Turkey Tail - Boost Immune Function

Part 3 of our "Shroom Series" is all about Turkey Tail!

Scientific Name: Trametes versicolor

Nickname: "Turkey Tail"... because it looks like a turkey's tail!

Fun Facts About Turkey Tail:

- A hard, thin mushroom that grows on hardwood trees all over the world. They are actually quite common in North America.

- Most famous for immune-supporting and cancer-fighting properties. Though not yet accepted by many in the western medicine community.

- Use of turkey tail is approved for medicinal use in many countries including China, Japan and France

Turkey tail is one of the most common mushrooms that we included in our mushroom extract blends, so if you are really gung-ho you could forage for these yourself! A unique and versatile mushroom, turkey tails are commonly used for cooking, wellness and disease treatment. They have very high levels of antioxidants, making them a great addition to our daily routine as a well to combat any inflammation in the body that builds up due to stress or poor diet.

The most interesting fact about turkey tails, however, is the famous trials on cancer treatment. The use of turkey tail mushroom alongside conventional cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, is being studied in clinical trials by the FDA. Turkey tail mushrooms boost production of natural-killer (NK) cells, which are the immune cells responsible for fighting abnormal cancer cells, and they also boost immune function, which is commonly depleted by treatments such as chemotherapy.

For you science fiends out there, check out some research on Pubmed that discusses the use of Turkey Tail in modern health treatments.