They have been used in traditional medical practices for millennia, and turkey tail mushrooms provide many health benefits, from improved immunity to better blood sugar balance. Here, we’ll discuss five great benefits of turkey tail mushroom capsules and one of the best sources of functional mushroom products on the market.
Functional mushrooms of all varieties are currently having a red-hot superfood moment, but their popularity stretches back thousands of years. Turkey Tail mushrooms, botanically classified as Trametes versicolor, are one example of fungi that are getting much-deserved attention lately for their myriad health-boosting properties. They have been used in medicinal tinctures and remedies as far back as 3000 BCE.
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Turkey Tail mushrooms are one of the most abundant varieties of fungi growing in forest woodlands all around the globe today. These multi-colored wonders are striped in appearance with earth-tone shades of brown, red, yellow, orange, and gray-blue, bearing a notable resemblance to their namesake. They are increasingly available in supplement forms such as powders, mix-ins, and most popularly, capsules.
Turkey Tail mushrooms:
from ancient remedy to modern-day superfood
It’s charming to imagine the ancient Chinese nobility sipping mushroom tea to help digest a large meal and then leave it at that. However, modern research shows that Turkey Tail mushrooms contain effective prebiotics known to promote a healthy gut biome and reduce the risk of digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. This is merely the beginning of their important applications to human health and well-being. State-of-the-art analysis and rigorous scientific testing by today’s top experts have revealed that Turkey Tail mushroom capsules offer many additional benefits in support of health and wellness.
Turkey Tail mushroom capsules protect and bolster the immune syste
In a post-COVID world, most of us have gained a greater appreciation for a strong immune system. Beyond the ability to support our daily well-being and prevent minor annoyances like the common cold, we now appreciate that a healthy immune system could be the most important tool to protect us through a global health catastrophe that threatens our lives. Turkey Tail mushroom supplementation can be a particularly valuable support to our immune health. These fungi are packed with powerful complex polysaccharides known as beta-glucans that have been proven to support and stimulate immunity and boost our natural defenses against infection and disease.
Turkey Tail mushroom capsules fight free radicals
Inflammation is a factor in a host of wide-ranging and often serious issues throughout the body. Functional mushrooms like Turkey Tail possess a range of compounds with antioxidative properties, including phenols and flavonoids. These highly effective adaptogens help to protect the body against oxidative damage and stress that can cause relatively minor damage like premature aging, but may also lead to serious diseases ranging from cancer to cardiovascular and inflammatory disease.
Turkey Tail mushroom capsules are polysaccharide powerhouses
Turkey Tail mushroom capsules contain two separate but related compounds called polysaccharide-k(PSK) and polysaccharide peptides (PSP). These bio-response modifiers serve to keep the immune system balanced and reduce inflammation throughout the body. Additionally, some studies have shown exciting potential for these anti-inflammatory compounds to aid the body in the fight against cancer in combination with medical treatment. However, further research is needed.
The importance of choosing a quality mushroom supplement
Before purchasing functional mushroom supplements, it’s important to know that not all companies practice rigorous quality control. Furthermore, as a cost-cutting measure, some companies that claim their products include mushrooms only grow and sell the plant’s stem (root system) or mycelium, rather than the actual mushroom fruit. While the stem of the mushroom does contain most of the same properties as its fruit, the active compounds in the mycelium are fewer and of a much weaker concentration.
“The issue with North American mushrooms is that 90 percent of what you pay for in the
grocery store is water which makes dried mushrooms quite expensive. For this reason, some companies grow only the root system of a mushroom, called mycelium, on a
grain substrate and then sell this myceliated grain as mushroom products when there are no mushrooms present,” says Skye Chilton, functional mushroom expert and founder of Real Mushrooms, an online retailer of high-quality, organic mushroom extracts.
Chilton explains that his company’s Turkey Tail mushroom capsules are made from the fruiting body of the mushroom. The fruiting body is the most complex part of the mushroom that produces numerous natural compounds the mycelium simply does not.
Furthermore, Chilton emphasizes that Real Mushrooms’ Turkey Tail products undergo rigorous analysis and quality control testing before they are sold to ensure you receive supplements of the finest quality and efficacy.
“Our mushrooms are extracted in China and imported to the US, where we run them through a battery of quality control tests, including analyzing them for active compounds, then run another round [of tests] after they’re blended into the finished product.”
Turkey tail mushroom capsules offer numerous benefits to improve and protect your health
The health benefits of Turkey Tail mushrooms and other functional mushrooms are vast and well-established. More beneficial properties continue to be discovered every day. Functional mushroom supplements can help provide us with additional immune support and improve our daily lives and overall quality of health. We’ve included more resources below to help you further your education regarding functional mushrooms and supplementation.
For Further Research:
UCLA Health – Turkey Tail Mushrooms Act as Non-Specific Immune Modulators
North Spore – Mushroom Extracts: The Mycelium vs. Fruiting Body Dispute
Forbes – A First-Timer’s Guide to Healing With Functional Mushrooms
International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms – The Importance of Culinary-Medicinal Mushrooms From Ancient Times to the Present
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your health care professional to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
