Turkey Tail is a powerful and precious fungi for its medicinal compounds

A Healing Fungi Guide

Turkey Tail is the first fungi to feature in my Healing Fungi Guide. 

According to Mogo Farm, who sell a wide range of fungi/mMushroom products (and with whom I have no affiliation), in a recent article - Why is Turkey Tail being banned in the UK? - it is great shame that In recent months, Turkey Tail has quietly vanished from the shelves of many wellness businesses in this country, not due to a safety scare, nor a shift in public interest, but because of a regulatory framework that is critically misaligned with both tradition and emerging science. 

This represents the loss of a powerfully beneficial medicinal medicine that is native to the British Isles. Turkey Tail is classed as a type of Bracket Fungus or a mushroom because of its fruiting body. This is now being denied to us, despite being long used in traditional herbalism here and across the globe.

This means that if you find a well stocked patch of Turkey Tail in the wild, you have discovered a rare treasure so please be respectful, do not strip it bare - feel duty bound to keep it a secret - and remember that a little goes a long way. This video by Feral Foraging - How to Identify Turkey Tail - will help you to clearly identify what you are looking for.

As the good folks at Mogo Farm rightly say in their article: We share closer ancestry with fungi than we do with plants. Turkey Tail is genetically closer to us than it is to a Daisy. It produces bioactive compounds that communicate with our immune systems - sometimes in astonishing ways. 

If something so interwoven with Nature, so biologically compatible with our own systems, can be denied recognition as food, what else might we be overlooking - or silencing? 

I hope you enjoy discovering the poweful medicial, cleansing and nutritional benefits of Turkey Tail - a wonderful healing remedy as a herbal tea and your general good health, nourishment and wellbeing.

Folklore

Turkey Tail symbolises longevity and health in many Asian cultures and has been used for centuries by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM.

Known as Coriolus and Polyporus Versicolors, Turkey Tail is a multi-coloured polypore fungus that eats dead and decaying wood. This means it contains a rich source of health boosting minerals, organic compounds and trace elements that help to clear out unwanted toxins, protect our DNA and strengthen our immunity.

Turkey Tail is so named because of its striking concentric rings in various earthy colours including brown, tan, creamy white and grey which strongly resemble the splayed tail feathers of a Wild Turkey. It is one of the most ancient compounds used to maintain human health.

Turkey Tail has been a treasured ingredient for thousands of years in TCM, in particular, Yunzhi which is responsible for activating key immune cells, creating a more robust and balanced defense mechanism. Turkey Tail has always been highly valued by Indigenous Peoples across the Americas.

Turkey Tail thrives in ancient woodlands and forgotten pathways across the British Isles (and overseas). It grows symbiotically on fallen trees and is known for its resilience and regenerative role in Nature. There are a few different types but the good news for foragers - old and new - is that there are no poisonous variations.

Nutrition

Real Mushrooms state that: Traditional medicine practitioners, particularly those in Asia, have used Turkey Tail for millennia and that it provides health and long life benefits if consumed regularly. Key benefits include:

• Adaptogenic properties - helping the body adapt to stressors - physical, biological, or chemical
• Supports repair system - potent immunostimulatory effects to enhance innate and adaptive immune responses
• Healthy Inflammation Response - help to protect the brain as it ages
• Protects DNA from Damage - removal of free radicals that can be harmful to DNA
• Supports Gut Health - beta-glucans contribute to the health and composition of the gut microbiome
• Supports Liver Health - powerful antioxidant activities support liver health
• Improves Athletic Performance - lowers blood lactate and ammonia after exercise, delays onset of fatigue
• Blood Sugar Balance - lowers blood sugar by escorting it out of the blood and to the cells where glucagon raises blood sugar by prompting the liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose

NOTE: Medicinal mushrooms can be used for pets as various extracts which are not beneficial for humans can specifically benefit our canine or feline companions. Find out more here.

Remedies

The best way to benefit from Turkey Tail is to make a brew in the form of a herbal tea and keep topping it up with water so that you can drink it over a longer period of time (see below).

Turkey Tail supports the health of underactive or overactive repair systems (or immunity), and is unique and long-valued among physicians of traditional medicine. as an immunomodulator that supports repair system function and helps to fight infections. 

The best way to bring Turkey Tail into your life is to go looking for it and do some foraging (see video above). It's a great way to enjoy the fresh air and this remarkable treasure is easy to spot on the branches and trunks of ancient decaying trees, Turkey Tail Fungi is gathered in late Winter before it dries out and is still soft and plump to the touch. It can be used in teas or tinctures for its exceptional medicinal abilities (see below).

Depending on the breadth of the patch you find (usually on very old and partially rotting wood), always leave more than you take away. I use a sharp knife to ensure the least damage to the fruit and whatever it is clingling onto so steadfastly. Remember that this is home to millions of tiny creatures so try to be as gentle as you can. I have explained the process of drying and storing your foraged treasure above.

Recipes

Turkey Tail Cleansing Tea

Ingredients

1 x small handful of fresh dried Turkey Tail (3-4 grams dried) - see above

1 x small saucepan of fresh filtered water

1 x large spoon Organic Raw Honey

1 x tbs fresh Lemon Juice (optional)

Making Your Tea

1) Add the Turkey Tail to the pan of water.

2) Gently bring to the boil and immediately simmer for 15-20 minutes

3) Pour through a fine-grade sieve into a cup, mug or container (for storing in the fridge)

4) Add honey and lemon if required, stir and drink.

5) Keep the Turkey Tail pieces and some of the tea so that you can top up with fresh filtered water and re-heat over several days. This will yield 2-3 strong infusions which is why a little goes a long way.

NOTE: Turkey Tail Tea can be used as an immunity boost on cold days or can be taken as a remedy every morning over the course of 12 weeks to completely clear toxins from the body and work it's magic on your repair system.