As a yoga therapist, I have the honour of working with people in all stages of life, including those who are facing major health challenges like cancer. And I learn so much from these people who are facing their own mortality. We laugh, talk about the really important things and share how to heal at all stages of life. One of the most intriguing tidbits to come across recently has been the healing powers of Turkey Tail Mushrooms.
These mushrooms are growing all around us. They grow out of dead wood, so they are probably anywhere you would find downed trees. Fall is a great time to harvest them as the spores are in the right stage. As always in nature, an expert should really identify plant materials before you utilize them. The mushroom is also available in the health food store in capsule form.
I found out about the mushrooms from a client who has had five surgeries in the last few years and is facing cancer yet again. She researched and found out about the mushrooms online. While awaiting her sixth surgery scheduled for March 2019, she started drinking mushroom tea in January. By the time she went for pre-op, the cancerous tumour no longer required surgery.
Now this is the type of story that I normally shy away from. Where’s the research? Anecdotal evidence has its place but it can’t be applied across the board. But this woman is a former scientist herself and has always impressed me with her calm, thoughtful approach to her disease. She did report her tea drinking to her doctors and they have told her to keep doing whatever it is that she is doing. So I share the information in case you would like to do your own research.
This article from a government sponsored cancer website details how the mushrooms have been utilized and researched for centuries in Asia. In Japan, the mushrooms are routinely prescribed to cancer patients as an adjunct to chemotherapy or radiation. The FDA has approved the mushroom to be used in clinical trials since 2012. Here is information from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, a major research and treatment facility in the US, that cautiously examines the potential benefits of this mushroom.
It struck me as we talked that day that nature really has thought it all through. The miracle of being part of this complex and interconnected web of life is awe inspiring. It hammers home the point that the earth is our “mother” and respect for her gifts will be the saving of us all.
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