Herbal Focus: Turkey Tail Mushroom (Trametes versicolor or Coriolus versicolor)

If Your Health is Less Than Ideal, Turkey Tail Mushroom May Help

Turkey tail mushroom is one of my top remedies in the Apothecary—and for good reason. It is an outstanding botanical for inflammation, autoimmunity, leaky gut, heart health, and blood sugar control. This mushroom also helps chronic fatigue syndrome, treats a range of bacterial and viral infections, and reduces the overgrowth of candida in the small intestine. If your health is less than ideal, there is a good chance turkey tail can help. Read more about this phenomenal medicinal mushroom below.

Basic Identification: This beautiful mushroom grows in wavy ripples with multi-colored concentric bands of black, brown, tan, gray, blue, red, orange, or white. The cap is velvety and flexible. Turkey tail mushrooms are stemless and do not have gills. They grow up to 4 inches (10 cm) wide, although you will most likely find them around 1.5 to 2 inches (3.75 cm to 5 cm) wide.

Where Does It Grow? Turkey tail colonies grow on fallen logs or tree stumps and are found around the globe.

Edible Uses: While turkey tail mushrooms are exceptionally nutritious and contain many vitamins and minerals, they are rarely eaten as they are hard to digest.

Medicinal Use: To enjoy the full medicinal benefits, a double-extraction turkey tail tincture that uses only the fruiting body—like the one found in my Apothecary—is the most potent form. The mushroom can also be taken in a less-effective powder form or as a tea. To learn more about the importance of fruiting body medicinal mushroom extracts, have a look at my post, Are you using counterfeit mushroom extracts? Here’s how to know the difference.

Here are my top 3 uses for turkey tail mushroom:

Inflammation, Autoimmune Disease, and Chronic Inflammatory Diseases. Many modern diseases we see today are rooted in chronic inflammation. Cardiovascular, autoimmune, and infectious diseases are all linked with inflammation¹. Cancer is as well. High in anti-inflammatory compounds, turkey tail mushroom assists in reducing internal inflammation and is an excellent medicinal remedy for a range of chronic diseases. It can also be applied externally to address rashes, swelling, and other skin inflammations. Additionally, the mushroom is known as an immune modulator, making it an effective medicinal herb for autoimmune conditions.

Cardiovascular Health, Cholesterol, and Blood Pressure. Helping to reduce damaging LDL cholesterol levels in the body, turkey tail is an outstanding herbal remedy for heart health. For those struggling with hypertension, it also lowers blood pressure. Keep in mind that it is important to take the mushroom daily in order to receive the full benefit.

Viral and Bacterial Infections. Strengthening the immune system of HIV/AIDS patients, research has shown that turkey tail mushroom inhibits the binding of HIV to lymphocytes. Depletion of lymphocytes is the cause of the “acquired immunodeficiency” in AIDS. The mushroom also fights bacterial and viral infections. HPV, herpes, and shingles infections respond well to turkey tail when combined with reishi mushroom.

Make your own turkey tail mushroom tincture and more

But that’s not all. There are over 18 medicinal uses for turkey tail mushroom in my book, The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies: The Healing Power of Plant Medicine. Detailed harvesting advice for this herb and many other easy to find plants are included. What’s more, it shows you how to make tinctures, salves, decoctions, and more right in your own home. Nature is truly bountiful!

Safety

Turkey tail is considered very safe and there are no known side effects. However, it is always a good idea to consult with your healthcare practitioner before consuming.

Nicole Apelian

Sources

1. Hunter, Philip. “The inflammation theory of disease. The growing realization that chronic inflammation is crucial in many diseases opens new avenues for treatment.” EMBO reports vol. 13,11 (2012): 968-70. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3492709/