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The majority of information presented on this website has been found in research and published articles. We make no claim that our product cures, prevents or treats any specific disease, but the research indicates many health benefits from consuming mushrooms and mushroom products.
More than 600 studies have been done worldwide on medicinal mushrooms and numerous human clinical trials have proceeded through stages I, II, III and are used extensively and successfully to treat various diseases.
Don’t just take our word for it.
We encourage you to do your own reading on these incredible species!
Medicinal Mushrooms Explained
Hania is a Naturopathic Nutritionist, traditional Chinese medicine acupuncturist and energy medicine specialist.
She applies a holistic approach to health using a synergy of natural eastern, western and energy medicine. She is the education lead and a medicinal mushroom specialist consultant for Hifas Da Terra UK & Ireland. In this interview they look at the most therapeutic mushrooms available to us, how we can use them and their benefits in areas such as the immune system, for gut health and also for cancer.
Turkey Tail Mushroom Info & Benefits
Turkey tail mushrooms are found in most countries around the world growing on dead or decaying wood.
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Turkey tail has a number of beneficial nutrients and active compounds including Beta-glucans, Polysaccharide peptide (PSP) and Polysaccharide krestin (PSK) which can support and balance our immune system.
Beta-glucans:
Beta-glucans are compounds found in medicinal mushrooms that interact with and support our immune system. Beta-glucans can have an immune regulatory effect either calming an overactive immune response or stimulating an under active immune system.
There have been many studies done on beta-glucans investigating their effects on the immune system, their use in treating disease or as a complementary medicine.
A well presented easy to follow youtube clip on the subject
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"Mushrooms comprise a vast and yet largely untapped source of powerful new pharmaceutical products. In particular, and most importantly for modern medicine, they represent an unlimited source of polysaccharides with antitumor and immunostimulating properties." [7]
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"Mushrooms contain biologically active polysaccharides that mostly belong to group of beta-glucans. These substances increase host immune defense by activating complement system, enhancing macrophages and natural killer cell function. [8]
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"One of the active compounds responsible for the immune effects of herbal products is in the form of complex polysaccharides known as beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are ubiquitously found in both bacterial or fungal cell walls and have been implicated in the initiation of anti-microbial immune response."[9]
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"In vitro as well as in vivo studies in animals and humans show that especially beta-glucans derived from fungi and yeast have immune modulating properties. Although more human studies are needed, it is tempting to suggest that dietary beta-glucans may be a useful tool to prime the host immune system and increase resistance against invading pathogens."[10]
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Polysaccharide peptide (PSP):
"PSP has proven beneficial to survival and quality of life not only for cancer patients but also for patients with hepatitis, hyperlipidemia, and other chronic diseases."[4]
"PSP significantly improved quality of life, provided substantial pain relief, and enhanced immune status in 70-97 percent of patients with cancers of the stomach, esophagus, lung, ovary, and cervix".[6]
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PSP is good for gut health as it “acts as a prebiotic to modulate human intestinal microbiome composition”[5]
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Polysaccharide krestin (PSK):
“PSK has been studied in patients with gastric cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer. It has been used as adjuvant therapy in thousands of cancer patients since the mid-1970s. PSK has been safely used in people for a long time in Japan and few side effects have been reported.”[2]
“In Japanese trials since 1970 PSK significantly extended survival at 5 yeast and beyond in cancers of stomach, colo-rectum, esophagus, nasopharynx and lungs”. [6]
‘PSK has potent anti tumor effects via stimulation of both innate and adaptive immune pathways.” [6]
“Clinical trials on women with breast cancer given TT extracts showed improved immunological trends following standard oncological treatment.”[3]
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Turkey Tail Mushrooms also contain:
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Triterpenes, which can act as natural steroids
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Sterols, which are hormone precursors
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Polyphenols, including flavonoids, which can have an anti inflammatory action and are associated with positive health benefits
Shiitake Mushroom Info & Benefits
The Shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes) is the second most consumed mushroom in the world and is known both for its delicious taste and as a nutrient-dense food.
