We have an expanding body of scientific evidence that confirms the powerful health-boosting potential of some mushrooms. While modern medicine is just catching up, traditional medicine, like traditional Chinese medicine, has used certain mushrooms for thousands of years to address a variety of health issues. The health benefits of turkey tail mushrooms are well documented in the historical and modern scientific literature.
Let’s take a closer look at these powerful health benefits.
Turkey tail mushrooms
Turkey tail mushrooms have a wide variety of bioactive compounds that help strengthen the actions of the immune system, among other benefits. Many mushrooms contain beta-glucans or beta-D-glucans. These polysaccharides are responsible for the immune-modulating effects of mushrooms. They have been shown to activate immune cells like monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells in test tube studies.
Turkey tail mushrooms have an abundance of beta-D-glucans. In addition, they contain other bio-compounds that provide other unique health-supporting benefits.
Two key compounds in turkey tail mushrooms
Turkey tail mushrooms contain a wide array of primary and secondary compounds. The secondary compounds are medicinal components such as terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Scientists have identified 38 different phenolic compounds, including baicalein and quercetin. Baicalein and quercetin are 2 phenolic compounds with plenty of research behind them that shows their health benefits.
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