Turkey Tail Mushroom - A Natural Medicine Powerhouse
Welcome, Dear Reader!
Let me tell you about one of my favorite medicines to find in the wild: Turkey Tail Mushroom!
Turkey Tail mushroom (Trametes Versicolor) has been used medicinally for thousands of years throughout what is now called Asia and have likely been used for at least a few hundred years in North America as well to treat a variety of ailments and to foster longevity. Modern science and Western medicine are starting to confirm these benefits through clinical research as well. As Paul Stamets, states, "We are now rediscovering that which our ancestors long ago knew: That mushrooms are deep reservoirs for very powerful medicines."
So far, clinical studies have proven that using Turkey Tail mushroom extract can improve outcomes for patients with many types of cancer and also have powerful immune-modulating effects.
It seems that these little miracle fungi are experts at optimizing our immune systems in a way that can treat disease caused by overactive immune systems (allergies and autoimmune diseases such as chron’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Hashimotos) as well as improve weakened immune systems that can leave people prone to frequent viral illness. It does this by increasing the number and quality of our T cells, which are basically the masterminds of our immune system.
So, how can you get your hands on this powerful natural medicine?
There are two ways:
1. There are various supplements available on the market that contain Turkey Tail, but they do vary in quality due to the techniques used to extract the medicinal compounds from the mushroom body. The best quality options I have found are Turkey Tail capsules from “Host Defense” and the powder from Four Sigmatic which contains Turkey Tail mushrooms paired with other medicinal mushies in their powders that can be used similar to coffee. A more affordable option is available on Amazon, but does contain fewer of the medicinal compounds due to different extraction techniques.
- To purchase Host Defense Turkey Tail capsules at 15% discount, sign up at this link and search “Turkey Tail” in the dispensary!
- To purchase the most affordable effective option: Click Here
- For a nice discount on Mushroom Enhanced Coffee from Four Sigmatic, use this link and discount code: Shrooms 23
2. Forage your own! (video of me foraging Turkey Tail in the wild)
This is my favorite way to find this medicine. Turkey Tail mushrooms can be found throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and South America virtually everywhere you find dead logs. They can be easily identified by the beautiful striping pattern and are separated from their many look-alikes by the presence of tiny white pores on the underside of the mushroom. The mushroom can be boiled and soaked with water to create a medicinal tea or dried thoroughly and ground in a coffee grinder and prepared as you would coffee for a slightly more potent medicinal drink. Some also add the powder to smoothies.
I hope you found this article helpful and that you will go explore Turkey Tail and incorporate it into your life to prevent disease and improve your longevity!
Do you use Turkey Tail mushrooms for your health? Have you ever found these in the wild?
Ask any questions or let us know your experience in the comments!