Research indicates many beneficial effects to health from Shiitake mushrooms and their extracts including:
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Immune supportive and immune regulating
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Anti tumor effects
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Antioxidant effects
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Antiviral activity
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Antimicrobial activity
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Lowering cholesterol
Shiitake mushrooms also contain a nutritionally significant content of vitamins:[11]
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B1,B2,B12,C,D & E
FAQ's
RECOMMENDED READING
Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide by Christopher Hobbs
References
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[1]Tatiana, M.-C., Mejía-Giraldo, J. C., & Puertas-Mejía, M. A. (2020). Trametes genus, a source of chemical compounds with anticancer activity in human osteosarcoma: A systematic review. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science. doi:10.7324/japs.2020.1010014
[2]National Cancer Institute USA -Medicinal Mushrooms section
[3]Torkelson, C.J., Sweet, E., Martzen, M.R., Sasagawa, M., Wenner, C., Gay, J., Putiri, A., Standish,, L.J. 2012. “Phase 1 clinical trial of Trametes versicolor [Tv] in women with breast cancer.” ISRN Oncology, Article ID 251632.2012:251632.
[4]Chang Y, Zhang M, Jiang Y, Liu Y, Luo H, Hao C, Zeng P, Zhang L. Preclinical and clinical studies of Coriolus versicolor polysaccharopeptide as an immunotherapeutic in China. Discov Med. 2017 Apr;23(127):207-219. PMID: 28595034.
[5] Pallav, K. Dowd, S., Villafuerte, J., Yang, X., Kabbani, T., Hansen, J., Dennis, M., Leffler, D., Newburg, D., Kelly, C. 2014. “Effects of Polysaccharopeptide from Trametes versicolor and amoxicillin on the gut microbiome of healthy volunteers.” Gut Microbes 5(4), 458-67, doi: 10.4161/gmic.29558.
[6] Kidd PM. The use of mushroom glucans and proteoglycans in cancer treatment. Altern Med Rev. 2000 Feb;5(1):4-27. PMID: 10696116.
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[7] Wasser SP. Medicinal mushrooms as a source of antitumor and immunomodulating polysaccharides. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2002 Nov;60(3):258-74. doi: 10.1007/s00253-002-1076-7. Epub 2002 Sep 10. PMID: 12436306.
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[8] Akramiene D, Kondrotas A, Didziapetriene J, Kevelaitis E. Effects of beta-glucans on the immune system. Medicina (Kaunas). 2007;43(8):597-606. PMID: 17895634.
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[9] Chan GC, Chan WK, Sze DM. The effects of beta-glucan on human immune and cancer cells. J Hematol Oncol. 2009 Jun 10;2:25. doi: 10.1186/1756-8722-2-25. PMID: 19515245; PMCID: PMC2704234.
[10]Volman JJ, Ramakers JD, Plat J. Dietary modulation of immune function by beta-glucans. Physiol Behav. 2008 May 23;94(2):276-84. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.11.045. Epub 2007 Dec 4. PMID: 18222501.
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Further Turkey Tail Studies
Yu ZT, Liu B, Mukherjee P, Newburg DS. Trametes versicolor extract modifies human fecal microbiota composition in vitro. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2013 Jun;68(2):107-12. doi: 10.1007/s11130-013-0342-4. PMID: 23435630.
Eliza WL, Fai CK, Chung LP. Efficacy of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Recent Pat Inflamm Allergy Drug Discov. 2012 Jan;6(1):78-87. doi: 10.2174/187221312798889310. PMID: 22185453.
Polysaccharide peptide (PSP):
Pallav, K. Dowd, S., Villafuerte, J., Yang, X., Kabbani, T., Hansen, J., Dennis, M., Leffler, D., Newburg, D., Kelly, C. 2014. “Effects of Polysaccharopeptide from Trametes versicolor and amoxicillin on the gut microbiome of healthy volunteers.” Gut Microbes 5(4), 458-67, doi: 10.4161/gmic.29558.
Chang Y, Zhang M, Jiang Y, Liu Y, Luo H, Hao C, Zeng P, Zhang L. Preclinical and clinical studies of Coriolus versicolor polysaccharopeptide as an immunotherapeutic in China. Discov Med. 2017 Apr;23(127):207-219. PMID: 28595034.
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Polysaccharide krestin (PSK):
Lu, Hailing et al. “Polysaccharide krestin is a novel TLR2 agonist that mediates inhibition of tumor growth via stimulation of CD8 T cells and NK cells.” Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research vol. 17,1 (2011): 67-76. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-10-1763
Fisher M, Yang LX. Anticancer effects and mechanisms of polysaccharide-K (PSK): implications of cancer immunotherapy. Anticancer Res. 2002 May-Jun;22(3):1737-54. PMID: 12168863.
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Shitake
[11]Finimundy, T. , Dillon, A. , Henriques, J. and Ely, M. (2014) A Review on General Nutritional Compounds and Pharmacological Properties of the Lentinula edodes Mushroom. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 5, 1095-1105. doi: 10.4236/fns.2014.512119.