14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists at Russia's Vector Institute near Novosibirsk claim that, according to their investigations, a mushroom that grows on the trunks of birch trees in Siberia may hold the cure for AIDS.
Specifically, these researchers say that the Chaga mushroom could successfully be used to roll out a new and quite effective treatment for said medical condition. Besides, the mushroom could serve to treat influenza and smallpox.
The Russian scientists explain that different strains of the Chaga mushroom all have fairly low toxicity and a noteworthy antiviral effect.
“We conducted research and for the first time we selected 82 strains of 33 types of fungi growing in South West Siberia. Chaga fungi strains – which are so well known around Siberia – showed the widest spectrum of antiviral activity,” a spokesperson for the Vector Institute told the press, as cited by Medical Daily.
Furthermore, “Strains of these mushrooms demonstrated low toxicity and a strong antiviral effect.”
The antiviral effect appears to be due to the fact that they contain a chemical compound known to the scientific community as betulinic acid.
Thus, experiments have shown that betulinic acid has both anti-inflammatory and antiretroviral properties. Because of this, the researchers theorize that it could successfully be used to treat HIV infections and other similar conditions.
What's interesting is that people living in Siberia have for many centuries been aware of the Chaga mushroom’s properties. Hence the fact that they have long been using it as a cure for viral activity.
“Although relatively unheard of in mainstream media, the Chaga mushroom has been used in folk medicine for generations,” the spokesperson explains.
“Research has shown Chaga to be extremely effective in protecting cellular DNA from damaging free radicals,” he adds.
The researchers wish to further investigate the Chaga mushroom’s properties and hope that, at some point in the future, they will be given the green light to roll out clinical trials intended to test its effectiveness against HIV/AIDS.