Trametes Versicolor growing on a down tree at Half Hill Farm.
Just before Thanksgiving, Vince’s mother Sandy went to the hospital with what was believed to be pneumonia. It was determined after a few restless days of testing that she had stage IV non-small cell lung cancer and was quickly put on chemotherapy.
The diagnosis was abrupt and shocking. At 71 years of age, the prognosis is also very uncertain. Despite this, Sandy takes one day at a time with lots of family support, focused treatment and hopefully a little extra help from our own backyard.
Sandy’s primary treatment is carboplatin with thoracentesis as needed to remove a build up of fluid outside her lungs caused by the cancer. After speaking with her oncologist about our research into mushrooms, Vince convinced his mom to take a twice daily dose of Turkey Tail mushrooms (Trametes or Coriolus Versicolor) starting with her first treatment.
Turkey Tails are a common mushroom that grows throughout the woods of Tennessee and all over the world. Our interest in the science behind the anti-viral and anti-cancer properties of Turkey Tails began shortly after seeing preliminary clinical trial results and an anecdotal story in a TED lecture last year by mycologist Paul Stamets. In the last two minutes of the speech, Stamets described his 84 year old mother’s successful fight against stage IV breast cancer that included taking Turkey Tail mushrooms. She was a deeply religious person who hadn’t been to the doctor since 1968. According to Stamets, it was the second worst case of stage IV breast cancer her doctor had ever seen, and she was given three months to live. She’s now cancer free.
The early clinical trial data and Paul’s hopeful story resonated, and Vince didn’t hesitate to start his mother on Turkey Tails. At the same time, we began cultivating this amazing mushroom on our farm with a deeper sense of purpose.
We realize mushrooms aren’t a cure for cancer. Less is known about effects of Turkey Tails on stage IV cancers, but we know it will be the very best way we can help her body heal naturally with virtually no side effects or interference with her primary treatment. Below is some of the science behind how Turkey Tails (used with chemo or radiation) significantly enhance the body’s natural defense against cancer cells and extend disease free survival.
Research: New studies of Turkey Tails here in the U.S. are focused on the mushroom’s high percentage of protein bound polysaccharide (PSK) concentrations and how they help the body fight cancer cells.
- Extracted polysaccharides from Turkey Tails is used with significant success as a supplementary treatment for cancers in Japan.
- MD Anderson Cancer Center has an excellent detailed scientific review of Turkey Tail mushrooms showing treatments using PSK with chemotherapy reported “significantly longer disease-free intervals and survival for lung cancer patients.”
Given these results, why aren’t Turkey Tail mushrooms a common adjunct therapy in the United States? What we discovered is using Turkey Tails is still viewed as an alternative medicine by most professional health care providers in the U.S.. Due to its widely known medicinal properties, its use in medicine cannot be patented which limits its commercial appeal for major drug companies. That often leaves finding and researching this treatment option up to patients. That may soon change thanks to new government-funded clinical trial research from the National Institute of Health’s Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).
- The results of one of the first funded clinical trials of Turkey Tail mushrooms in women with breast cancer found 6-9 gram doses a day was associated with “faster recovery of lymphocytes and NK cell activity, as well as increased numbers of CD8+T cells and CD19+ B cells.”
- Last year, the FDA approved a $5.4 million Turkey Tail trial for cancer patients starting with approval for studying the use of a Turkey Tail extract in combination with chemotherapy for patients with advanced prostate cancer.
- Another clinical trial is studying PSK in stage IV breast cancer.
- Compound Derived From a Mushroom Lengthens Survival Time in Dogs With Cancer, Penn Vet Study Finds – University of Pennsylvania – September 10, 2012
The best way to make and take Turkey Tail mushrooms: The most popular way to take Turkey Tail mushrooms is in a capsule, but the body has a hard time digesting the mushroom’s tough chitinous cellular structure (which is why you don’t see recipes for eating it).
Capsules are also the cheapest and easiest way to manufacture mushroom supplements using ground mycelium grown on rice or grain. This is the preferred method of many larger manufacturers because it saves them time and money.
The best way to realize the full spectrum of benefits is by using the mature fruited mushroom, which takes months to grow, through a decoction (a lengthy hot water extraction to concentrate water soluble polysaccharides and other beneficial compounds).
Tinctures are alcohol extractions of adaptogenic triterpenoids. The better quality extract blends both the decoction and tincture in a dual extraction. This is also the preferred method of botanical extraction by ethnobotanists and scientists conducting tests and trials.
Capsules that simply grind this mushroom into powder are not extracts and can contain ground up rice used to grow the mycelium. Because we could not find a quality product we trusted with our own mother, we created a Turkey Tail mushroom dual extract using USDA certified organic mushrooms grown on our farm, USDA certified organic USP alcohol (pharmaceutical grade) and distilled water just like the standardized method outlined in studies, but with two more proprietary steps that also use vacuum. You can now buy our Turkey Tail, Red Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, or Lion’s Mane mushroom extracts online and expect the exact same level of quality and care.
