Turkey tail HerbalVet Organic Medicinal Mushroom Extract

Now there is scientific evidence that Turkey Tail extracts when given in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, can make these traditional cancer treatments more effective in both humans and dogs with cancer.

Latin name: Trametes versicolor, formerly: Coriolus versicolor

Walking through the woods in most parts of the country with your eyes wide open, you have a good chance of meeting Turkey Tail mushrooms in person in Hungary and almost anywhere in the world in the temperate zone.

A wood-rotting fungus (coriolaceae), which is also native to Hungary, is often found on fallen trees and dead hardwood logs, where it ensures their decay. It is volatile and common.
Its trunkless, fan-shaped stems grow in rows on the bodies of fallen trees, one above the other like roof tiles, and can completely cover stumps and branches. The mushrooms are characteristically velvety from above and multicoloured with bands running around them. The underside of the mushroom is typically cream or white in colour and has pores rather than plates, like tiny pinpricks, 3-5-8 per mm, and these tiny needles are used to disperse the spores with wind.

It is not edible as a kind of mushroom. It is tasteless or rather woody, like chewing on a piece of twig, ingestible. The turkey tail mushroom is one of the most studied medicinal mushroom species.
Not without reason. They have a complex of immune-supporting compounds:
Polysaccharides (beta-glucan, PSK, PSP), Sterols, Polyphenols, and Triterpenes. Thanks to the active ingredients listed here, it has the most complex anti-cancer effects of all medicinal mushrooms.

The anti-tumour effect:
A formulated pharmaceutical preparation (PSP and PSK) made from extracts of the Turkey tail mushroom has been used in Asia for decades in combination with chemotherapy. Their benefits and safety have been demonstrated in patients with various cancer diagnoses.
Canine haemangiosarcoma cancer is a very aggressive disease, which in most cases progresses rapidly and has one of the worst prognoses. Results of a clinical study in dogs have been published showing that:

• For dogs with hemangiosarcoma not receiving chemotherapy, the Median Survival Time (MST) is 19-86 days. Less than 10% of them live to 12 months.
• The historical mean MST of dogs with hemangiosarcoma receiving doxorubicin chemotherapy was 141-179 days.
• Using Turkey Tail mushroom extracts, the MST was 199 days, ahead of the level achieved with chemotherapy.
• Cancer is a complex problem that requires complex solutions, yet I could not find any publication that measured MST using the two together.

It is very encouraging that isolates of Turkey Tail mushrooms have shown the potential to prolong the lives of dogs suffering from this aggressive cancer. In dogs with an equally poor prognosis in my own practice, I have been able to increase the 2-3 months predicted by the University of Veterinary Medicine to 14-16 months with medicinal mushrooms given as an adjunct to therapy.

Immune-boosting effect: Turkey Tail mushroom extracts work best when given daily to pets for long periods of time to support the immune system. The immune system needs time and continuous exposure to beta-glucans and other active ingredients for the immunomodulatory effect and immune response to be truly visible.

Antibiotic effect: It can kill and deform both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, although the exact way in which it damages bacterial cells depends on the bacterial species. Used in combination with antibiotics, Turkey Tail extract can help to further mobilise the immune system. Therefore, in certain circumstances, it may respond better than antibiotics.

It is also known to have antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. It has been shown to modulate the number and activity of inflammatory cytokines in experimental mice with ulcerative colitis. During the covid epidemic, the phenomenon of the cytokine storm, which occurs mainly in viral infections, became more widely known, and is in fact a case of an inappropriate immune response.

Turkey Tail extracts stimulate the immune response by increasing the number and activity of interferon, NK cells (natural killer cells) and T cells, while reducing the likelihood of a cytokine storm, according to the researchers.
In terms of antioxidant protection of cells, the effect is comparable to that of Chaga mushrooms due to the polyphenols extracted from the fruiting body by alcoholic extraction.
Support for vaccine effectiveness: In one study, stressed, immunosuppressed shelter puppies did not develop sufficient protective antibody levels from rabies vaccination. Antibodies reached adequate levels after prior administration of the leprosy vaccine.

Energising: Helps with physical fatigue - (fighting fatigue) The effect on sports performance is similar to that of Cordyceps sinensis mushrooms. It enhances athletic performance and increases endurance and stamina during exercise. It reduces micro-injuries to muscles. Accelerates regeneration. The Turkey Tail is itself an energy mushroom.

Anti-diabetic effect: Turkey Tail extract given to type 2 diabetic rats improved several markers of health, including a reduction in insulin resistance. The study showed that Turkey Tail extract not only reduced blood glucose levels but also improved bone health. An in vitro study on human cell lines also showed that Turkey Tail extract can improve glucose uptake. Interestingly, the cells in question were cancer cells that had been treated to make them insulin resistant.

Improving digestive health: a study involving healthy volunteers looked at changes in the gut microbiome after taking antibiotics, Turkey Tail extract or nothing at all. Both those given the Turkey Tail extract and those given antibiotics showed characteristic changes in their gut biome - with opposite signs.
The authors of the article describe the effect of Turkey Tail mushrooms as a prebiotic.
Side effects, overdose - not known. Of course, the usual "avoid use in case of known fungal allergies" formula applies here too, but this is a product that has been used for decades, or rather millennia, without side effects.

On the longer-term dosing proposal:
Can I take the mushroom extract with food? The answer to this question is: absolutely yes! The mushrooms are food, which means that they are animal feed. In fact, they are functional superfoods. Turkey Tail extract also works best when given daily for a long period of time with a balanced diet. The longer you feed your dog, the more effective its beneficial effects will be.

You do not need to give it to your dog several times a day. After more than 6 months of regular feeding, it is safe to switch to every-other-day dosing, although preferably only in asymptomatic animals. Once you've boosted your dog's immune system with regular doses of mushroom extracts, you can start to reduce the number of days to, say, three a week, but the short answer to the question "When can I stop giving this stuff to my dog?" is "Never".

The mushrooms need to become part of your dog's daily routine if you want them to play an important role in your four-legged family member's health programme.

Active ingredients in 3 ml, which is the daily dose for a 20 kg dog:
Total: 0.12 g / 3 ml

Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place.

Packaging: 60ml, 100ml, 200ml

Registration number: 2309/1,2,3/NM/2023 NÉBIH ÁTI