Remedies › Turkey tail mushroom › HPV and cervical cell changes · All remedies for hpv and cervical cell changes
Turkey tail mushroom and hpv and cervical cell changes: what the evidence says
Small or mixed human studies suggest a turkey tail vaginal gel (Papilocare) may help low-grade cervical changes and HPV clear, but no blinded trial has been published and FIGO and IGCS do not endorse it.
3/5 LimitedSome human evidence: small trials, trials on a related outcome, or population studies that disagree. How we score
PubMed lists 17 papers on turkey tail and HPV, and we read all of them, plus one found through a search for the product name. Nearly all the evidence is about Papilocare, a multi-ingredient vaginal gel: turkey tail extract is one ingredient alongside prebiotics, moisturizers and anti-inflammatory agents, so any effect cannot be credited to the mushroom alone.
The one published randomized trial of the gel, PALOMA, was open-label: 84.9% vs 64.5% had a normal result at 6 months, and 59.6% vs 41.9% cleared HPV. The untreated figures matter: most of these changes clear by themselves. Larger cohorts report bigger gaps but are not randomized, and some have no comparison group at all.
In 2026 FIGO and the International Gynecologic Cancer Society reviewed these topical products and declined to endorse routine use, because no trial shows they prevent serious cervical disease. A blinded trial of 200 women finished in January 2023 and has no published result (see Beyond Google).
Capsules are a different question. The only trial we found was small, in the mouth rather than the cervix, gave two mushrooms together and had no placebo. None of this replaces cervical screening or follow-up: HPV-related changes need monitoring by a clinician.
- Meta-analyses of trialspooled randomized trials0
- Human studiestrials and population studies8
- Case reportssingle people0
- Animal studiesmostly rodents0
- Lab studiescells, test tubes4
The studies in people, read one by one
| Result | Type | What they did | What they found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Randomized trial, 2021 91 people | Open-label randomized trial (PALOMA): Papilocare gel vs watchful waiting, low-grade cervical changes, Spain. Sub-analysis in women over 40: PMID 36294699 Measured: Normal Pap with matching colposcopy; HPV clearance at 6 months | Normal result at 6 months 84.9% vs 64.5%; HPV clearance 59.6% vs 41.9%. No blinding and no placebo. 7 possible or probable treatment-related adverse events. PubMed 33746195 |
| Positive | Randomized trial, 2014 61 people | Preliminary randomized study, oral HPV 16 or 18: Trametes versicolor plus Ganoderma lucidum vs another mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus), 2 months Measured: Oral HPV clearance | 88% vs 5% cleared (P<0.001). 41 vs 20 people; no placebo, and two mushrooms were given together. PubMed 25271984 |
| Positive | Population study, 2026 600 people | Retrospective cohort: 300 treated with the gel vs 300 on standard follow-up Measured: HPV clearance and cytology at 6 months | Overall HPV clearance 89.3% vs 44.7%; normal cytology 88.4% vs 60.4%. Not randomized. PubMed 42187868 |
| Positive | Population study, 2021 183 people | Retrospective cohort, high-risk HPV: 97 treated vs 86 controls Measured: HPV DNA test, cytology, colposcopy at 6 months | HPV test negative 67.0% vs 37.2% (p < 0.0001); adjusted odds ratio 4.81 (2.43 to 9.53). Not randomized. PubMed 33367986 |
| Positive | Clinical trial, 2026 524 people | PAPILOBS-GR: prospective study at 45 sites in Greece, no comparison group Measured: Lesion regression, HPV clearance | 75.9% regressed and 72.0% cleared HPV. With no control group, natural clearing cannot be separated from any effect of the gel. PubMed 42738285 |
| Positive | Clinical trial, 2023 192 people | Prospective real-life study (Papilobs), no comparison group Measured: Lesion repair, HPV clearance | 77.1% repaired lesions at 6 or 12 months; 71.6% cleared HPV. PubMed 37568678 |
| Positive | Population study, 2025 15 people | Uncontrolled pilot, women with HIV and HPV Measured: HPV clearance, cytology | HPV clearance 73.3%, cytology normalized 80.0%. PubMed 39778884 |
| Positive | Population study, 2026 22 people | Single-arm cohort, low-grade colposcopic lesions Measured: Swede score at 6 months | Median Swede score fell from 3 to 0 (p<0.001). A visual score, no comparison group. PubMed 41883943 |
| No effect | Review, 2026 | FIGO and International Gynecologic Cancer Society position statement. Same text: PMID 42677467 Measured: Whether topical treatments prevent CIN 3+ | No trial is designed to show prevention of CIN 3+. The bodies note retrospective registration, industry funding and spin, and do not endorse routine use of any topical agent. PubMed 42680632 |
| Mixed | Review, 2026 | Narrative review of the gel literature, including conference abstracts Measured: Clinical evidence | Some preliminary data on epithelial repair and clearance, but the evidence is insufficient for routine use; cites lack of biopsy confirmation, no blinding, retrospective registration. PubMed 41797457 |
| Positive | Review, 2026 | Scoping review: 5 studies Measured: HPV clearance, regression of dysplasia | Regression 76.1 to 84.9% vs 40.8 to 64.5% in untreated women; called promising but preliminary. PubMed 41507892 |
Where the sources agree, and where they don’t
2 of 6 kinds of source point toward a benefit, 1 toward no effect or harm, 1 are mixed, and 2 have no data yet. Agreement between independent kinds of evidence matters more than the number of papers in any one of them.
