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Dr. Fuhrman Dr. Fuhrman

Mushrooms can be great source of vitamin D

mushrooms

Good news for vegetarians living in northern latitudes: soon vitamin D supplements may become unnecessary. Mushrooms appear to be a very good source of the vitamin when they have been exposed to ultraviolet light.

Vitamin D deficiency used to be linked only to rickets, but recent research shows that low levels of the vitamin are linked to osteoporosis, heart disease and various cancers. The best source by far is the sun: your body makes vitamin D in the skin when it is exposed to UVB radiation from the sun. In northern latitudes during the winter months there is not enough UVB radiation in the sun to allow your body to make sufficient vitamin D. Today, the only food that contains significant amounts of vitamin D is fatty fish, but of course vegetarians do not consider fish to be food.

References:
Mushrooms Are Unlikely Source of Vitamin D

April 19, 2006