The magnificent turkey tail mushroom has been used medicinally for millennia in Asia and is now being used to support conventional cancer treatment.
Turkey tail, or Trametes versicolor (previously known as Coriolus versicolor), is a bracket fungus and member of the polypore family. Found almost anywhere in the world where there are trees, they grow on dead and dying wood, branches, and fallen logs. Turkey tail are easy to find and ubiquitous in North American forests. Named for their colorful concentric rings that resemble the tail feathers of a turkey, they've been used medicinally throughout Asia for thousands of years.
Although not particularly delicious as its texture is tough and leathery, harvested turkey tail is usually dried, turned into a powder, and made into tea. It can also be added to foods—like soups, stews, and smoothies.
Turkey tail is a powerful medicine. Rich in antioxidants, it boosts the immune system, supports digestion, benefits the microbiome, and supports cancer treatment. It is also one of the best-researched medicinal mushrooms, with over a thousand entries in the PubMed database.
Boosts the Immune System
Mushrooms have been used for millennia in Chinese medicine for their immune-enhancing effects and are revered for their ability to fortify the body, boost immunity, and enhance longevity.
One of the ways mushrooms affect the immune system is by stimulating the production of cytokines. “Cytokines are small, soluble proteins that act as intracellular mediators in an immune response,” according to a review titled “Immune Modulation From Five Major Mushrooms: Application to Integrative Oncology published in Integrative Medicine: A Clinicians Journal.”
The same review states:
“It is well-established that mushrooms are adept at immune modulation and affect hematopoietic stem cells, lymphocytes, macrophages, T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer (NK) cells.
“Extensive research over the last 40 years has demonstrated that mushrooms have potent antineoplastic properties that slow growth of tumors, regulate tumor genes, decrease tumoral angioneogenesis, and increase malignant-cell phagocytosis. Additionally, evidence suggests that medicinal mushrooms may safely boost chemotherapeutic efficacy and simultaneously protect against bone marrow suppression.” Turkey tail is adaptogenic, meaning it helps our body adapt to stress by managing its harmful effects. Adaptogens also have a normalizing effect on the body’s processes (homeostasis) and protect us from stress-related damage. They help us to adapt to stress via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis—the body’s primary stress response system.
Mushrooms and Cancer
Turkey tail mushrooms contain bioactive compounds called beta-glucans, which include polysaccharide-K (PSK), also known as krestin, and polysaccharide peptide (PSP). These compounds have potent anticancer effects that include inhibiting tumor growth, inhibiting metastasis, helping fight cancer cells, modulating the immune system, and suppressing inflammation.
Turkey tail and other medicinal mushrooms like reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), shiitake (Lentinus edodes), and maitake (Grifola frondosa) are approved adjuvant therapies to standard cancer treatments in China and Japan and have been for more than three decades.
According to a review, both PSK and PSP have documented anticancer activity in cell studies, animal studies, and human trials.
PSK has been used effectively for treating gastric, esophageal, colorectal, breast, and lung cancers.
PSP helps improve "the survival and quality of life in patients suffering cancers, hepatopathy, hyperlipidemia, chronic bronchitis, and other complex diseases," according to an article in Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science.
A systemic review and meta-analysis compared the safety and efficacy of PSK for patients with gastrointestinal cancer who used chemotherapy, and those who didn't. Gastrointestinal cancer refers to a group of cancers that include liver, pancreatic, esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer. A total of 23 trials that involved 10,684 patients were included. The review found that treatment with PSK substantially increased overall survival between 1–5 years, was positively associated with overall survival between 6–7 years, and substantially increased 1–7 disease-free survival, as well as there being no increases in side effects. The meta-analysis concluded that when used in conjunction with chemotherapy, PSK was superior, finding that the combination dramatically increased three and five-year survival overall, leading the authors to conclude that PSK was safe and efficacious for patients with gastrointestinal cancer.
