When you think of medicinal mushrooms, Turkey Tail isn’t one that immediately springs to mind for most people. Yet after the recent pandemic, one thing is becoming clear: we now need to take responsibility for their own health.
Over the last few months, our inbox has been rammed with many asking questions about how they can boost immunity through medicinal mushrooms. More people are discovering the potential immunity benefits associated with certain fungi! Alongside its big brother: Chaga, Turkey Tail is our go-to for this. These incredible mushrooms are packed with antioxidants and a myriad of immune-boosting benefits. After all the online questions, we thought we’d write a post on the main benefits of Turkey Tail mushrooms.
We’re lucky to live in the pristine conditions of Byron Bay, where Turkey Tail grows wild. So when you take one of our Turkey Tail Extracts, you can be sure it’s either wild-foraged or cultivated from a native strain of Byron Bay Turkey Tail. We then grow these organically in the hinterland, where clean air and freshwater contribute to a fantastic product.
Turkey Tail Mushrooms are pretty easy to spot thanks to the all the beautiful colours exhibited on their fruiting body. Turkey Tail like to grow and thrive on hardwood stumps. They are found year-round in Australia. When we wild-forage, we are very careful to sustainably remove these mushrooms, so they always grow back. The next step is to dry them out, grind it up and begin our month-long dual-extraction process by soaking in alcohol. This is the first stage of drawing out the medicinal compounds.
Its FULL of antioxidants
Antioxidants help offset the stresses of modern life. Our stressful lifestyles increase levels of Oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the precursor to developing free radicals. These nasties are responsible for ageing, inflammation and cellular damage. Thankfully Turkey Tail mushrooms are able to combat this. One PubMed study found a multitude of phenolic compounds in turkey tail mushroom extract. It also showed the prevalence of the flavonoid antioxidants quercetin and baicalein. These compounds can help reduce the damage from free radicals.
It contains immune-boosting Polysaccharopeptides
The two main polysaccharopeptides in Turkey Tail Mushroom are Krestin (PSK for short) and Polysaccharide Peptide (PSP for short). Just like the antioxidants listed above, these work similarly by boosting the immune system and reducing inflammation. PSK stimulates something known as dendritic cells. These cells help the body produce immunity from toxins and also help regulate the bodies immune response. Also, PSK can activate white blood cells which help protect you against bacteria.
The compounds found in Turkey Tail are now finding their way into mainstream medicine: China and Japan have harnessed PSP and PSK in conjunction with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
Tumor reduction and cancer
As studies showing the efficacy of Turkey Tails ability to reduce tumours and cancer cells in both humans and animals increase, so does the willingness to include these compounds in modern cancer treatment. As mentioned above, China and Japan are at the forefront of this cutting edge technology. Ongoing studies show Turkey Tails effectiveness in increasing the survival rate on undergoing chemo, showing asignificant reduction in mortality over five years than those using chemo alone. Studies have also demonstrated for women undergoing radiation for breast cancer. By taking a large dose of Turkey Tail the day after radiation helped an increase in cancer-fighting cells.
Strengths your gut microbiome
So much recent research points to gut-health being a significant determinant for overall immune health. Turkey Tail mushrooms contain prebiotics, an important determinant in nourishing gut-health. This study found that ingesting PSP from turkey tail mushrooms was responsible for improved levels of good gut bacteria. Overall, leading to an enhanced gut microbiome.
Final thoughts
Can you afford NOT to take turkey tail?
With all this data pointing to the benefits of turkey tail mushrooms, it’s a no brainer to include them in your daily supplement and vitamin routine. From its immune system boosting benefits to enhanced gut microbiome, the Turkey Tail mushroom is a unique, natural product that’s easy to include in everyone’s diet. Our Turkey Tail extracts are of the highest quality. Our extraction process results in the most potent product on the market – dual extracted for maximum bioavailability. You can find Turkey Tail in our ‘Gut’ and ‘Longevity’ stacks.
Buy > GUT MUSHROOM EXTRACT
