Medically reviewed by
Dr. John Rackham
Written by Clay Steakley
Updated on February 24th, 2022
It may have a funny name, but this mushroom packs some serious therapeutic power. Trametes versicolor, or turkey tail, has been a staple of traditional medicine around the world for centuries, relied upon for its immune-boosting properties, antioxidants, nutrients, and as a source of fiber.
So, how do these fascinating fungi work with CBD? For that matter, how does turkey tail work at all? We’ll take a look at the folklore and the science behind turkey tail and see what benefits this mushroom can provide.
The Turkey Tail … Tale
Turkey tail, turkeytail … First of all, what’s with the name? The colorful, fanlike structure of this mushroom actually looks a lot like an actual turkey tail. The caps of a turkey tail mushroom have very defined bands of color that range from gray to bright yellow and brown.
Turkey tail can be found on both deciduous and conifer trees around the world, often growing on fallen, dead trees.
Turkey tail mushroom is a staple of global traditional medicines, including in China, where the turkey tail extract yun zhi has been used for respiratory ailments. Many traditional practices even use this colorful mushroom as a treatment for cancer[1], although we never claim that a natural supplement, like CBD or mushrooms, treat serious chronic illness. But, we can look at historical evidence and the results of modern science.
As western science has begun to catch on to the wisdom within many traditional medical practices, a large number of studies have been done on turkey tail, looking into what this mushroom does and why. Its potential is definitely exciting!
The Benefits of Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Turkey tail mushrooms have a wealth of benefits for nutrition, immune function, and even gut health.
Turkey Tail Mushroom as an Immune Booster
Part of the immune-boosting potency of turkey tail comes from the fact that this mushroom is rich in antioxidants[2].
Antioxidants fight free radicals, which are unstable atoms that cause oxidative stress on our cells, tissues, and even DNA. Turkey tail has been found to have 38 kinds[3] of phenolic compounds, or antioxidants, making it a real powerhouse when it comes to improving our immune response.
But, there’s yet another side to our mysterious mushroom friend that also comes into play with our immune system. Turkey tail is also a source of two vital polysaccharides — polysaccharopeptide, or PSP, and polysaccharide krestin, or PSK.
PSP has been found to slow the growth of cancer tumors[4] in animal studies, and has been shown to increase monocyte white blood cells. PSK activates another kind of white blood cell called macrophages. When both of these white blood cells are activated, they fight infection and boost our immune response.
The polysaccharide beta-glucan is one of the most valuable immune boosters found in turkey tail. Beta-glucan is an immunomodulating agent, which means it helps fight disease. It does this by activating and enhancing our immune cells, including the white blood cells known as lymphocytes and the macrophages we mentioned above, both of which are powerful protectors against disease, cellular parasites, and more.
Turkey Tail as Tummy Tamer (and Nutrient Source!)
Another effective application of our turkey tail friend is in gut health. Not only is the mushroom a great source of dietary fiber, but the PSP we mentioned above has been found to have prebiotic effects and help our bellies balance bacteria.
Also, the beta-glucan found in turkey tail mushrooms has gut-balancing and obesity regulating potential.
Many of the mushrooms we look at when creating CBD products are adaptogenic and nootropic mushrooms, meaning that they help our bodies manage stress and can also promote better focus and cognitive function. Reishi, lion’s mane, cordyceps, chaga, maitake and turkey tail mushrooms are a few of those.
We value turkey tail for its incredible immune support and nutritional value — it’s rich in vitamins B3 and D, as well as amino acids, phosphorous, and more.
Turkey Tail and CBD
When you combine the therapeutic properties of CBD with those of therapeutic mushrooms, like turkey tail, you end up with some pretty great results. This vast wellness potential is the basis of our Mushroom + CBD line of products!
Why? Well, let’s look at how CBD works with our bodies.
CBD is short for cannabidiol, one of hundreds of compounds found in the cannabis plant known as cannabinoids. CBD and other cannabinoids, like CBG, CBC, and CBN interact with receptors in a system in our bodies known as the endocannabinoid system.
All vertebrate animals have an endocannabinoid system, which is integrated with our central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as tissues and systems in our body that regulate mood, sleep, immune response, and other crucial functions. When a cannabinoid interacts with a receptor in the endocannabinoid system, it imparts several therapeutic effects.
Where does turkey tail come into play? Consider our new Unwind Mushroom + CBD Drops: CBN Relax Blend. Turkey tail and CBD work together, along with other useful natural supplements, to create a deeply relaxing experience. This happens through the interaction of these important ingredients.
- Broad spectrum CBD contains cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids from the cannabis hemp plant. However, all detectable traces of THC have been filtered out (as well as a few other compounds in the process). Still, there are plenty of cannabinoid compounds present to trigger the Entourage Effect, which causes the various compounds to actually boost each other’s effectiveness.
- Reishi and maitake mushrooms add natural stress-relieving effects, with adaptogenic and nootropic properties blending with and enhancing the soothing effects of cannabidiol (CBD).
- Turkey tail brings a host of immune-boosting properties and nutritional power, adding serious wellness benefits to this CBD mushroom formula.
- CBN is often referred to as the “ultimate relaxation cannabinoid” for its deep calming properties, making it the perfect addition to our Unwind Mushroom tincture!
This potent combination makes our Unwind Mushroom oil drops a healthy and effective way to unwind at the end of a long day.
Mushrooms With Psilocybin? Turkey Tail vs “Magic” Mushrooms
Turkey tail is not a psychedelic mushroom. Turkey tail mushrooms don’t possess the psychoactive, hallucinatory properties of “magic” mushrooms or “shrooms.” Similarly, CBD products are not psychoactive and do not cause a euphoric experience.
In short, all the ingredients we use, from CBD to mushrooms (like turkey tail mushrooms), are chosen for their wellness benefits alone.
The End of Our Turkey Tail Tale
The health and wellness benefits of turkey tail make it a powerful supplement on its own, whether this colorful mushroom is used in teas, tinctures, or capsules. When combined with CBD, turkey tail becomes a therapeutic heavyweight, with no shortage of benefits for the mind, body, and spirit.
We think you’ll love the way turkey tail works alongside CBD and adaptogenic mushrooms, like reishi, chaga, lion’s mane, cordyceps, and maitake. Give our turkey tail mushroom fueled Unwind Mushroom drops a try for yourself, and let us know how you feel!
Test the health power of turkey tail with our Unwind Mushroom + CBD Drops: CBN Relax Blend!
- Jennifer Larson, Healthline, “Can Turkey Tail Mushrooms Help Fight Cancer?” https://www.healthline.com/health/cancer/turkey-tail-mushroom-cancer. 12, April, 2021
- Aleksandar Knežević et al, “Antigenotoxic Effect of Trametes spp. Extracts against DNA Damage on Human Peripheral White Blood Cells.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4517545/. 14 July, 2015.
- Ljiljana Janjušević et al, “The lignicolous fungus Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd (1920): a promising natural source of antiradical and AChE inhibitory agents.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6010034/. 18 January, 2017.
- Dorothy Cimino Brown and Jennifer Reetz, “Single Agent Polysaccharopeptide Delays Metastases and Improves Survival in Naturally Occurring Hemangiosarcoma.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3440946/. 5 September 2012.
