Inferred from the fact that 5,000 year old iceman, who was discovered in the permafrost of the Alps mountains between the border of Italy and Austria,was carrying Chaga in his medicinal pouch, the usage of Chage had already begun.
Full-fledged resesrch and its presentation by physicians were first made 150 years ago in 1859 by Russian doctor named Freben in his "Report on the findings of therapeutic effect of Chaga".
Since then, research has been carried out in Poland, Germany and Canada .Solzhenitsyn, Nobel Laureate for Literature, write in his book "Cancer Ward" of his personal experience of being healed of cancer by the usage of Chage. Through his book Chaga gained worldwide notoriety as an anti-cancer mushroom.
The Rssian Red Cross had started selling anti-cancer drug based on Chaga as its main component. In 1983 it was listed in the Russian Pharmacopeia as "Befungin" drug effective for cancer, gastric ulcer, gastritis and chronic pain relief.
In Japan, the late professor of Takashi Mizuno of Shizuoka University presented "Anti-tumor activities&blood glucose-lowering effect of Polysaccharide in Kabanoanatake(Chaga)". Then, other institutions followed on the sutudy of Chaga such as Hokkaido University, Hiroshima University, National Institute of Health&Welfare, Osaka Public Health Research Center. Research has been continued and presented publically as to the effects of Chaga for anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-Aids virus, lowering sugar level and blood pressure, anti-allergic, improvement of skin complexion, and so on.