Turkey Tail mushroom capsules: Aiding your immune system

As we head into cold and flu season, you may be thinking about how to boost your immunity. 

Fortunately, there are many different supplements that can boost your immune function. From vitamin C and zinc to echinacea and elderberry, the drugstore shelves are laden with a mind-boggling array of remedies. But did you know that mushrooms like turkey tail are among the best supplements for your immune system? Let’s explore these functional fungi and how they could help. 

Turkey tails are a mushroom species that can be found growing worldwide in a range of habitats. They are a small bracket fungus that often grows in large clusters, sometimes covering an entire tree branch or trunk. 

Up close, each mushroom has concentric rings of varying colors, most often brown or gray, resembling a turkey’s tail. This mushroom’s colorful appearance is what gives it its Latin name, Trametes versicolor (formerly Coriolus versicolor). 

If you have ever gone walking in a forest, you may well have passed a group of turkey tails and not even realized, as these mushrooms are so well camouflaged in their natural environment. But these unassuming fungi have miraculous health benefits and have been used in East Asian medicine for centuries. 

In Chinese medicine, they are known as yunzhi (cloud fungus), and in Japanese, they are known as kawaratake (roof-tile fungus). Both of these names reference the mushrooms’ shape and growing habits. 

Traditionally, these mushrooms would be simmered in water to make a tea-like liquid known as a decoction, as they are too hard and woody to eat. But now, many people prefer turkey tail mushroom capsules as a more convenient daily consumption method. They have many benefits, although most people use them for immune support. 

Like many functional fungi, turkey tails are rich in beneficial compounds called beta-glucan polysaccharides. 

Specifically, they contain two unique chemicals known as PSP and PSK. These chemicals are well-known for their immunity-enhancing benefits, and in Asia, they are regularly used to support patients undergoing chemotherapy. 

Turkey tails may have many other benefits, too, including the following: 

• Promote liver health 
• Reduce cholesterol
• Protect the heart
• Antimicrobial 
• Antioxidant
• Analgesic 
• Mildly tranquilizing 

No wonder many people can’t wait to get their hands on some turkey tail mushroom capsules and incorporate these amazing mushrooms into their daily healthcare routine! 

If you are a nature-y type, you might find it fun to head out into your local forest and find some turkey tails for yourself. They are fairly easy to identify, and although they have several look-alikes, none of them are toxic. 

Look for clusters of small bracket fungi with brown, gray, black, bluish, or greenish rings. The white undersides will have tiny pores rather than gills, and the borders of the cap are white, distinguishing turkey tails from their most common look-alike, hairy curtain crust (Stereum hirsutum). The mushrooms should have a smooth but slightly velvety surface and be somewhat flexible when they are fresh. 

If you come across some mushrooms fitting this description, congratulations, you have probably found turkey tails! Now, you can carefully pick them from their log or tree and take them home to dry for storage or brew into turkey tail tea. 

If you plan on using them immediately, simmer them in water for around 40 minutes to extract their active compounds. You can add some other herbs or spices, if you like, to mask the mushroomy taste. If you make a large batch, you can store your turkey tail tea in the fridge for up to a week. 

If you want to store your turkey tails for longer, dry them in a dehydrator or an oven on the lowest setting, with the door kept slightly ajar. It may take several hours to get the mushrooms fully dry, so be patient. If you leave any moisture in them, they will be at risk of mold. Once they are dried, keep your mushrooms in a cool, dark, and dry place until you are ready to use them. 

Of course, if this all sounds like too much hassle, or if you cannot find any turkey tails of your own, you can still enjoy this mushroom’s miraculous benefits. Get yourself some turkey tail mushroom capsules and see for yourself how this humble fungus could help boost your immune system and improve your overall health. 

This article was written in cooperation with Natalie Saunders