Coriolus versicolor, known by its common name “turkey tail” in North America, is treasured by herbalists and gaining popularity for its therapeutic properties throughout the world. Ours is grown in shade-free, climate-controlled greenhouses, free from herbicides, pesticides, and heavy-metal contamination.

New Roots Herbal’s Coriolus Versicolor is a hot water–extracted medicinal mushroom formula standardized to contain 40% polysaccharides (500 mg per capsule). Hot-water extraction is critical in obtaining a high-quality and effective mushroom product, and is the traditional Asian method of extraction. In the whole mushroom, polysaccharides are bound by indigestible cell wall comprised of chitin; chitin must be dissolved through hot water in order to gently release the medicinal components, the mushroom polysaccharides. Conversely, grinding the mushroom may cause damage to the long-chain polysaccharides and fails to remove the indigestible chitin (fibre), limiting the amount of therapeutic constituents that can be fit per capsule. Standardization ensures that the final product contains a consistent amount of polysaccharides to allow delivery of a therapeutic dose.

Two of the water-soluble polysaccharides of coriolus, PSK and PSP, are credited with immune system–strengthening properties that have popularized this mushroom species for adjunctive use during long term immune depressor therapies. Research in Japan has also demonstrated decreased toxicity from systemic chemotherapy and lengthened periods of remission.