How to obtain vitamin D2 from Sun-Exposed Mushrooms
Mushrooms in Sunlight
– Significant
provitamin D2
source
Sundried mushrooms - a useful vitamin D
supplement
Mushrooms are a largely unknown, significant,
plant source of vitamin D2 when purposefully exposed to sunlight
✔ Mushrooms need to be exposed to sulight for two
days days -
Commercially supplied mushrooms are usually grown in the dark and contain no
vitamin D. However, they do contain a rich potential source of vitamin D2 –the
vitamin D precursor ergosterol. This can be converted to ergocalciferols (also
called provitamin D2) when exposed to UV-B light (wavelength 290- 315 nm)
✔ Can be exposed to sun
even after picking –the best time to do this is June through September
✔ Vitamin D levels are retained for at least a year
in dried, sun-exposed mushrooms
✔ Can be used as a good supplemental source when
sunlight is scarce –eating a handful of
mushrooms every other day can bring serum D to
a healthy level during non-summer months if living in the northern hemisphere
Use any kind
of edible mushrooms –E.g.
shiitake, maitake, button
Mushrooms contain several health beneficial
nutrients – including:
✔ Beta glucans –for boosting immune
system
✔ Ergothioneine,
amino acid aminly found in mushrooms –
has antioxidant properties; used as a medicine for liver
damage, cataracts, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease and topically
for wrinkles;
✔ Nerve growth stimulators –to help brain function
✔ Antimicrobial properties
How to obtain the highest vitamin D content
from mushrooms
Exposure to UV-B ultraviolet light increases D content several–fold –Robert Beelman at Penn State
University found that when mushrooms are dried, pulverized and exposed to pulsed
beams of UV-B light, their vitamin D is increased several times more than just
exposing the mushrooms to sunlight. Consequently, UV-exposed
white button mushrooms are becoming
available in grocery stores. Additionally the mushroom surface is sterilized as
an added bonus.
Slicing the
mushrooms before sun-exposure exponentially increases vitamin D content by
increasing exposed surface area
Drying the mushrooms after slicing and indoor
UV-B significantly affects D2 content -
In Paul Stamet's article:
Place Mushrooms in Sunlight to Get Your Vitamin D. Posted
08/06/2012, he refers to an experiment
he did comparing drying the mushrooms in
the sun for 2 days with the gills facing the sun and indoor UV-B exposure.
(1 IU is equal to 40 micrograms).
-Paul Stamets
noted that:
probably due to
over-exposure to UV
providing a greater surface area
This author is going to conservatively estimate a D2 content of 100,000 IU /
100g
For Sun-exposed, SLICED mushrooms
This would yield 10,000 IU of D2 / 10g(a handful) of dried mushrooms
10 grams (~ .35 ounces) of sun exposed, dried shiitake mushrooms
1.Use fresh Organic shiitake,
maitake, button, or other mushrooms
2.On a sunny day, slice the
fresh mushrooms and place them evenly on a tray exposed directly to the sun from
10 am to 4 pm (6 hours)
3.Before nightfall, cover the
mushrooms with a layer of cardboard to block moisture from dewfall.
4.The next clear day repeat
exposure to the sun from 10 am to 4 pm.
5.Remove the mushrooms and if
necessary finish drying in a food dehydrator until they are crispy.
6.When thoroughly dry, store in
a glass jar or sealed container - Add a tablespoon of uncooked rice as a
moisture absorber.
7.
The mushrooms
retain a good amount of D2 for a year
or more, depending upon conditions.
8.Take 10 grams (~1/3 oz)
daily per person, about a small handful.
Rehydrate in water for one hour. The mushrooms will swell. Then cook as desired.
E.g. in a soup or cream sauce
This British author's personal favorite mushroom recipe
is creamed mushrooms on toast.
(Creamed mushrooms made with onions, garlic, butter, cream, salt and white
pepper)
Does Vitamin D from mushrooms make it into
blood stream?
According to Paul Stamet, a Frieburg University Medical Center Study (in
Germany) compared 26 people who took a vitamin D2 supplement to 26 others
ingesting 120 g (a handful = ~1/4 lb) of UV light vitamin D-enriched mushrooms
(containing ~24,000 IU of D2) in soup four times per week for five weeks. The
study found that similar levels of
vitamin D were absorbed into the blood in both groups and at the end of the
study, both groups'serum vitamin D levels had increased to ~50 nmol/L
(considered a healthy baseline level).
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