Words On Wellness: Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Our wild forests are precious and need to be preserved as the medicine chests they are. Turkey Tail mushroom (Trametes versicolor) grows on trees and fallen logs with distinctive arched bands of brown/red, tan, and white that resemble the tail of a strutting turkey. It is very thin and has barely visible pores on its underside (unlike false turkey tail which is smooth and white), plus a velvet fuzz on the top which glistens in the light, giving them a slight sheen. Inspired by its natural beauty, the Japanese call it “kawaritake,” or “cloud mushroom,” because of its resemblance to swirling clouds. In many Asian cultures, Turkey Tail symbolizes longevity and health, spiritual attunement and infinity. Known in Chinese culture as Tun Zhi, Turkey Tail has been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an immunomodulator, supporting the health of either an underactive or overactive immune system. Often brewed into a tea or cooked into soup, it helps clear deep phlegm, increase energy, and strengthens lungs, stomach and spleen.
This mushroom has been used to treat cancerous tumors, with recent studies showing it helps with recovery from gastric, bowel, breast and lung cancers. It is known in particular for a potent natural complex carbohydrate called polysaccharide K (PSK), one of many polysaccharides that research has shown can support a healthy and robust immune response. PSK works by suppressing the growth of tumor cells, inhibiting the expression of genes that have the potential to cause cancer, and stimulating the immune system to produce more of the body's own cells that attack foreign cells.
Turkey Tail mushroom is packed with antioxidants, including powerful flavonoids and more than thirty-five phenols that serve to protect cells from inflammation. Rich in prebiotics (fibers that gut bacteria feed on to survive and thrive), medicinal mushrooms can help restore the balance of good flora in the gastrointestinal tract, which improves digestion and immune response. If you’re able to source your own turkey tails, you can chop and cook them down for an hour to create a tea, as is done traditionally. You can also dry them in a food dehydrator and grind them to a powder that you add to hot drinks, soups, sauces or smoothies. A little used consistently goes a long way for health.
