called lanostanoids also appear to play significant anti-cancer roles.

The exact anti-cancer activity of chaga is not completely understood, but some compounds in the fungus boost immune activity, some specifically prevent cancer cells from replicating, and others cause premature cancer cell death. This argues for the utilization of a whole chaga extract, rather than isolating a single compound. In chaga, many agents appear to be active against cancer.

One of the most surprising benefits of chaga is in regards to psoriasis. In one Russian study, psoriasis patients who took chaga recovered from their condition. Given that psoriasis is notoriously difficult to treat and responds to very little therpaies, this effect alone could be of enormous benefit to many.

The compound ergosterol in chaga, along with related agents, shows anti-inflammatory activity. This may account for why chaga is thought of as a life-extending agent in China, as inflammation is part of every chronic, degenerative disease. Reducing systemic inflammation can mitigate or help prevent a variety of health problems, leading to a healthier life ? and presumably a longer one.

Traditionally, chaga has been used for a variety of purposes. Scientific investigation chaga?s use as an anti-allergy agent shows that in animals, the fungus has the ability to prevent anaphylactic shock ? a serious and potentially fatal consequence of a severe allergy. In another study, administration of an extract of chaga reduced infection due to the Herpes simplex virus.

[Reverend Al]

That's fucking interesting, man.  The son of a good friend sells products for a company called Gano Excel (you can look it up, I don't know if it's cool to post a link to a company like that here), and all of their products contain Ganoderma Lucidum, an extract taken from some type of mushroom which they describe as "Asian medicine's 'king of herbs' since ancient times".  He swears that taking one of their supplements (which the FDA banned several years ago) helped him to control his diabetes, and a female co-worker swears it cured her Leukemia.  The problems are:

1)  Their sales structure is based on the same business model as Amway and Shaklee; i.e., you start out by selling under someone in the organization, then you get people to sell under you with the goal of eventually managing your salespeople and making your profits out of their sales.  It's sort of a quasi-legal pyramid scheme, and you have to maintain a regular job and sell their products during your off-hours until you get enough people working under you.  So, as a customer, unless you live near one of their "support centers" (and they only have six in the continental U.S.) or know someone who sells their products, you can't get them.

2)  All of their products (all of the ones I've tried, anyway) taste like shit.

But since you say Chaga actually tastes good, I just might look into it.  Thanks Dude!

[Hominid]

I hear beer is good too...  (Sorry, couldn't help myself...)

http://www.menshealth.com/health/have-a-beer

[DigitalBuddha]

I hear beer is good too...  (Sorry, couldn't help myself...)

http://www.menshealth.com/health/have-a-beer

One must always help himself to beer...

[meekon5]

I have to admit that I'm really interested in this, being a type two diabetic. Not from the point of "curing" myself, but realising one of the side effects of diabetes is a compromised immune system, so anything that builds immunity could help.

Do you know anything about the availability in the UK (apart from going and harvesting it from the trees themselves, was it Beech or Silverbirch?)

[BikerDude]

I have to admit that I'm really interested in this, being a type two diabetic. Not from the point of "curing" myself, but realising one of the side effects of diabetes is a compromised immune system, so anything that builds immunity could help.

Do you know anything about the availability in the UK (apart from going and harvesting it from the trees themselves, was it Beech or Silverbirch?)

Looks like there is a source in the UK.
http://chagaking.co.uk/
And amazon UK has several.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/275-4041125-5697806?url=search-alias%3Ddrugstore&field-keywords=chaga&sprefix=chaga%2Cdrugstore

Yellow and white birch. You have to be careful not to get it from cherry trees. The funky taste in cherries comes from small levels of arsenic. On cherry trees the fungus actually concentrates the arsenic so it is dangerous. On birch it's fine.
I find it most often near water sources. Wet areas and it can be found on downed trees.
Luckily there is nothing else that resembles the particular "fungus" so you don't have much chance of mistaking it for something else. Which can be very dangerous.

Supposedly the Siberian chaga has a higher level of all the good stuff but the reviews for other types seem very good and the price is much better.

I'd order some online to try out and then dip a toe into finding and gathering.
I would stick with the chunk form simply because it's more evident what you are getting. Tinctures and teas and such require a bit of trust that you are getting real chaga. Chunks are what they appear to be. But you can be the judge. The pills and tinctures get good reviews. The pills I assume you are ingesting the actual powdered mushroom which I wouldn't opt for personally. I like the idea of a tea.