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With cold and flu season upon us, you may have come across medicinal mushrooms—like Turkey Tail—as a natural remedy to help boost your immune system. Turkey Tail mushroom benefits are vast and include strengthening the immune system in multiple different ways, like fighting off specific cancers, bacteria and viruses, as well as balancing and promoting a healthy gut microbiome. So let’s take a deep dive into how Turkey Tail mushrooms can help keep us healthy this winter.

What are the Benefits of Turkey Tail Mushrooms?

Turkey Tail, scientifically named Trametes versicolor or Coriolus versicolor, is a gorgeous fungus, aptly named for its distinct fan-like appearance. Turkey Tail mushrooms grow from decaying plant matter such as logs or even living trees, forming beautiful concentric patterns just like the fanned tail of America’s favorite bird.

Turkey Tail mushrooms growing on a log in the wild
Wild Turkey Tail mushrooms

Although this fungus is very unique, it can grow just about anywhere and has a long history of medicinal use in cultures around the world. Today, the unique compounds found in Turkey Tail, mainly Polysaccharide Krestin (PSK) and Polysaccharide Peptide (PSP), are on the market in Japan and China to help cancer treatments work better. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into Turkey Tail’s numerous health benefits and which compounds are responsible for its powerful healing properties.

Turkey Tail Immune System Benefits: Polysaccharides

Turkey Tail is a powerful nutraceutical for your immune system and its benefits are associated with unique polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are long chains of carbohydrate molecules which can interact with the body in a number of different ways. Turkey Tail contains several protein-bound polysaccharides that work by balancing different immune cells and reducing general inflammation. The most commonly cited polysaccharides within Turkey Tail are polysaccharide krestin (PSK) and polysaccharide peptides (PSP). 

PSP was found to fight infection by phagocytosis, the process of engulfing bacteria and harmful cells. PSP also helps to create Cytokines—small proteins that regulate the immune system.

Similarly, PSK was found to stimulate dendratic cells, a special type of immune cell known as “killer cells” that help regulate the immune system. By stimulating these mechanisms, Turkey Tail’s polysaccharides can help support your immune system.

Turkey Tail’s Antioxidant Properties

Turkey Tail mushrooms also contain several antioxidants making their health benefits two-fold. The unchecked buildup of free radicals (unstable molecules within the body) can do long term damage through a process called oxidative stress. Our immune systems are finely tuned and rely on specific types of immune cells that are vulnerable to this oxidative stress. That’s where antioxidants come in. They destroy free radicals, helping to protect our immune cells and keep us healthy.

A 2016 study in the Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry looked at the antioxidant properties of Turkey Tail and found that compounds like gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid were likely responsible for Turkey Tail’s antioxidant properties.

Turkey Tail Mushrooms for Cancer

Turkey Tail’s benefits in cancer treatments are well documented and unlike many supplements, its benefits can apply to numerous different types of cancer. Clinical research has found this fungus to help prevent cancer, kill cancer cells, and even ease the experience of those undergoing certain treatments.

One of the most important findings in this field is Turkey Tail’s ability to prevent and treat cervical cancer. In a Comenius University 2023 study, when Turkey Tail was applied as a gel, its extracts helped improve HPV clearance for infected patients and were found to improve the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. The same study even found that the extract improved “cervical cytology abnormalities,” which are unusual cervical cells that may be cancerous. Because HPV causes 99.7% of cervical cancer cases, Turkey Tail’s potential as an HPV treatment make it a promising solution, especially combined with other medical interventions such as vaccinations and regular cancer screenings.

What’s more, polysaccharides found in Turkey Tail can stimulate the immune system to help fight other forms of cancer. In fact, a 2011 study which looked at the effects of one of the polysaccharides found in Turkey Tail, PSK, found it could be beneficial in killing tumors due to their ability to stimulate “natural killer” cells.

Turkey Tail Mushrooms and Cancer Treatments

Beyond its cancer fighting properties, Turkey Tail is also found to help make cancer more tolerable. In fact there have been many clinical trials which have found numerous benefits to cancer patients, including improved quality of life in combination with chemotherapy, as well as extended survival rates of 5-10 years. Polysaccharides within Turkey tail are considered a good supplement to both chemo and radiation cancer treatments. 

ITW’s Founder, Drew, holding a log full of Turkey Tail mushrooms in Japan.

Turkey Tail can also help with the immunity-suppressing effects of cancer treatments. Many cancer treatments weaken the immune system, so Turkey Tail is one potential solution to this major safety and quality of life issue for cancer patients.

Turkey Tail and the Gut Microbiome

Turkey Tail mushrooms can also have a major impact on the microorganisms in your digestive system, making it a superfood for your gut. The gut microbiome has impacts far beyond digestion and is tied to metabolism, cardiovascular health, and even mental health. 

Eating a diverse range of foods with different prebiotics is understood to help promote the gut microbiome. Prebiotics, not to be confused with probiotics, are foods and compounds that promote ‘good bacteria’ within the digestive system. Different compounds such as fiber can feed these microorganisms and serve as a precursor for their growth.
A 2014 trial at Harvard Medical School found that Turkey Tail behaves as a prebiotic in the digestive system, promoting a diverse microbiome.

A 2013 study in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition investigated the effects of T. Versicolor extract and PSP on the microbiota found in human waste and found that several healthy strains of bacteria increased while several ‘bad bacteria’ strains were reduced by the end of the experiment. Thus, Turkey Tail mushrooms can help balance the gut microbiome, which may aid with digestion and overall health.

Turkey Tail Mushroom Dosage

The research around Turkey Tail mostly involves extracts, which contain concentrated amounts of bioactive PSP and PSK. Other ways to consume Turkey Tail include powders made from fruiting bodies and/or mycelium to be cooked into a tea or broth. If you choose to supplement this way, you should take the product as directed. 

Of course, eating fresh or dried Turkey Tail mushrooms can also do the trick. For those that prefer to grow their mushrooms, we carry Turkey Tail liquid culture that come from mushrooms we foraged ourselves in the Pacific Northwest. When dealing with raw Turkey Tail mushrooms, a common dose is 2-3 grams per day, but the exact dosage will vary depending on the form and concentration of the supplement.

Turkey Tail Mushroom Side Effects 

Turkey Tail is generally considered very safe and most people tolerate it well without noticing any side effects. Some people may experience mild nausea or stomach upset if they don’t digest mushrooms well. Certain medications, such as those that impact blood sugar regulation, can be affected by Turkey Tail, so be sure to consult your doctor before supplementing Turkey Tail if you are using any medications.

Overall, Turkey Tail health benefits are vast and the mushroom has much to offer to your immune system. From boosting your natural killer cells during cold and flu season and feeding good bacteria in your gut to potentially helping to fight cancer, supplementing with Turkey Tail could give you the natural boost you’ve been looking for this season.