Mushrooms provide as much vitamin D as supplements, researchers find
The study data suggests that consumption of vitamin D rich mushroom powder is equally as effective at raising blood plasma levels of vitamin D (25–hydroxyvitamin D) as taking supplemental vitamin D2 or vitamin D3.
Led by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), USA, the new study followed 30 healthy adults who were given capsules containing either vitamin D2, vitamin D3, or mushroom extract - finding that
either capsules containing 2000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D2, 2000 IU of vitamin D3 or 2000 IU of mushroom powder containing vitamin D2 once a day for 12 weeks during the winter - finding that 25(OH)D levels were similar for those individuals consuming vitamin compared to the mushroom extract.
"We found ingesting mushrooms containing vitamin D2 was as effective in raising and maintaining a healthy adult's vitamin D status as ingesting a supplement that contained either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3," noted Dr Michael Holick of BUSM - senior author of the study.
"These results provide evidence that ingesting mushrooms which have been exposed to ultraviolet light and contain vitamin D2, are a good source of vitamin D that can improve the vitamin D status of healthy adults," he said - adding that his team's results "confirm other studies that have demonstrated that ingesting vitamin D2 either from fortified orange juice, a supplement or a pharmaceutical formulation were all capable of increasing total circulating 25(OH) D concentrations for at least 3 months, and up to 6 years."
