How to Take Turkey Tail Mushroom

Turkey Tail mushrooms obtained their name from the colourful frills that comprise its fruiting body, quite literally resembling a turkey's tail. They are a powerful functional mushroom that offers numerous benefits, and there are many different ways to take it, but which one is the best? Read on to learn more.

Can You Eat Turkey Tail Mushrooms?

Unlike other types of functional mushrooms akin to Lion's Mane and Shiitake, Turkey Tail mushrooms have a thick, woody texture and off-putting taste that makes them incredibly unpleasant to eat. Aside from the unpleasantness, the extra chitin means that eating these mushrooms raw will likely make it impossible for your body to access the nutrients as this compound is indigestible by humans.

Chitin needs to be broken down with the use of heat or chemicals. This means that you can add pieces to a meal during the cooking process, and they will be suitable to eat, but this doesn't eliminate the problem of taste and texture. As such, there are far more beneficial ways to use it.

Best Ways to Use Turkey Tail

The most popular ways to use Turkey Tail involve adding powdered mushroom extracts into a meal as this eliminates the texture problem without altering the taste too much, or brewing it into a tea. Making Turkey Tail tea allows one to access the benefits of this functional mushroom without too much effort.

However, another beneficial way of using Turkey Tail is to consume it sublingually in the form of tinctures, as this combines the perfect balance of bioavailability (the amount of a substance your body can use) and duration of effect.

Finally, in terms of dosage and frequency, it's best to consume Turkey Tail every day. Adaptogenic mushrooms need time for their benefits to accumulate, contrarily to pharmaceutical drugs that will exhibit an effect in about an hour. That being said, there is, unfortunately, no recommended dosage due to the variability of personal physiological factors. This means that you'll have to experiment to find what suits you best—just remember to consult your doctor!