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Chaga is documented in the earliest known journal of oriental medicine, shen nong ben cao jing, in 100 BC as "the king of herbs" and "gift from god". This journal is now considered the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine. Chaga is also referred to in Asian culture as the "mushroom of immortality". Chaga was used for centuries in many eastern European countries, including Russia, as a folk remedy for many forms of cancer, tuberculosis of the bones, diabetes, arthritis, stomach and digestive ailments, blood disorders, bronchitis, hypertension, tumor growth and viral infections. The international scientific community has begun significant research of Chaga's immense health benefits. Medical research has shown Chaga to be effective as an anti-tumor agent. In 1958, scientific studies in Finland and Russia found that the Chaga mushroom provided an epochal effect in uterine, liver, breast, and gastric cancer, and hypertension and diabetes.

Chaga is wildly touted and sought after throughout Asia. Chaga, is a polypore fungus (polyporaceae or gym enochaetaceae family), which grows on birch trees. The fungus produces a black perennial woody growth called a "conk" and is a member of the basidiomycetes (true mushrooms). Chaga contains an extraordinary amount of phyto-nutrients such as beta glucans, (a unique family of sugars called polysaccharides known to be immune activators), special compounds such as betulinic acid, special pigments including melanins, amino acids and nucleosides. Because of its irregular shape and the way it is harvested, until now Chaga has generally been sold as dried, cut pieces of varying size. To find high potency Chaga, it can only be harvested in the wild. Many attempts to grow Chaga under commercial harvesting techniques have failed to reproduce the viable potency and quality. As Chaga becomes known to the western world, it is now being artificially cultivated and often extracted in alcohol tinctures. The purest and most potent Chaga mushroom is not cultivated but rather "wild-crafted", or grown naturally in the wild. Siberian Chaga, naturally found in the birch forests of the Siberian mountain regions, is the most potent of all the varieties of mushrooms.

A US company called Sayan, has encapsulated the best properties of Chaga and made a deliciously flavored anti-oxidant rich drink available in food supermarkets across the U.S. Chaga is the most powerful antioxidant in its class, and has the highest antioxidant concentration of any known natural food. Chaga is currently grown in Siberia, Korea, Canada, the northern US and parts of the Carolina mountains. But because of the extremely cold temperatures encountered in the Siberian forest, Siberian Chaga is the most potent variety worldwide. Chaga takes 5 to 7 years to grow, and is very rare. Chaga cannot be farmed, so Sayan uses wild-harvested Chaga that is hand-picked in the depth of the Siberian taiga, where the temperatures are below -40 °F at least five months a year. The unique harvesting process preserves the life of all living things in the taigas (especially the birch trees that Chaga likes to grow on), minimizing environmental impact.

Chaga is one of the very first beverages of its kind to enter the market. In addition to its great taste and calorie-free formulation, a myriad of healthful benefits can be derived from drinking Sayan Chaga. At the same time, the unsweetened version will maintain the all-natural, caffeine- and gluten-free formulation of its original blend. Available in original, peach, raspberry and citrus flavors, the super antioxidant beverage boasts over 6.5 times the antioxidant power of its closest counterpart, Acai (1,104 orac units per gram versus 167). Antioxidants are a class of nutrients known to protect the body from cell damage caused by free radicals. They are purported to boost the immune system, increase energy, promote longevity and maintain overall health and well-being, among many other healthful by products. Now all those desirable health benefits can be had without any calories. According to a 2008 food and trend report, low-calorie has become a huge trend in the food industry. Now, reaping the benefits of Siberian Chaga is as easy as sipping a bottle of delicious Sayan' Chaga beverage.