Mushrooms! The Only Plant Based Source Of Vitamin D (And Why You Should Leave Them In The Sun)
The majority of our vitamin D needs should be met through healthy exposure to Sunlight on a regular basis.
But depending on your location around the world it can be difficult or even impossible to source all of your vitamin D from Sunlight alone. Especially when so many of us work indoors.
In these cases it is smart to supplement your vitamin D intake with foods. The best medicine available.
Science has found a way to fortify foods with vitamin D.
This process is done to milk, grains and cereals through UVB (Ultra Violet B) radiation. This technique is often accompanied by further food processing.
It is much better to source foods natural in vitamin D as opposed to manufactured synthetic alternatives. Especially when trying to minimize processed milks and grains from your diet (which I highly recommend).
Foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D include:
- Mackerel
- Salmon
- Herring
- Sardines
- Tuna
- Cod liver oil, which is sometimes still given to children to prevent rickets
- Pork
- Eggs
- Mushrooms
There aren't many vegetarian or vegan options!
So if you are a vegetarian, vegan or have a seafood allergy I hope you like mushrooms! Not only do they provide the highest source of plant based vitamin D (vitamin D2) they also provide other nutrients that are difficult to acquire from a vegan/vegetarian diet.
Mushrooms are a good source of:
- Vitamin D2 (obviously)
- Vitamins B 1, 2, 3, 5 and 9
- Selenium
- Potassium
- Copper
- Iron
- Phosphorus
As well as a fancy thing called beta-glucans which are a type of fiber found in the cell wall of the mushroom. A lot of study has been done on these beta-glucans that show links between consuming them and lowered insulin sensitivity and cholesterol issues.
But wait, there's more! Leave them in Sunlight!
Many studies have been done since 2008 confirming that mushrooms exposed to Sunlight after harvesting continue to create vitamin D.
This is especially the case in shiitake mushrooms but studies have shown it's validity in all species of edible mushroom.
Studies recommend leaving mushrooms with their gills exposed to Sunlight for as little as 20 minutes to achieve increased vitamin D levels.
Sunlight will continue vitamin D production for up to 24 hours! Leave them for as long as you wish, just make sure they don't start to decay.
Mushrooms are full of so many nutrients
Nothing in nature is quite like our fungal little friends. So be sure to do your best to add them to your diet, especially if you are a vegan/vegetarian or have a seafood allergy like myself :)
If you suffer from a bone disorder I strongly recommend seeking out a medical vitamin D3 supplement. Discuss this option with your doctor if you haven't already.
Sources
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf201255b
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf0732511?src=recsys&journalCode=jafcau
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/69/1/95.short
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157511000779
http://fsi.colostate.edu/mushrooms/
http://www.australianmushrooms.com.au/health-nutrition/vitamin-d/
https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/10-foods-containing-vitamin-d/
Thanks for reading! I hope this article has empowered you to live a healthier life and you share your new knowledge with others.
Yours, with Purpose
Great post, my favorite is the giant portobello mushroom! Fill it with some gooey deliciousness and its Yum!
Mushrooms are easy to grow as well which makes them a good, cheap source of nutrients.
"The method for growing each mushroom is similar, but the ideal growing substrate differs. Oyster mushrooms grow best in straw or coffee grounds (described later); Shiitakes grow best on hardwood sawdust; button mushrooms grow best in composted manure."
Thank you so much for your support and appreciation! Oven roasted potobellos are sooooo good too
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a good post, Harry. I read your post on posture (14 days ago) and was wondering what you thought about standing while writing - I've been looking for a good tall desk that will facilitate this. I want to avoid the usual pitfalls of the sedate professional writer. Any ideas?
Hey John. I'm glad you find my posts useful and informative!
I recommend to my clients to get a desk that allows for changing between sitting and standing. They have adjustable desks like those online though they can sometimes be a bit expensive. They are well worth the investment though. Usually 30 minutes sitting to 30 minutes standing reduces the shortening of muscles which leads to poor posture.
Just make sure that when you are standing you do so with good standing posture.
All the best friend. I appreciate your support :)
We are able to get a full variety of edible mushrooms from our organic farmers' market.
If the mushrooms were harvested a few days to maybe a week before being bought, is it too late to put them in the sun to increase their Vitamin D content? Resteemed for the invaluable information.
this is good.post
Hey @allyinspirit! I'm so glad you have access to an organic market.
From the research papers I could find there is no limiting factor to the length of time after harvest that the mushrooms stop producing vitamin D.
In most of the studies the maximum time was 4 days after harvesting. But I'm sure it wouldn't do any harm to leave them out anyway.
All the best! Thank you so much for your support :)
I've always been a big fan of mushrooms and incorporate them in our meals oftain. I knew they were good for me. But hadn't really looked into their nutritional value yet. loved that I came upon this post. I'll be sure to tell @sunny-d-light about the "gills exposed to Sunlight" trick.
We put our mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge. Heard that it keeps them fresher. What are your thoughts and insights on that?
Thanks again for your post. I look forward to more. =]
Thank you so much Ryan! I'm so glad you found it valuable. I keep my mushrooms in the fridge also, but I will leave them in the Sun for 30 minutes or so throughout the day before cooking them. I've never had a problem doing it that way.
Anyway friend, all the best. Thank you for your support!
Nice and easy to read, with some interesting info!
Thanks for the article @harrynewman
No worries friend! Thanks for the positive feedback :)
You learn something every day...thanks for sharing
And thank you for the positive feedback! Have a lovely day :)
Any conversation about getting vitamin D from food is a waste of time. You cannot get any significant amount of D from food. If you can't go back to living at the equator and working outside most of the day or go to work as a life guard on the beaches in California you will need to supplement every day for the rest of your life.
Great post! I love portabellas, but haven't tried others. I may need to branch out. :)
Glad you liked it clickinchicken! I appreciate your upvote, resteem and support in general :) Also I only tried the enoki mushrooms the other day and they were delicious!
Great article thanks for sharing 👍🏻