Turkey Tail Mushroom

2 days ago
2 min read

Turkey Tail Trametes versicolour – also known as Coriolus versicolor and Polyporus versicolour – is a common polypore mushroom found throughout the world. Owing to its shape being like that of a wild turkey’stail feathers, T. versicolor is most referred to as turkey tail.

Turkey tail mushrooms may boost the immune system, support gut health, and potentially aid in cancer treatment due to compounds like PSK and PSP. They are also rich in antioxidants, which fight inflammation, and prebiotics, which promote healthy gut bacteria.

Immune and gut health

Immune modulating:

The polysaccharides, especially PSK and PSP, are thought to stimulate immune responses. This can include promoting the activity of immune cells, which may help the body fight off bacteria and viruses.

Gut health:

Turkey tail acts as a prebiotic, feeding good gut bacteria and improving the gut microbiome. It also contains fibre which aids digestion. This can lead to reduced inflammation and improved digestive health.

Cancer support

Cancer treatment:

PSK, a component of turkey tail, is approved in some countries as an adjunctive cancer therapy. It has been studied for its ability to improve the response to chemotherapy and radiation by potentially boosting the immune system's ability to fight cancer cells.

Cancer risk:

The high antioxidant content may also help fight cell damage linked to cancer and other diseases.

Other potential benefits

Antioxidant-rich:

Packed with antioxidants like phenols, turkey tail helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Heart health:

Its fibre content and ability to improve insulin sensitivity may support heart health. Antioxidants can also help reduce oxidative stress on the heart.

Important considerations

Turkey tail mushroom is considered safe, with few side effects reported in research studies. Some people may experience digestive symptoms like bloating, and dark stools when taking turkey tail mushroom.

When used as a cancer treatment alongside chemotherapy, side effects including nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite have been reported). However, it’s unclear if those side effects were related to turkey tail mushroom or the conventional cancer treatments being used.

Another potential side effect of consuming turkey tail mushroom is the darkening of the fingernails.

While promising, more large-scale clinical trials are needed to confirm many of these benefits. Turkey tail is generally considered safe for most healthy people, but it's important to talk to a healthcare provider before using it, especially if you have a medical condition or are undergoing cancer treatment.

We sell Turkey Tail in powder form along with other medicinal mushrooms which I will talk about next week. They are also sold in our salt products, which can be used in food preparation or sprinkled on your scrambled eggs, or your favourite food to enhance the flavour.

At the moment they are only available on the Market stall, but if you are interested in trying them drop us a line and we can send them to you.