Health experts can’t stress enough how important it is to make sure you get enough vitamin D daily. Although it does not contain many foods that are rich in vitamins, taking a supplement is an excellent way to ensure that you reach the recommended nutritional intake and fight infection.
However, new research funded by The Mushroom Council suggests that one common plant-based food may meet your own needs. In the journal Food science and nutrition, Dr. Victor L. Fulgoni III and Dr Sanjiv Agarwa modeled the addition of mushrooms to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2016 nutrition data. More specifically, they investigated a composition of white, crimini and portabella mushrooms in the ratio 1: 1: 1; one scenario including mushrooms exposed to UV light; and finally, one scenario that includes oyster mushrooms. (Related: The one-vitamin doctors insist everyone should take now).
The researchers investigated the health benefits of each mushroom for people aged 9-18, as well as those aged 19+. Each age group was instructed to eat 84 grams of mushrooms. What did they discover? Only one serving of mushrooms increased the intake of dietary fiber in each group, as well as several minerals, including copper, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, and choline.
However, the largest takeaway comes from the mushrooms that have been exposed to UV light. By eating only one serving of these mushrooms, both groups were able to reach their recommended daily value of vitamin D.. So see if the next time you go grocery shopping, you can pick up a pack of mushrooms that say “enriched with vitamin D.” Alternatively, if you have a UV light at home, consider placing your fresh mushrooms under it for a few hours to enrich a normal pack of mushrooms with the vitamin in your kitchen.
Of course, not everyone has access to a UV light at home; so it may be the best way to eat regular mushrooms, other than taking a vitamin D supplement, unless your doctor advises you otherwise.
For more information, look at 5 signs of vitamin D deficiency that you should never ignore.