Read more on Half Hill Farm’s mushroom dual extracts:
- ‘You saved my daughter’s life!’ – the healing power of mushrooms
- What our customers are saying about our mushroom extracts
- Nature’s Remedy: Chaga mushroom dual extract
- The Health Benefits of Lion’s Mane Mushroom Extract
- Nature’s Remedy: Organic Red Reishi Mushroom Dual Extract
- The health benefits of Cordyceps Militaris mushrooms
- Turkey Tail Mushroom Extract – 100ml (3.38oz) / 200ML (6.76oz)
- Red Reishi Mushroom Extract - 100ml (3.38oz) / 200ML (6.76oz)
- Lion’s Mane Mushroom Extract - 100ml (3.38oz) / 200ML (6.76oz)
- Chaga Mushroom Extract - 100ml (3.38oz) / 200ML (6.76oz)
- Cordyceps Mushroom Extract - 100ml (3.38oz) / 200ML (6.76oz)
- Five Mushrooms Blend - 100ml (3.38oz) / 200ML (6.76oz)
- Propolis Extract – 30ml (1oz)
- Dandelion and Root Beer Bitters – 2oz and 6oz
DISCLAIMER: Please consult your physician before using any of our products for health purposes. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
I just want to thank you for posting this information. My Mom was diagnosed with lung cancer a few weeks ago. An herbalist friend suggested Turkey Tail mushroom, which she purchased at fungi.com, and began taking yesterday. I’m just beginning to research them, and thank you for providing the information in this post. Best wishes to your MIL.
I had an abnormal pap, so my doctor sent my tissue sample to pathology and it came back positive for HPV and at that time it was a low grade reading for cancer, so she rescheduled me to come back after a couple of months to see if there were any changes and hoping that my body would fight off the abnormal cells. To my horror, the abnormal cells started to increase, moving my reading to the next stage closer to the possibility of cancer. To make the story short, I went through a total of 3 biopsy (the third was more drastic) to try to cut out all the tissues containing the abnormal cells. Each time, the reading was coming back positive with the abnormal cell count increasing. This was a total scare to me and I could tell my doctor was worried as well. That’s when I decided to take drastic measures to try to do what I could.
Someone mentioned something about mushrooms and their benefits. That’s when I started to do some research on mushrooms. As a child, my father got the family into mushroom foraging and eating them, so this was actually a fun research for me. One forage lead to another and it became addicting. To shorten this part of the story, I was due back in my doctor’s office after 3 months of my last biopsy procedure. I was prescribed antibiotics before the test, but I kind of forgot to go get the prescription, but I felt that I wanted to be my own guinea pig, so I chose not to take the prescribed antibiotic, but instead I was drinking my homemade turkey tail tea for 2 wks straight for about 4 times a day.
The test results came back after the visit and to my surprise, it all came back negative!! I was ecstatic. I told my doctor what I was doing and she just said to keep it up, because what ever I was doing was working!
It could be just coincidence, but I believe in the turkey tail mushroom. I’m not sure if it could cure cancer, but I do believe that it’s an excellent source for a cancer preventative. Because it’s known to have high natural anti bacterial substance, it does make sense that it would destroy any bad cells in our body.
Please note that some mushrooms are deadly and there are false turkey tails out there in nature, so be very careful of what you consume from the wild and turkey tail mushroom is not recommended for those with any organ transplant (conflict with the transplant medications). You should consult your doctor or do more research on whom should not consume the mushroom.
My doctor and I are still monitoring my health every 6 months and so far so good. Best of luck to everyone and I wish you all great health.
Excuse me, which kind of turkey tail did you buy and where?
Thank you so much for your testimony.
Hi sorry for your mother . my brother was also diagnosed a week ago. Any updates on the mushroom extract has it helped ?
It helped my daughter energy better and immune extremely better previously it was so low they kept canceling treatments it work for her I do recommend and may God heal your mom and give her more good years
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is it possible to take too much turkey tail?
thank you
grail mcginley
Grail, Good question! At roughly 10-50 times the clinical dosage, you can get an immune suppression effect (as you would with most large monostreams of nutrition or dietary supplement), but really very little to no other side effects are reported in the studies we link to. It’s very difficult to come close to consuming too much.
Nice story! I’m a big fan of medicinal mushrooms and their potential, and Turkey Tail is for sure one of the most promising.
With all due respect, based on my own research i have a few comments on your conclusions, though.
You state: “Liquid extracts are a more pure form of medicinal mushroom extract than powdered capsule which contain ground up rice used to grow the mycelium.” This is not correct.
First of all, the therapeutically most powerful Turkey Tail is, as you say, indeed dual extracted. The research backing up PSP and PSK is based on dual extracted Turkey Tail, followed by alcohol precipitation to purify the extract. This results in a powdered product.
The mycelia which are used as a basis for these extracts are NEVER cultivated on rice; because, as you say, this ‘contaminates’ the final product. (Only American and European producers use rice-grown mycelia, because it is very cheap and their potential customers won’t know the difference anyway, usually. ) Also, only specific mycelia strains are used in Asia that are known to produce a high yield of the desired bioactives.
In China and Japan the mycelia are grown in liquid substrate in bioreactors (large tanks). After the mycelia have reached a certain point in their development they are taken from the tank, dried and then further processed. This results in a very pure product that is 100% Turkey Tail with zero contamination.
The extraction procedures then take place under very high pressure to remove the chitinous polysaccharides while keeping the bioactive polysaccharides and beta-glucans intact. The high pressure is essential; otherwise many of the bioactive beta-glucans would be destroyed during the process, resulting in a much lower yield of these therapeutically interesting components.
