Turkey Tail

Turkey tail mushrooms grow on dead logs, stumps, and branches in deciduous forests in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Semicircular and fan-shaped with distinctive striped layers of brown, gray, tan, and white, the mushroom resembles the feathers of a turkey’s tail.

If you forage for wild-grown turkey tail, it’s important to be aware of other species that look similar to turkey tail. Before harvesting, be sure you have correctly identified that the mushroom is turkey tail and not a look-alike.

Though turkey tail is edible, the texture is described as tough and leathery. For this reason, wild-harvested turkey tail is usually dried, ground into a powder, and consumed as tea. It can also be added to soups or blended into smoothies. Dried whole turkey tail mushrooms can be used to make extracts and tinctures.

Health Benefits

Empowering Immunity
Contains a unique protein, called TVC, that both
stimulates the immune system and modulates its response.

Anti-Inflammatory
Chronic Inflammation is caused by free radicals & takes a heavy toll on the nervous system. Helpful tonic to nervous system, reducing Anxiety, Stress & Depression.

Antioxidant
It’s proteins and polysaccharides help slow the processes of cellular oxidation & help soften the effects of aging, while reducing risk of Heart Disease,Diabetes and Digestive Illnesses.

Detox Supporting
Helps the liver, the body’s most detoxifying organ. A 2010 study observed the mushroom killing off tumor cells in the liver, suggesting it could be a strong companion to the liver’s own detox capabilities. Studies in 2011 & 2012 showed that its antioxidants were so strong they could help shield the liver from the harmful effects of radiation following cancer treatments.

Cancer Fighting
Breast cancer, Gastrointestinal cancers of many kinds including intestinal, stomach, colon,
liver, pancreatic, esophageal, rectal & gallbladder.

Possible Side Effects

Turkey tail is safe to consume and generally well-tolerated, but some people may experience mild side effects, including:

Bloating, dark stools, darkening of the fingernails
gas or heartburn

Precautions

Avoid taking turkey tail supplements if you:

Are pregnant or breastfeeding: No research has been conducted on the safety of turkey tail for pregnant or breastfeeding people.
Have diabetes: Turkey tail may lower blood sugar levels and cause levels to drop too low when taken with diabetes medications.
Are allergic to mushrooms: Turkey tail is a fungus and should be avoided by anyone with mushroom or mold allergies.