Studying mushrooms to solve the vitamin D crisis

The human body is designed to get vitamin D from sunshine, but this is much more difficult to achieve in the winter months, certainly in the UK. With more local locks in place quickly, thousands of Britons will be spending less time in sunlight than usual this winter. The mushroom producers in Great Britain and Ireland, a partnership between major mushroom growers in Great Britain and Ireland, have commissioned special studies.

World Vitamin D Day on November 2nd should make people aware of the importance of strengthening the immune system in the current climate. However, nutritionist Rob Hobson has come up with a surprising way for Britons to get that vital vitamin D boost. He has shown that the humble mushroom, when exposed to the sun, can provide as much vitamin D as a dietary supplement.

Mushrooms convert ultraviolet light from the sun into vitamins and continue to do so after harvesting. Hobson explains why mushrooms are now qualified to join the ranks of other so-called “superfoods”:

Aboutmanchester.co.uk quoted Hobson as saying, “Mushrooms often go unnoticed in the rainbow of fruits and vegetables we should eat. They are often overlooked as an important source of sunshine vitamin D. As we prepare to spend less time in winter in daylight, we need to explore different ways to find out how best to get what our bodies need. An easily available and easily forgotten source are mushrooms, which can be bought specially fortified with vitamin D. ”

Hobson explains that consuming just eight vitamin D fortified mushrooms a day would provide the recommended daily amount. Hobson also has a useful tip: “If you can’t get your hands on vitamin D fortified mushrooms and can only find normal mushrooms, put them outside on the windowsill when the sun is shining and they become a source of vitamin D. ”