See this article for research and technical background: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/apj.1752/abstract
The final product is a ‘full-spectrum’ extract wich contains the full mushroom with only the indigestible chitin removed. The next step is to determine how much of the main bioactives (beta-glucans, polypeptides) are present. By mixing different batches a certain standardisation can be achieved. Standardisation also makes dosing easy, which is always a problem with natural products. People should be able to read on the label what is in the product they’re about to buy.
What brand of this Turkey tail would you recommend?
Stoner, thanks for sharing this. As you state, most American & European producers who make powdered extracts do indeed create them as I described, and dual liquid extractions are better than those products. The powdered capsule products available to most American consumers can contain some portion of the grow medium and are the cheap route to creating a consumable product despite the lower bioavailability of beneficial compounds.
The process you describe is a patented extraction process licensed to manufacturers mostly in China and Japan, as you state. I created our liquid extract for use in the United States as an alternative to what is available to most consumers. Our product is for consumers who can’t find and import product they have to first know is made using the patented process you describe. It basically solves a problem I faced when trying to obtain these extracts for my own mother-in-law. It’s difficult enough getting American manufactures to tell consumers on the phone how they make their product (I know from experience), but most are honest enough in admitting on their websites that they create their products exactly how I describe.
My father has been diagnosed with stage 3A squamous carcinoma in the right lung and they found it has metastasized to a lymph node close by in the chest. I have put him on 6-8 grams a day of the brand Host Defense Turkey Tail as well as Tumeric drops, Astragalus drops as well as 100mg of Selenium, 100mg CoQ10, a miltivitamin, he has stopped smoking completely and is eating raw vegetables daily. Is there anything else I can add to help him fight the cancer? Do u know anything about B17 or apricote seeds?
How much of your turkey tail extract would I take a day to equal a six gram dose of the Japanese PSK turkey tail? What is the recommended daily dose compared to the research dose? I am aware that there is some suggestion regarding taking it 4 months at a time and then taking a break. I realize you are not a doctor but am just asking what your understanding is.
Thank you,
Dawn
Do you know if Turkey Tail mushrooms inhibit other medications – such as blood thinners? My mother is on coumadin for a blood clot. I wanted to start her on Turkey Tail mushroom, but I didn’t know if there are any negative reactions with other medications. For example, St. John’s Wort can lessen the effectiveness of birth control pills. Thank you.
Sheila, I am not aware of any contraindicators with blood thinning medication or any medicines, but check with your doctor to be sure. You can check MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Integrative Medicine or Sloan Kettering’s listing for Turkey Tail contraindictors and show that to your doctor for final decision. There is 26% alcohol in our product. Take the product page to your doctor so they can see what is in our product to make a good decision.
I want to take turkeytails mushrooms right away who make the best grade of the hot water extraction ones? Thanks for your help .
I have CLL leukemia did 5 rounds of chemo one more Do you know of anyone getting better with my diagnosis using turkey tail?
So do use liquid culture or rice/grain verm substrate?
Dawn, without an official certificate of analysis, we cannot make comparisons of stated amounts of PSK. I will tell you that Japanese PSK in the pure 1000kg packets is the very best extracted PSK you can get. Our dual extract in the liquid form provides the full spectrum of bioavailable medicinal compounds that includes PSK and PSP. Unlike powdered capsules available in the United States, our extract does not contain myceliated rice (the substrate they use to grow mushrooms) or undigestible forms of the mushrooms that the body cannot absorb.
Melma, I believe we make the best and most affordable (per ounce) the last time I looked. If you do find a product you think is better, please let us know. We are proud of the quality and craft of our product and always want to provide the very best product.
Joshua, we use what these mushrooms grow on naturally around the world: wood. We do it both outdoors and indoors on our USDA Certified Organic farm. We take the mushroom from a cultivated fungus on organic agar plates through expansion on organic cereal rye grain and into their final grow medium. The powdered capsules on the market in America mostly stop at myceliated grain and grind that mixture into a pill leaving the consumer with a contaminated product (one that is not 100% mushroom) and mushroom tissue the body cannot digest. The extra steps we take separate the fruiting body from the grow medium, then extract the beneficial compounds in a month long process into a liquid form that maintains a high level of beneficial bioavailable (meaning the body can absorb and use it) compounds.
I have alot of Turkey tail my sister is sick. Do I lose health benefits by drying it can I just make tea with fresh tail. As well is it better to air dry then oven to keep it from going bad
No, you do not lose benefits of the mushroom by drying it. It is recommended to preserve or to use in preparations.
Hey there! I just recently found out about this via a friend. My uncle just found out he has minimum Stage 4 lung cancer. His left lung has collapsed due to the weight of the tumor. Is this too late to add Turkey Tail to whatever treatments the doctors decide on?
Please advise.
Give him high dose of liposomal vitamin C I mean high dosage about 50 grams
Angelica, I am not a doctor, but I can tell you from personal experience with family and people who take our extract that you can always layer Turkey Tail extracts as an adjunct therapy with chemo or radiation. If your doctor is not sure, it is usually because they are not aware of this protocol in other countries or that there are no contraindicators, a concern any good doctor would have. As far as whether it is too late or not, that will be the call for a doctor. While it was too late for my mother-in-law for stage IV lung cancer, it was not for Paul Stamets’s mom in the video above. In the NIH study linked above on use with stage IV breast cancer patients it was not too late to see significant positive results. These results are what prompted the FDA to fund a $5 million study with stage IV lung and colon cancers, so when those results are available I will share them here and on our Facebook page. My advice is to add this after consulting your doctor as early as you can.
