Turkey Tail for Natural Killer Cell Activity
Turkey tail polysaccharides raise NK and lymphocyte markers, largely in oncology-adjunct research rather than healthy adults.
Overview
Verdict
Immune-marker changes are documented; general-population benefit is unproven.
How It Works
Dosing & Protocol
Typical dose
- Recommended dose
- 1-3 g daily of standardised extract
- Expected timeframe
- 8-12 weeks
Protocol
- form
- Fruiting body hot-water extract standardised for beta-glucan, or PSK/PSP
- duration
- Trials ran 6-12 weeks
- co factor
- Evidence is insufficient. A small dose-escalation study by Torkelson and colleagues in women who had completed breast cancer treatment reported increases in NK cell counts and lymphocyte numbers with turkey tail extract at 3-9 g/day over 6 weeks - an encouraging but small, uncontrolled phase I study without clinical endpoints. Beyond that, NK cell effects are documented mainly in cell culture and animal models. No adequately controlled trial has measured NK cell activity in healthy people after turkey tail, and NK cytotoxicity assays are research techniques not available clinically.
- titration
- Not applicable
- starting dose
- Not established for this outcome. Studies used 3-9 g/day of extract, or PSK at 3 g/day in oncology settings
Evidence
What the studies say
TLR2 agonist PSK activates human NK cells and enhances the antitumor effect of HER2-targeted monoclonal antibody therapy
Lu H, Yang Y, Gad E
PSK activated natural killer cells via TLR2 and enhanced antibody-mediated antitumor effects
Safety
Caveats
Product potency varies widely; oncology use belongs with an oncologist.
Less likely to help if
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