Coriolus, also known as Yun Zhi and Turkey Tail, is a mushroom widely used in Japan as an adjunct to western medicine cancer treatments. In terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Coriolus clears dampness, phelgm and heat.
Over 400 clinical studies have demonstrated that Coriolus polysaccharide extracts have immune modulating and anti-tumor effects. In vitro and laboratory experiments have demonstrated that Coriolus inhibits metastic activity, and improves interferon and interleukin-2 response, and T cell proliferation. It also counteracts the depressive effect of cyclophosphamide on white blood cell counts. In laboratory experiments, Coriolus polysaccharides antagonize immuno-suppression by prednisone, and have radio protective and liver protective effects. Patients using Coriolus as an adjunct to conventional cancer treatments have increased survival rates.
Cancers that have been reported to respond to Coriolus include stomach, uterine, colon, lung, colorectal, prostate, breast, and liver. In the overall treatment of cancer, Coriolus seems to be most beneficial when used as an adjunct to conventional therapeutic regimens. Researchers suggest that Coriolus appears to counteract the immune suppression of the conventional therapies and the toxic processes of cancer proliferation.
The March, 2008, BMC Cancer reported that Coriolus versicolor has shown anticancer activity with positive results in the treatment of gastric, esophageal, colorectal, breast and lung cancers. The efficacy of its protein-bound polysaccharide as an immunomodulator is credited. This activity was independent of its previously described immunomodulatory effect on NK cells.
The journal Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy reports double blind trials on 111 patients with colorectal cancer, using Coriolus versicolor. Although traditional medicine offers little help for colon cancer patients, Coriolus showed a remarkable enhancement of the patient’s white blood cells, even in advanced colon cancer cases. The white cells greatly increased natural chemotactic motion and phagocytosis, the ability to scavenge toxins and kill pathogens. Coriolus was also used with patients as a helpful maintenance therapy following cancer surgery.
For prevention of cancer, some experts even recommend 500 mg of Coriolus daily, however, there is still no real scientific basis for this recommendation.
At our clinic, we have had a high success rate with Coriolus Versicolor for a variety of cancer types. Please contact us and ask to speak to Tom about our success with this mushroom.