Hello Christian,
I am not a doctor either, but I disagree with one thing you say here. I don’t believe in allowing any one person, even a doctor, to have jurisdiction over my health. In other words for myself, “whether it’s too late or not” can certainly include a doctor, but it will be my call. And I do not think that doctors, or anyone for that matter, should ever advise someone that it’s too late. Just my opinion.
I do want to sincerely thank you for offering this web forum, the medicine from Nature, and doing so at such a reasonable price! You are offering such an important service for humanity here.
Namaste,
Tammy
Good for you Tammy!
I agree! Doctors should only use healing words and phrases. They are supposed to be healers after all.
God bless
I think he is just saying that to cover himself legally. You always have to tell people to check with their doctor. There could be liability issues otherwise. I agree with you, we all need to be the top advocate for our own health.
But being an Alternative Health Practitioner means being very careful about what you say. Big Pharma is watching.
5 million to fund and find something they wont use or already knew. Healing ppl is not what is done around here. I’m sure they mean well and probably dont know what there thought is to keep the sic, sic. My sister’s first chemotherapy appointment the doctor specifically told her to not boost her immune system. Because her immune system would attack itself and put her in a flare.
Just to report that we are a very much relieved family. My daughter was diagnosed with a sizable stage 2 very aggressive form of breast cancer. She organised her treatment the same way as the Europeans – Chemo First with surgery to follow. We too happened across the Paul Stamet TED talk & ordered Turkey Tails. She took 9 capsules a day with fidelity throughout her chemo. The day of surgery arrived. The surgeon opened the breast to find zero evidence of any cancerous cells – confirmed by the lab – who also gave the all clear on the lymph glands. She is miraculously cancer free and still has her breast with the tiniest hairline scars. My partner is now taking them for prostate cancer. The hospital are researching – who knows, they may even change their protocol
(We have a lot to smile about).
Thank you Jean Clyde for sharing your story!
Could you tell me what brand of turkey tail you used?
Hi i am just wondring if The Turkeytail mushroom capsules can be used as a suppository as it can be absorbed straight into blood stream? If so how much and how often? I have a tumor in my rectum and spreading to my liver. Any ideas?
Carrol, powdered capsules are the mushroom mycelium and fruit body with some of the grow medium (often rice) ground into a powder. The body cannot digest this material, so I would not advise you using them as a suppository.
I still wonder the benefit of having a liquid oil of turkey tail extrat put on rectum like other suppository would have not to digest it but have absorbing quality on skin?
Can turkey tail be given to a 42 pound dog with glio cell brain tumor? If so, how much, how often? Dog is on Zonisamide, no other treatment. Thanks
Terry, yes. Our extract can be given to your dog at 1 tsp per day.
any experience with turkey tail and bladder cancer? husband has bladder cancer. from diet and lots of anti cancer supplements in 4 months he has gone from high grad invasive cancer in the bladder to flat line non invasive cancer.
We’d like to speed up the process of helping the cancer to die off, and wondering about the turkey tail.
Hi Julie…
My father was recently diagnosed with high grade invasive bladder cancer. Would you share the diet and anti cancer supplements your husband is using? Thanks so much.
Hi Christian, Do you ship overseas to Singapore? My father has recently been diagnosed with Stage IV bladder cancer and deemed too weak for chemotherapy. I just stumbled upon turkey tail mushroom and would like to get him to try it.
Hwee, we do not currently ship outside the United States. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Hi Julie,
I am very interested to know what supplement your husband took to treat his bladder cancer as my father was diagnosed too. Could you share it please. Thank you.
hi,
thanks very much for the tip re turkey tail. i’m fighting stage 3 sqcc head & neck, and this is ideal to try.
i’ve been researching all this for 2.5 years now, and i’m puzzled why someone would use chemo, which destroys the immune, and radiation, which causes cancer, while trying materials that boost the immune? I would have thought the best thing would be to use only products which boost the immune, but I can only speak from my own experience.
When I was diagnosed I was urged to take chemo, radiation and drastic surgery or I would be looking at this side of 2 years survival. I did my own research because nobody could show me any studies showing chemo helped in any cases of cancer at all, and this puzzled me. In fact I later found one from a pair of australian oncologists which concluded chemo only contributes to 5 year survival in 2.3% of cases, and if you remove cases of non hodgkins lymphoma, that 2.3% falls to zero.
I dug about in pubmed and found that tumour cells, in response to chemo, come up with a pump (it’s an impressive machine, too – and they share its DNA with other cells in the tumour) which rejects the chemical molecule. So while the first round of chemo might kill off some of the 15% which are dividing at that time – and may even cause the breakup of the tumour – hundreds of millions of tumour cells can freely spread to the four corners of the body (as the immune is now burnt away by chemo) and become MDR. When they reappear months later, the doctors shake their heads and sigh that there’s nothing they can do. But it was the chemo which amplified and protected these super-tumours.
