The King and Queen of the mushroom kingdom.

Let’s be honest when talking about mushrooms it’s hard to play favorites, they all hold special places in our hearts. 

But two of them reign supreme. 

Chaga and Reishi are known as the King and Queen of the mushroom kingdom. 

Knowing their shared majestic status in the kingdom fungi, it’s only natural that we would discuss Chaga and Reishi Health benefits together. 

It is worth noting that Chaga and Reishi were anointed with these names long before any of us came around. No matter what you call them, mushrooms are pretty amazing. 

Something interesting about Chaga ( Inonotus Obliquus) is that it has many aliases, cinder or birch conk, Clinker polypore, black gold and gold of the forest. 

To the untrained eye Chaga looks nothing like a mushroom. You might mistake it for the chuck of burned wood and that’s because the fruiting body of this tonic mushroom is rarely seen and not used in herbalism. 

You can commonly find  Chaga in Russia, Poland and across the Baltic region where it has been used traditionally by folk herbalists. 

The chunks were ground or grated and then brewed into tea.So how about Chaga’s health benefits? Most importantly it was used for its immune support as Chaga contains active components known as triterpenoids which need precursor substances drawn from birch trees.  

Why Reishi is a mushroom superstar 

Like Chaga, Reishi (Ganoderma Lucidum) goes by plenty of names. 

The mushroom of immortality, Ling Zhi (Spirit Plant) and 10.000 year mushroom among them. 

Reishi is commonly known for its adaptogen properties and the support it offers for overall wellness as well as healthy natural transition  to a good nights sleep as well as immune health. 

The Queen ranges in color from reddish-orange to black and she grows across the US, Europe, South America and Asia. 

You’ll find it growing on Elm, Alder, Oak and some Conifer Trees

As with Chaga, Reishi doesn’t resemble a traditional mushroom with a cap and stem. 

Reishi instead grows out like a shelf or awning on a tree. 

The fresh white edges are sometimes tender enough to cook and eat but the fruiting bodies are generally tough, which is why they are extracted. 

Reishi can be a little bitter, thanks to the triterpenoid compounds, primary ganoderic and licideric acids. 

Reishi is as versatile as it is cherished. It’s been used in China and Japan for over 4000 years for a variety of reasons. 

This mushroom is considered to be an adaptogen, helping the body’s natural response to stress. 

It should also be noted that both Chaga and Reishi have shown remarkable cancer fighting abilities as the volatile compounds found in both mushrooms seek out cancer cells and destroy them on contact

Now that’s what I call ROYALTY