For centuries, medicinal mushrooms have supplemented healing traditions across cultures, yet Western medicine is only beginning to integrate them. In Japan, turkey tail extract (Polysaccharide-K) has been an approved cancer therapy since the 1970s, used alongside chemotherapy to support immune function. Traditional Chinese medicine has long integrated reishi, shiitake, and maitake for their anti-inflammatory and adaptogenic benefits. The real question isn’t whether mushrooms work—it’s why they’re still sidelined in conventional care.