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Promises of Turkey Tail Mushroom | Medicinal Mushroom Series

Whether you are here to learn about the wonders of Turkey Tail mushroom after watching the movie ‘Fantastic Fungi’, or you’re here to discover more about medicinal mushrooms, either way, you have come to the right place! We will cover many of the questions that might be on your mind regarding the fascinating turkey tail mushroom that has caused widespread attention all over the world.

In case you haven’t seen ‘Fantastic Fungi’ yet, we’ll briefly cover the gist of the part that has everything to do with turkey tail mushroom in this film. Mycologist Paul Stamets, an amateur mushroom fanatic and expert as well as the star of the documentary, shares a story of his own mother being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that unfortunately had also spread to other vital parts of her body. Her doctor said she was too old for radiation therapy and offered to enrol her in a turkey tail mushroom clinical trial that her son happened to supply these medicinal mushrooms to. In combination with anti-cancer drugs, she not only became cancer-free but was also able to appear in ‘Fantastic Fungi’ on the same stage with her son to prove the legacy of these powerful mushrooms. This moving story piqued the interest all over the world, and we’re here to lay it all out.

What are Turkey Tails?

what are turkey tails

In the wild, the turkey tail, also known as Trametes versicolor or Coriolus versicolor, grows on dead hardwood trees throughout the world. Its shape and beautiful swirling colours resemble the tail of a wild turkey, hence the intriguing name. Turkey Tail, also known as Yun Zhi in Chinese culture, has been used by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine for many centuries as a powerful immunomodulator that supports immune system function and helps fight infections. Because of its promising health benefits, you may be tempted to find this mushroom yourself in the woods. Turkey Tail can be easily mistaken for other similarly looking mushrooms, and to ensure you pick the right one, we will go over their differences in detail below.

Is Turkey Tail Mushroom Edible?

Turkey Tail mushroom is absolutely edible; however, its hard consistency does not make it very easy to chew it. For that reason, there aren’t many turkey tail mushroom recipes available. The best option is to cut it up, brew it, make it into teas, tinctures, or create a turkey tail powder that can be taken as a supplement.

Turkey Tail Identification

Turkey Tail mushrooms can be easily mistaken for a false turkey tail mushroom, and they often grow next to each other side by side. Looking from the top of these mushrooms, they can be incredibly similar-looking, therefore, it’s important to flip these beauties around to carefully inspect the bottom side. The real turkey tail mushroom will have a white-ish bottom with tiny pores visible while the false turkey tail mushroom will have a smooth, beige coloured bottom without any pores.

The Violet Toothed Polypore or Trichaptum biforme can also look very similar to a Turkey Tail. The key difference is the violet-tinged outer edge and purple coloured underside which usually has larger tooth-like pores. To correctly identify Turkey Tail mushroom, stick to these guidelines:

Generally grows from May to December, however, they can be found all year-round
Grows on fallen hardwood logs or stumps
Caps are approx. 3 to 10 cm wide, stemless, and fan-shaped
They are multicoloured with small, velvety hairs
The underside is white with tiny, uniform pores

Turkey Tail Potential Benefits

Turkey Tails may Help Cure Certain Types of Cancer

turkey tail benefits

As we learned from Paul Stamets’s mom’s story, turkey tail mushrooms can potentially help with curing certain types of cancer. Until now, there have been several studies done with promising results showing that turkey tail mushrooms can greatly enhance the existing cancer treatments as well as support the immune system of the cancer patient that usually gets really weakened during the treatment. One particular study found that turkey tail mushrooms can stop the cancer cells from spreading further. Other studies showed that taking turkey tail mushrooms greatly increases the chances of survival in cancer patients by approximately 30% as opposed to patients who were only treated by traditional treatments alone. However, none of the studies suggests that they could replace any of the existing cancer treatments. Always consult your healthcare provider to see if turkey tail mushrooms can be used together with another treatment plan to potentially increase your chances of successful recovery.

Turkey Tails Boost The Immune System

turkey tail benefits

There are two important polysaccharides found in turkey tail mushrooms: PSP (polysaccharide peptide) and PSK (krestin); both provide powerful immune support that activates certain types of immune cells in the body while also suppressing inflammation. This is beneficial to people who want to naturally boost their immunity to help the body fight off harmful bacteria and viruses. Turkey tail mushrooms have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries to increase health and vitality in both sick and healthy people.

Turkey Tails Can Support a Healthy Gut Function

turkey tail benefits

Turkey tail mushrooms contain prebiotics, which helps to nourish healthy gut bacteria. An 8-week study in 24 healthy people found that consuming 3,600 mg of turkey tail mushroom extract per day led to beneficial changes in gut bacteria and suppressed the growth of the possibly problematic E. coli and Shigella bacteria. A healthy gut in return helps to keep everything else in balance, including a well-functioning immune system.

Turkey Tail Mushroom Dosage

For general use, 1,000- 3,000 milligrams (or 1-3 grams) of Turkey Tail can be taken daily for optimal health benefits (based on research data and recommendations. Dosage can largely depend on individual goals and needs; for cancer patients the dosage will need to be increased. For breast cancer patients, the daily dosage will be anywhere from 3 to 9 grams. Always consult your healthcare practitioner to see what dosage most suit your needs.

Are There Any Side Effects Using Turkey Tail Mushroom?

People with mold or mushroom allergies should be cautious using any type of medicinal mushrooms and only do it in consultation with their healthcare practitioner. Otherwise, potential turkey tail mushroom side effects could be diarrhea, dark stools, and darkening finger (toe-nail pigmentation). Thankfully, these side effects are rare and if they occur, they are short-lived. Even in long-term usage in cancer patients, there has been no toxicity found as a result of using turkey tail mushrooms, which has also been confirmed by a rat study.

Turkey Tail Mushroom Supplements

How to consume turkey tail mushroom? There are variations of ways to take in turkey tail. It can be cut up, boiled, and consumed as a tea, or taken as a supplement. You can also choose between turkey tail powder capsules or turkey tail extract in a liquid form. In Next Level, we sell high-quality turkey tail mushroom supplements as well as other valuable products for your health and well-being.

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Author: Annie Verkade

Annie Verkade is a writer at Next Level Smartshop with a background in philology. She writes about natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals, sleep support, and plant-based products. Her work also explores altered states of consciousness - both with and without psychedelics - as well as topics like astrology and lunar cycles, translating insights into clear, accessible content. She’s especially interested in how simple rituals and environment can shift how we feel (sometimes more than we expect). Outside of work, she enjoys photography, reading, bouldering, and travelling. Favourite products: Sagrada Madre incense, Mulungu, Sleep Tincture