This alarmed me, so I stuck to natural things – and 2.5 years later I’m healthier than ever. The tumours seem to have become static, but I’m very interested to try the turkey tails, and I wish anyone in this struggle the best of luck.
kind regards
Thank you. I had a radical neck dissection but no chemo or radiation. They removed my tonsils, 25 cancerous lymph nodes, jugular vein and a nerve to my shoulder. Glad to hear your success. I am getting high dose vitamin c intravenously, taking turkey tail, IP6,Curamin and eating a healthy diet. It has been 3 months and I am planning on another 30 years. I needed to hear your story. I would appreciate any advice you may have. Thank you
Hello, so I have non Hodgkin Lymphoma. I am trying to figure out if the turkey tails would benefit me or make it worse. You seem to have done some research would you by any chance have an idea?
Hi Ian,my case is very similar to yours.How are you doing?Can we talk? jim
It’s July 9th and I live in Muskoka cottage country of central Ontario. I realize that it is probably still too early in the season to be hunting for fresh turkey tail mushrooms, but I’m looking anyway while I am also chasing chaga conks. I have been finding a lot of false TT mushrooms, and most of the true TT mushrooms I have found are quite dry and appear to be last year’s. My question is, do the dried up last years mushrooms still have the potency of fresh ones? Is it still worthwhile using them to make double extraction mixture? Thanks for your great advice.
Les, I personally would not use mushrooms that appear to be from last year. Turkey Tail can release a lot of spore and lose medicinal compounds to exposure to elements past their prime. I would harvest in the Fall the ones you see starting to grow this Summer. I hope that helps!
Hi,
I am inquiring about the turkey tail mushroom. My mom is diagnosed with liver bile duct cancer. Does anyone have any experience with turkey tail mushroom and this cancer? Also, does anyone know if the alcohol content will adversely affect the liver if she takes two teaspoons a day?
Thank you.
Chiraj, I would ask your doctor about the alcohol content. At two teaspoons daily, she will receive about a half tsp of USP alcohol.
Thanks Christian.
I have a non-Hodgkin lymphoma Low grade that has shrunk from over 70 CM to under 10 CM another in my arm that was over 10 CM now measured by PET scan as 2.2 CM Would Turkey Tail extract be of any benefit to me as further treatment. I have had 5 treatments of the chemotherapy R-CHOP.
Priscilla, several studies indicate Turkey Tail and other mushroom extract works best as an adjunct therapy in treatment of cancer, but I would try using our Red Reishi extract for lymphomas which are here: https://store.halfhillfarm.com/Red-Reishi-Mushroom-Dual-Extract-100-ml-338-oz_p_17.html. I suggest that because of a 2006 study linked on the product page showing Reishi causes apoptosis in lymphomas.
From what you are saying you don’t think Paul Stammet’s Turkey Tail Mushrooms in capsule form will be helpful for breast cancer even though his mother used them and they were used in the NIH study? Are they of any value or do you think they are useless?
I haven’t said capsules are not helpful. For the cheaper price, they are far better than nothing. What I am saying is hot water and alcohol extracted compounds from Turkey Tail mushrooms are more bioavailable in liquid form than capsules of ground up mushrooms. You will get something out of a volume of capsules of ground up mushrooms, but even Stammets makes a much more expensive liquid extract of this mushroom for a reason. The quality is different, and judging from the price difference of Stammet’s capsules vs. liquid extracts, my guess is he thinks liquid extracts are better (or at least worth more than capsules), too.
Stamets’s capsules are just ground up mushroom powder and most people will not be able to digest them for sure. IMO a waste of money.
At my Vets suggestion I would like to try this on my cat. He weighs 12 lbs. What would be your dosage suggestion. He has soft tissure cancer of the nose.
Debbie, we recommend 2 tsps per day for adults. For pets at 12 lbs, take 1/4 tsps mixed in food. Our dogs are roughly the same weight and take it fine in their food. At 26% alcohol (USP – pharmaceutical grade) that would give your cat 1/16th of a tsp of alcohol, so they may not like that not mixed in food.
Does 2 tsp equate to 9 grams in the study?
Demarie, many customers who take our product in consultation with their doctor as an adjunct therapy will take 2-3 times the daily serving size of 2 tsps, therefore taking 4-6 tsps per day to get the extraction of 4-6 grams of mushroom. The study did not use an extraction but rather the actual mushroom. Our extract is a dual extract as many more studies and labs prefer because it makes the compounds more bioavailable than just crushed up mushrooms. Cassandra Quave, and ethnobotanist at Emory University can explain this in more detail if you look up her work.
Sorry to keep bothering you I have fresh tail. What is the best way to get this in my sister. I dont want to lose medicinal purposes
Where also going to get your brand
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My husband has chronic lymphocytic leukemia, it is stage 0 and has been now since he was diagnosed April 2014. Will through turkey tail mushrooms help kill his cancer?
Georgia, first let me say if you do take our product for health reasons that it is best to do so in consultation with your doctor. Many doctors do understand this product and know that has no conflicts with other meds. You will want to check for conflicts with the small amount of alcohol in the extract. We have a lot of customers who share with me that they are taking this extract for various stages of cancers. I can only describe those results as positive and am prohibited from using any specific result to sell this product. Hopefully others can share their experience directly with you. What I can say is only what we know from studies linked below the product label for our Turkey Tail mushroom extract. The summary of those studies show that Turkey Tail extracts as an adjunct therapy can both reduce tumor size and significantly aids the immune system response. The studies are pretty eye-opening, but for lymphocytic leukemia, customers take our Red Reishi extract. Look at the studies below the label linked here: http://store.halfhillfarm.com/Red-Reishi-Mushroom-Dual-Extract-100-ml-338-oz_p_17.html
Thank you for the feedback and the information. I do have turkey tail mushrooms picked and given to me by a very knowledgeable reliable source and was told to grind them up very fine and put in “0″ caps and take. Before I do this though I wanted to research throughly as I have not investigated mushrooms before to help eradicate cancer. I am in the process of chosing the protocol to use. There is so many different alternative methods to research, it is very time consuming but we have time, that is one good thing that is on our side. Any thoughts from anyone that reads this will be appreciated. Thanks.