Breast Cancer
A study in Global Advances in Health and Medicine discusses the case of an 83-year-old woman diagnosed with advanced, metastatic inflammatory breast cancer. In addition to receiving chemotherapy treatments, she began taking turkey tail mushrooms—4 grams, twice daily, made by Host Defense.
Six months later, when the chemotherapy treatments were complete, the patient continued taking the turkey tail capsules and began taking Herceptin therapy–a targeted anticancer drug–every three weeks. She also began taking another combination mushroom formula (Host Defense MyCommunity Capsules) containing 17 species of mushroom mycelium. At the time of the study’s publication, the patient, who was then 87, was reported to be living a “vital and active life,” was free of disease, and was still taking her daily dose of the turkey tail, combination mushroom supplement, and Herceptin every three weeks.
A study published in the International Journal of Oncology showed that PSP from turkey tail enhanced cytotoxicity of the cancer drugs doxorubicin and etoposide in breast cancer cells.
In a multicenter, longitudinal, self-control study, 82 breast cancer patients took turkey tail and dan shen (Salviae miltiorrhizae)—a Chinese herb used for breaking up masses and improving circulation–daily for six months. The women had significantly improved physical function, less fatigue, improved appetite and quality of sleep, more regular bowel movements, and improved emotional stability. The only reported side effects were mild sore throat and dry mouth.
Turkey Tail in Chinese Medicine
In Chinese medicine, turkey tail is called Yun Zhi, and its use goes back to at least the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty. Asian cultures used turkey tail and other medicinal mushrooms to fortify health, fight infections, increase longevity, and enhance spiritual attunement.
In Japan, turkey tail is known as “kawaritake” or cloud mushroom.
Turkey tail and other medicinal mushrooms are used as overall tonics to fortify the body and protect against disease. Turkey tail achieves this by strengthening qi—our body’s vital energy.
Uses in Chinese medicine include benefiting digestion—especially for poor appetite and diarrhea. It acts on the liver, treating hepatitis and cirrhosis, and is used to counter the effects of conventional cancer treatments (chemotherapy and radiation) and pulmonary issues like cough and asthma. Turkey tail also regulates the functions of the immune system, benefits the spirit, and is thought to increase longevity.
Safety
Turkey tail is considered safe and well tolerated—however, it does have numerous look-alikes—approximately 15 species in the United States and Canada, so if you are foraging, be careful that you have identified turkey tail correctly. Having a good field guide is highly recommended. According to the Midwest American Mycological Information, there are “no poisonous species of Trametes anywhere in the world, and most have medicinal benefits.”
Turkey tail is available as a supplement in capsule, powder, and tincture form and can be purchased in health food shops or online. Remember, always use caution if you are on any medications, and be sure to speak to a health care practitioner before adding any new supplements to avoid interactions.
Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.theepochtimes.com by Emma Suttie where all credits are due.
Disclaimer
The watching, interacting, and participation of any kind with anything on this page does not constitute or initiate a doctor-patient relationship with Veripeudic.com. None of the statements here have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The products of Veripeudic.com are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information being provided should only be considered for education and entertainment purposes only. If you feel that anything you see or hear may be of value to you on this page or on any other medium of any kind associated with, showing, or quoting anything relating to Veripeudic.com in any way at any time, you are encouraged to and agree to consult with a licensed healthcare professional in your area to discuss it. If you feel that you’re having a healthcare emergency, seek medical attention immediately. The views expressed here are simply either the views and opinions of Veripeudic.com or others appearing and are protected under the first amendment.
Veripeudic.com promotes evidence-based natural approaches to health, which means integrating her individual scientific and clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. By individual clinical expertise, I refer to the proficiency and judgment that individual clinicians acquire through clinical experience and clinical practice.
Veripeudic.com does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of any multimedia content provided. Veripeudic.com does not warrant the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any sites listed, linked, or referenced to, in, or by any multimedia content.
To be clear, the multimedia content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen in any website, video, image, or media of any kind. Veripeudic.com hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental, or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.