| Kind of source | Points to | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Published randomized trial | Positive | PALOMA, open-label, 91 women |
| Retrospective cohorts | Positive | 183 and 600 women, not randomized |
| Blinded trials | No data | finished in 2023, 200 women, no result published |
| Professional bodies | No effect | FIGO and IGCS do not endorse routine use |
| Capsules | No data | one small oral HPV study, two mushrooms, no placebo |
| Patient reports | Mixed | 7 reports: 2 helped, 2 no effect, 2 worse, 1 mixed |
Beyond Google: 13 findings about Turkey tail mushroom from trial registries, FDA reports and patent offices that a normal search rarely shows. See them
What people report
We read public first-person posts and counted every outcome, good or bad. 7 reports about this condition, read on 2026-10-31; 4 mention side effects.
- 2Helped
- 2No effect
- 2Got worse
- 1Mixed
- 0Too early
Why these counts prove nothing on their own: people who post are not a random sample, most take other treatments at the same time, and nobody checks the diagnosis. We show them because they tell researchers what to test next.
Read all 7 reports
- No effect Took turkey tail about five months and Papilocare; still HPV positive after six months, no side effects. Inspire, 2021-05-11 (Home test only; many supplements together.)
- Mixed CIN 1 cleared but still HPV positive; stopped because hives became too much. Side effects: hives. Inspire, 2021-05-10 (The original post was not readable, so which supplement caused the hives is unclear; poster doubts it explains the result.)
- No effect Used Papilocare for months and says it did not help; in an earlier thread credits AHCC more for HPV 16 going dormant. Inspire, 2020-05-31 (Two posts by one person counted once.)
- Worse Papilocare caused irritation and did not help; later cleared HPV after switching to a different gel. Side effects: irritation. Inspire, 2023-11-22 (A later product does not show why it cleared.)
- Helped Normal Pap and negative HPV test after six months on a long supplement list. Side effects: hives from a separate topical treatment. Inspire, 2018-06-26 (Eight treatments at once, and the poster notes CIN 2 often clears by itself.)
- Worse After five days of reishi and turkey tail, nearly fainted with headaches and fatigue; suspects reishi. Side effects: near-fainting, severe headaches, fatigue. Inspire, 2018-05-04 (Two mushrooms; no diagnosis of a reaction.)
- Helped Took turkey tail powder daily and calls it great for HPV. Inspire, 2014-02-26 (No test result given.)
Every other paper we found
PubMed returned 17 papers for this search on 2026-10-31. We read the human studies above ourselves. The rest are sorted by type automatically from PubMed's labels, which are sometimes wrong.
Lab studies 4
- A Scoping Review of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Human Papillomavirus Infections and Cervical Dysplasia. J Low Genit Tract Dis, 2024
- Efficacy of a Coriolusversicolor-Based Vaginal Gel in Human Papillomavirus-Positive Women Older Than 40 Years: A Sub-Analysis of PALOMA Study. J Pers Med, 2022
- [Coriolus-MRL-a new addition to the arsenal for complex treatment of oncogynecological diseases]. Akush Ginekol (Sofiia), 2009
- [Coriolus versicolor--innovation in prevention of oncogynecological diseases, especially HPV]. Akush Ginekol (Sofiia), 2008
Reviews 1
Other papers, not yet read by us 2
- FIGO/IGCS statement on the efficacy of topical treatments for high-risk human papillomavirus in preventing CIN 3+ lesions. Int J Gynaecol Obstet, 2026
- Rapid Systematic Review-Informed Multidisciplinary Expert Consensus on the Management of HPV-Positive Women with Low-Grade Cervical Lesions and the Role of a Coriolus versicolor-Based Vaginal Treatment. Medicina (Kaunas), 2026
Other conditions Turkey tail mushroom has been studied for
- Turkey tail mushroom and cancer 4/5 Moderate
- Turkey tail mushroom and chemotherapy side effects 3/5 Limited
Checked against PubMed on 2026-10-31. Everything we know about Turkey tail mushroom