My husband is diagnosed with nonsmall cell lung cancer with bone metastasis. His chemo pills are no longer working and I’m considering turkey tail. Do you know any success stories similar to my husband cancer with people using turkey tail? If so what dosage should I give him with what brand and pill or extract? Thanks Cristina
Hi do you know where I can find people’s experiences with turkey tail and metastasized lung cancer? If I had the pill form do you know the dosage for a stage four cancer patient? Thanks for your time
Hi Christian,
Thank you for all this wonderful information! My Golden Retriever has cancer and I was recently told about Turkey Tail mushrooms. What would you recommend for his dosage, he weighs about 90 lbs. Thank you and may God bless you.
Hi Half Hill Farm and Friends. My father was diagnosed with stage IV non small cell lung cancer almost a year ago. Post radiation and chemo we are looking for some alternative options. We have done our research and are hoping to come in contact with some individuals who have personal experience (patients, family, physicians, friends) with using Turkey Tail or other mushroom varieties with lung cancer. Feel free to send an email to kelseajs@gmail.com. Thank you
Kelsea, Turkey Tail is a good obvious addition to natural adjunct therapies, but I would also consider our Chaga extract. Chaga has been used in Russia for a few decades as an approved post treatment for the negative effects of radiation and chemo protocols.
My husband has stage 4 nonsmall cell lung cancer also. Have you tried turkey tail on him? If so, was it successful? Thanks Cristina
Please let me know, if you know of anyone with ovarian cancer that has used Turkey Tail.
I have battled ovarian cancer for seven years. I am currently under going my third dance with chemo. My son has introduced me to Turkey Tail and I will be giving it a try. I will be most grateful for your feed bake.
Thank you,
Joy
Hi Joy,
My mom was diagnosed with stage 1b ovarian cancer early 2018. She used Reishi and Turkey Tail along side her chemor. When she didn’t take her mushrooms as she was supposed to her red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets would plummet almost to the point where the doctor didn’t want to give her the weekly chemo treatment. However, when she took it consistently her blood counts were high and quickly recovered when she was slack with taking them. The mushrooms reduced her side effects and in combination with a cold cap, she didn’t lose her hair (it did thin out especially in the front). She continues to take the mushrooms even after her completing her chemo.
Joy, I too am battling ovarian cancer, on tomixfen now but not doing well with it. Looking to use turkey tail as well from a friends suggestion. But I am interested in anyone that has used this for ovarian cancer. Feel free to email me at andreaengle@hotmail.com
Hello,
Planning to order your turkey tail extract….do we mix the drops with water or just take the drops by themselves?
Thanks!
Patty, you can take our extract by the drop, teaspoon or blend it in water or a beverage.
Hello
I was wondering if you could tell me would Turkey Tail or Reishi be better for someone along with pancreatic cancer
Many thanks
Joanne
Joanne, I would take both for what each can do independently, but if you had to choose which is more active against pancreatic cancer, I would use Reishi (Ganoderma Lucidum) extract.
Hello, Can I take it as a preventative for breast cancer. I suffer from fybrocistic breast disease so bad to the point that drs. prescribed about 3 mammograms in a year. I did what they said but later got concerns about it and haven’t done so; but get all these letters about risks of not doing so, etc. Please share your suggestions. Thank you!! Pat
Pat, I have not seen research on whether taking extractions of Turkey Tail mushrooms can prevent cancer. I personally take it preventatively and for all the other health reasons that I believe can address underlying causes for cancer, such as oxidative stress and removal of environmental toxins from the body.
Measure your progesterone and estrogens,they have to be on an ideal level-Estradiol is the most benign and protective,also do thyroid test,that includes T4/T3 total and free,antibodies,TSH(this is not quiet relible if other parameters are off balance like serotonin-Check your Iodine level you must be low,iodine can reverse your fibrocystic condition-The progesterone and estriol ought to be the naturals not those with prescription-Keep on a normal weight glucose level shoud be on 75/85 level-
Instead of estradiol ,should be ESTRIOL,the most benign of the estrogenes-
We have made an excellent dual extraction of turkey tail mushrooms which we discovered growing on an old peach tree in our backyard. What a gift! My question is about dosage for breast cancer. My sister is currently taking one tablespoon a day, mixed with a tiny bit of water. She takes it between meals and holds it in her mouth about a minute before swallowing for maximum absorption. She would like to take two or three (or four) tablespoons of it per day, whatever amount she can to get the best results. Christian, you wrote above that you have to take 10-50 times the normal dosage to experience any immune suppression – and it’s hard to get to that point. We just wanted to check on how many tablespoons that might be? She weighs 112. Thank you so much for sharing your valuable knowledge here – and everyone else who has shared too!
Good Day. What would be the Turkey tail dosage for 2 10cm fibroid tumors plus 2 5cm ones. 4 total fibroids total? Thank you for all the info Christian. I can also be emailed at my.fruitarian.life@gmail.com. Has anyone else out there used this for fibroids?
