If you are familiar at all with alternative medicine or superfoods, you may have heard of chaga. A mushroom harvested from the most frigid extremes of the globe, it has been used by generations of Alaskans and Siberians as a traditional remedy for everything from everyday illness to intestinal problems to aging. One of its most celebrated traditional uses is as a remedy for the common cold. Does chaga's immune-supporting reputation hold up?
Chaga's reputation as a cold-season ally is part of why it has endured for so long. Chaga is studied for its support of the immune system, and a warm cup is a comforting thing to reach for when you feel run down. Read on for how it's thought to help — with realistic expectations.
Chaga for Colds
The common cold is an unavoidable reality of life. A cold is when a virus infects the upper respiratory tract, causing fever, runny nose, congestion, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, headaches, and other symptoms. While rarely serious, colds cause real impairment and are highly contagious. In rare cases, colds can develop into pneumonia or become serious in people with compromised immune systems.
There is no way to perfectly prevent the common cold, and there's no vaccine for it because colds are caused by hundreds of different viruses. Your risk is higher during inclement weather, in crowded enclosed spaces, and with insufficient sanitation. Stress and lack of sleep are also cited as risk factors.
Colds are typically managed through rest, fluids, and over-the-counter remedies that ease symptoms. Chaga is often reached for as a natural, supportive option alongside these basics.
The main way chaga is thought to help is by supporting immune response. In lab research, chaga is associated with the activity of cytokines, which act as messengers for the immune system, helping coordinate white blood cells. Chaga is studied for supporting this kind of balanced immune activity.
Chaga is also studied for helping moderate inflammation. Inflammation helps your body fight infection, but excessive inflammation is uncomfortable and unhelpful; chaga's compounds are associated with keeping it balanced.
Much of this is attributed to chaga's beta-d-glucans, compounds studied for balancing immune activity — stimulating a sluggish response or calming an overactive one — which is why they're called Biological Response Modifiers.
Finally, some of chaga's value when you're sick is simple and real: drinking fluids keeps you hydrated and helps your lungs clear, and a hot drink soothes the throat and sinuses. In that respect, a cup of chaga tea is a sensible thing to enjoy when you're under the weather.
Conclusion
Getting the occasional cold is unavoidable — adults catch two to three per year on average. Chaga won't make you immune, but as an antioxidant-rich, immune-supporting warm drink, it's a comforting part of a healthy cold-season routine, alongside rest and fluids.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Chaga is a food and wellness product, not a treatment or cure for any disease. If you're pregnant, have a health condition, or take medication, talk to your doctor before using chaga.