Big Food - Chaga Powder - 350 g

What is Big Food Chaga Powder?

The use of fungi in traditional medicine has been well-known for centuries, and one of the commonly used fungi is Chaga. This powerful mushroom is the material used in Big Food Chaga powder. Chaga is a charcoal-colored mushroom that grows in Birch Forests.

It is famous in different countries such as China, Russia, Japan, and Korea for its rich nutrient profile and therapeutic properties such as anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties (Source: Science Direct)

Benefits of Big Food Chaga:

• 100% Whole Chaga Mushroom
• Wild-harvested from Finland
• No additives added sugar or preservatives
• Rich in Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants

Why Choose Big Food Chaga?

Imagine getting up in the morning or finding yourself rushing to work, and at times you grab the first sugary drink or instant coffee you see. But what if you could bring a healthier to-go option for your morning tea or coffee?

A Healthy Add-on to your diet

Big Food Chaga lets you enjoy the warmth of nature with its woody and earthy aroma while getting the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals your body needs. It is also a source of fiber which can be good for digestion!

Big Food Chaga can be used as an early morning or afternoon tea or coffee alternative with its fine powder if you have caffeine intolerances. Once brewed, you'll smell the earthy aroma of the Chaga mushroom and be surprised that it has a mild neutral taste. You can also add Big Food Chaga to your:

• Yogurt
• Porridge
• Smoothies (you can use the Chaga tea as a base)

Whole Chaga vs. Extract Chaga

With the number of Chaga powder products in the market, one aspect that might confuse you is Chaga extract and Whole Chaga Powder. A lot use it interchangeably, but they're actually different.

When it comes to Whole Chaga Powder, the mushroom undergoes a drying process in moderate temperatures (lower than 40°C). Afterward, the dried mushroom is milled into powder. This preserves the natural nutrients in the plant, such as vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. All of which is what we expect from a whole and natural dietary supplement.

On the other hand, Chaga extracts are produced by putting the mushroom plant in a solvent. This can either be hot water or alcohol, depending on the compounds being extracted. And then, the mushrooms may either be drained and or have the solvent retained. This process can be repeated several times. Some prefer this method because it helps produce beta-glucans that may support immune function. But this doesn’t make it any different from Whole Chaga powders, as they also contain natural beta-glucans. In addition, the process may also affect the plant's nutrient profile and lose the essential nutrients for its therapeutic effects.

Crafted carefully to preserve the nutrients

At Plent, we make sure that the natural nutrients are not compromised while making our products. With Big Food Chaga, we use whole Chaga, wild-harvested and dried, then ground into a fine, nutritionally dense powder. Some may protest that it doesn't dissolve in water, unlike Chaga extract. Still, similar to tea and freshly brewed coffee, we do not necessarily have to dissolve the tea and coffee bean, but we get the essence and nutrients we need from it. The difference is that Big Food Chaga has a richer nutrient profile.

Key Health Benefits of Big Food Chaga

As early as the 1500s, Chaga has been part of Eastern European folk medicine because of its therapeutic properties (Source:Science Direct). Chaga has only recently been introduced as a potent super-food. There is not much research around the mushroom in humans. There has, however, been an abundance of studies in animals and on isolated human tissue.

Beta-Glucans

Mushrooms are a source of biologically active polysaccharides called Beta-Glucans. Beta-glucans are one of the scientific bases of the immunostimulating and healing properties of mushrooms. They act as an immune defense against, naturally killing harmful substances (Source: Pubmed)

Antioxidants

Chaga contains one of the most diverse and comprehensive arrays of antioxidants available, and that these may provide protective benefits to the body (Source: NCBI)

Antioxidants help to quench harmful molecules that build up in our bodies. This can help to prevent us from contracting illnesses and conditions. Furthermore, Chaga is a good source of Selenium, which supports immune function and combat oxidative stress from harmful substances (Source: Eur-lex).

Another type of antioxidant that Chaga contains are polyphenols that have been studied to help promote heart health, brain function and lower blood sugar, contain anti-inflammatory properties and anti-aging effects that help slow down the aging process of the cells of the body (Source: NCBI)

In addition, it also contains an antioxidant/phenolic acid called flavanoids that also helps with brain function, heart health, lowering blood sugar and help scavenge forfree radicals that can potentially harm the cells of the body (Source: NCBI).

Minerals

The Chaga mushroom is also a source of several essential minerals. Essential simply means that we cannot produce them in the body and consume them through our food. Minerals are inorganic elements in the body that we need in small amounts for a variety of functions. Chaga contains sources of copper, selenium, zinc and magnesium. These minerals can help with:

• Maintenance of hair, nails, and bones
• Brain function
• Muscle function
• Protein production

(Source: Eur-lex)

Fiber

One of the main reasons that our Chaga powder is so popular is the fiber content. When formulating our nutritious powder, we ensured that the fiber content remained intact.

Fiber is known as the part of plant foods that we cannot break down and digest. This is because we do possess the digestive enzymes to do so. However, this fiber is still essential for adding bulk to the stool, feeding the friendly bacteria in the gut, and overall digestive motility.

B-Vitamins

Chaga is a natural source of several of these B-vitamins. The B-vitamins include thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid and cobalamin (B12). These are the family of vitamins known best for:

• Helping reduce tiredness & fatigue
• Supporting nervous system function
• Maintaining skin health
• Supporting energy production

(Source:Eur-lex)