Nicole, I cannot recommend a dosage for specific treatment like this, but I will say the extract has a cumulative affect, so the more you can take the better. Bring our label to your doctor and talk about wanting to use this in addition to any treatment you may be taking. There are no known contraindicators, but there is a small amount of alcohol that could cause interaction at higher serving sizes.
Having Breast Cancer myself, I was wondering how much turkey tail i should be taking per day?
My Cheasapeke Bay retriever had a lump the size of a golf ball on her throat. The vet gave her one to two weeks to live. She was just 10 years old. The vet said to me, Dick, I can’t operate because of the vitals in her neck. She wouldn’t pull through the operation. He also said cemo would not help and radiation would be very expensive. Well, I was very teary eyed leaving the clinic with my still playful girl. After 3 days, the tumor was orange sized and started to bother her as she tried to scratch it. That afternoon, a lady stopped in, who had heard about my girl, and told me about another dog with the same problem and was cured by Chaga tincture. I was loosing time so I had a small one ounce bottle air mailed to me. I dumped half on her dog food right away and the next morning, the rest of it. Meanwhile, I was making my own tincture with the bottle of red wine and distilled water in slow cooker with a chaga conk method. I administered the tincture by about 2 tbs daily. It took 2 months to get the tumor back to golf ball size. Its been 11 months, tumor is gone, and I mean no trace, and my girl is still running and jumping. The vet is completely baffeled to this day! Now, my whole family is on the Chaga and TT tincture.
Friend diagnosed with rare skin cancer, Merkel cell. Stage IV , 3-6 months. M.D.would not allow alternatives while on chemo so as soon as they could no longer do chemo, not effective and it was killing him, we put him on Turkey tail along with lots of physical activity, farm work , sunshine and living, and prayer!!
Quarterly follow up scans showed cancer at bay but in several areas across the body. Its been three years and last qtryl scan showed no cancer at all ! We tell everyone We know with a cancer story to try Turkey tail.
Friend is still taking and so am I.
My father was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer. I was wondering which mushroom extract has studies showing improved outcomes with bladder cancer specifically?
I realize it is not a treatment but would like your recommendation? Also how much? I ve seen the Stamet video – if my aim were 6 grams daily how much of the turkey tail extract would that be?
Thank you for your time.
Hi, I have Small Cell Lung Cancer Limited. I am taking my 2nd. session of treatments which is 3 days of chemo each session Dr.wants me to have 6 sessions. At 3 week intervals. Then start Radiation.
Do you think turkey tail can help me. Dr. saying I may live less than a year so time is precious. Not allowing much time to research and fit in a bit of quality life. I’m looking for an natural alternative. Also ant suggestion as to other nature helping alternatives.
Thanks for sharing and this was sent to me by my daughter.
Hi there! After meeting with an integrative physician today to discuss complimentary treatments for my early breast cancer diagnosis, he shared information on Paul Stemets and Turkey Tail mushrooms. I am a 25-year Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor and my highly estrogen positive breast cancer is a secondary cancer resulting from the radiation I had received to my chest. I have already received a partial mastectomy to remove the tumor, and learned I had small metastases to 2 out of 3 sentinel lymph nodes. I am awaiting the result from a MammaPrint test that will let me know how the tumor cells will respond to chemo determining whether or not it will be included as part of my treatment protocol. I am interested in doing everything I can to help my body’s immune system fight this disease, reduce inflammation and heal….as I have seen my body heal from cancer before. Would you suggest I only use the TTail tincture as an adjuvant to chemo, or can I use it as an immune enhancer if chemo is not part of my treatment? Hearing my “story”, can you please advise which of your mushroom extracts would you suggest, and at what quantities if chemo is not part of my treatments? I’m so impressed with how you create this product with great pride and passion, and so interested in learning more! Thank you for taking the time to respond to me!
Gina, thanks for the compliment on our product. I want to remind you that I am not a doctor and that you should always consult your doctor with any advice you ask for regarding our product. You can use our product with chemo or as an immune enhancer without chemo. We have found over the years that doctors have really developed a strong understanding of how this mushroom can help, and we do have doctors who reccommend our product specifically. That is a huge change from when we first started. That tells me they see exactly what our customers report to us over the years. While this product isn’t intended to treat, cure, diagnose or prevent any disease, our most successful customers who tell us they use our product for cancer do so as an adjunct therapy in consultation with their doctors. Many of them use 2-3 times the daily serving during treatment. We do have many customers who are only taking our product with no other treatment options as well, although we always suggest doing so in the care of a doctor.
Thank you for your response, and I have since received your product. I have been making myself “mushroom coffee” each morning, by adding a dropper full of extract to my morning cup. I begin chemotherapy (Cytoxan & Taxotere) on 10/16 and will continue through end of Jan 2018. With chemo, I will be adding to my intake in an effort to help rebuild my immune system after each infusion. It is standard for a patient on my regiment to receive a Neulasta shot, but I asked my oncologist if I can first see how my body rebounds naturally –using mushroom therapy. He had no problem with me doing such, though did not “believe” in the efficacy of the mushrooms to help in this situation. I feel like I am part of a science project–& as a matter of fact, my teens and I are going to be keeping notes as if it is such. We will keep you all posted! Again– thank you for making this product for me to use!
