Supplement
Turkey tail is a mushroom whose beta-glucan fibers are thought to stir up immune cells such as natural killer cells and macrophages. People mostly look at it as supportive care during breast cancer treatment, and the evidence is moderate overall, though in the one small trial reviewed, lymphocyte counts went up while natural killer cell activity showed no clear difference. That study was a early-stage trial of just nine women, so the findings are very preliminary.
Sources: PMID 22701186
- Updated
- How we grade
- 1 study cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 1
- Outcomes
- 3
- Graded outcomes
- 0011
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lymphocyte Count Moderate Increase | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 9 people | |||
| Natural Killer Cell Activity No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 9 people | |||
Studies that measured natural killer cell activity | ||||||
| Natural Killer Cell Content | Improves (the measure goes up) | 9 people | ||||
Key findings
- Lymphocyte CountImproves (the measure goes up)
- Natural Killer Cell Activity
Studies cited
1 study from PubMed