Turkey Tail | Treat Your Common Cold and More
Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) is a common polypore mushroom (a bracket of fungus in which the spores are expelled through fine pores on the underside) that gets its common name by resembling a multicolor (versicolor) tail of the wild turkey. These polypores grow abundantly on dead and fallen trees, branches, and stumps. Turkey tails form a wavy, thin, leather-like structure with concentric circles. This beautiful fungus grows almost anywhere in the world as long as there are trees, making them one of the most common mushrooms found today.
So what makes turkey tail mushrooms medicinal? Here are some ways:
Prevents and Treats the Common Cold, Flu and Other Viruses
It’s been known for a long time that the turkey tail mushroom can stave off infections, such as those associated with the common cold or flu. These polypore mushrooms helps your immune system become more resilient to bad germs. When flu season approaches, you may want to include turkey tail as a supplement in your daily dietary routine. These mushrooms have been shown to have influence on the immune system, helping to fight infections, illness, and diseases, such as aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, E. coli, HIV, Herpes, streptococcus pneumonia, and is hepatoprotective (prevents damage to the liver).
Aids in Digestion
The mycelium in the mushroom is what may help you have a smoother digestion process when supplementing with turkey tail mushrooms. The mushroom contains perfect prebiotics that assist the microbiome. This means that it can help the growth of the good bacteria in the body, including acidophilus and bifidobacterium, which is even more beneficial for anyone suffering from leaky gut syndrome. And this better digestion could even help you lose weight.
Fights Against Cancer
Krestin, or Polysaccharide K (PSK) has been shown to be effective against several cancers, including cervical cancer, in combination with other therapeutic agents. PSK appears to enhance the effect of radiation therapy, while polysaccharide peptide (PSP) significantly lessened the side effects of conventional medical protocols used in the treatment of cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and lungs, as well as significantly increasing the rate of remission in esophageal cancers.
Turkey Tail can be added to your daily health regimen with supplement capsules, liquid extract and/or mushroom powder, or you can make your own turkey tail tea by simmering dried turkey tail mushrooms for 12 hours. Turkey tail powder can even be used for your pet’s health.
You can find more information on these magnificent mushrooms and our recommended Turkey Tail supplements here.
So go on now, kick that cold and shake your tail feathers.
Thanks for reading,
–MM