HI, I love your inthusiasm. I do question why you said that you realize that mushrooms don’t cure cancer. Maybe mushrooms do cure cancer. I believe that everything we need for health is provided by nature, we have just forgotten how to use it and how to listen to our intuition. Maybe it would have been batter to say that you don’t know if mushrooms cure cancer. I think they do and I think they do it in spite of the chemotherapy, not as an adjunct therapy.
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I am presently taking 1 teaspoon of TT powder a day. I am interested in your extracts, but
a bit confused about equivalency. I understand powders are inconsistent as to dosage, but can you give me a range for the extracts that would approximate what I am presently taking?
Joe, each serving size of 2 tsps is the extraction of roughly 2 grams (2000 mg) of mushroom.
Is there a reason children shouldn’t use turkey tail? I have a 2 yr old fighting ALL and wanted to boost his immune system during the 3 1/2 years of Chemotherapy
Is it possible to get this in Australia? I am finding it almost impossible to find a dual extracted, non-mycellium product here. The only one I’ve found that is actually from the fruiting part is only hot water extracted and I don’t know if that would still have any benefits.
Is there any sort of cancer that turkeystail shouldnt be. Took with?
Is there a possibility that I could buy some of this
Having IV NSCLC the doctor says there is not much I can do. No chemo, no radiation, no surgery. I decided to take laetrile, grape seed extract, and now turkey tail. All of them. I think its okay to take the three supplements. However if anyone disagrees then please tell me. I had my first dose of TT today with food, so it’s early days. I’m guessing it’ll take a while before any of these kick in and start, making a difference. Taking the laetrile seems to have stopped the cancer spreading. They say at stage IV it has, most liikely, spread to the brain. It hasn’t. How exactly does TT work? What is it known to do? I”m still confused on a lot of things as having only being diagnosed 2 weeks ago.
Sorry that I’m kind of late to the party….
Is the Half Hill Farm Turkey Tail tincture a single marc or double marc dual-extraction? Does the same turkey tail substrate go through a water decoction and then an alcohol extraction?
I’ve read so many differing opinions on the double extractions and whether the water decoction should be first or second when using a single marc. Any comments on whether the water-soluble components need to be decocted with water before alcohol to preserve their stability?
We are a large dermatology practice throughout the state of Georgia and South Carolina. The owner of our practice suggests Turkey Tail to our cancer patients. We were interested in any sample that you may have to give out especially to our older population.
Also…what contraindications are there and what medicines would this interfere with?
Thanks for your time!
Natasha, if you want samples you need to call us or order online.
Hello Christian, Im from Argentina! My sister (18 years old) was diagnosed with sinovial sarcoma last year,the doctors had to amputate her leg because of it, also she has a metastasis on both of her lungs (sorry for my english, Im trying to do my best). Do you know of someone with a similar cancer? Because all I read is about breast cancer and lungs cancer (which is not the same that she has), and how can we help her with Turkey tail? I need to have all the information as possible, so I can ask a friend that is going to the USA in the next 10 days to buy it for me.
Thanks for sharing all this!
Hello Christian, I am planning on buying your products. My father diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. It is a slow moving cancer. Which product of yours you would suggest for him to consumeand how much daily dose. I understand you are not a doctor but from your experiences, I just want to know your suggested dose and products. Thank you so much
Arsi
Hello again, my wife is also dealing with hashimoto disease. Do you have any mashrom product for such disease. Thanks again
She might need Iodine,see the book by David Browntein MD from Michigan,USA-
If you had Stage 4 Squamous NSCLC what would you take along side Turkey Tail mushroom? Not as a doctor… But as someone who produces and grows therapeutic alternatives.
My dad was recently diagnosed and has basically been put on pallative care to hopefully make whatever time he has left with us more comfortable. We are not accepting this. There are options and I’m determined to find them and fight for him until I can’t fight anymore. He is currently taking fenbendazole w/curcumin. Eating a organic whole food diet, juicing, and trying to move as much as he can. His doctor wants to start Chemo on the 3rd and I am desperate at this point.
Thank you…
Hi, my 97 lb 11 year old Akita just had her spleen removed from hemangiosarcoma. I’ve been reading turkey tail can help. Can I give this to her and, if so, how much and how frequently? Thank you!
Hello Christian; i’m presently taking turkey tail tincture extract. I have adeno carcinoma. I was diagnosed March 3, 2020 and I have refused chemo and radiation treatment. I understand you’re not a doctor, does turkey tail stop the growth of cancer, or is it possible to cure cancer. With adenocarcinoma, is turkey tail mushrooms what I should be using? Thank you for any feedback.
Hello Michele,
Did you receive a reply? I have been diagnosed with the same type of cancer at its earlier stage and am interested in stopping the growth.
Thank you
Hllo,My Wife 37 yrs has metastasis breast cancer with bone and liver – and after two years recently progressed to Brain .
Can we get your product in India? And what should be the preferred dose
thanks
Would love to see the percentage beta glucans in your tinctures in the bottle. Do you have that information…many are below 30%. It is the most important detail not the tsp or mls…what is the percentage on the turkey tail?
My mom has stage 4 lung cancer and is currently being treated with immunotherpay. Should she take turkey tail and if so how much should she take daily?
Can one take Turkey Tail Mushroom along with Fenbendazole or does the Fenbendazole interact negatively with the Turkey Tail Mushroom?