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How to obtain vitamin D2 from Sun-Exposed Mushrooms
Mushrooms in sunlight
Sundried mushrooms are a provitamin D2 source
Mushrooms are a largely unknown, significant,
plant source of provitamin D2 when purposefully exposed to sunlight
Mushrooms need to be exposed to sulight for two
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 D2 precursor ergosterol. This can be converted to ergocalciferols (i.e. 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 D2 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:
Stems produced only about 900 IU of vitamin D2
probably due to
over-exposure to UV
The 14 hr
indoor UVB exposure was more intense than sun exposure and the mushrooms were
also sliced.
IU's would
likely also be higher in sun-exposed mushrooms if they were first sliced.
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 sundried mushrooms
10 grams (~ .35 ounces) of sun exposed, dried shiitake mushrooms
Photo Source:
Place Mushrooms in Sunlight to Get Your
Vitamin D
How to produce vitamin D2 in mushrooms
Instructions gleaned from Paul Stamet's online article
Place Mushrooms in Sunlight to Get Your Vitamin D
Use fresh Organic shiitake,
maitake, button, or other mushrooms
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)
Before nightfall, cover the
mushrooms with a layer of cardboard to block moisture from dewfall.
The next clear day repeat
exposure to the sun from 10 am to 4 pm.
Remove the mushrooms and if
necessary finish drying in a food dehydrator until they are crispy.
When thoroughly dry, store in
a glass jar or sealed container - Add a tablespoon of uncooked rice as a
moisture absorber.
The mushrooms
retain a good amount of D2 for a year
or more, depending upon conditions.
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 cooked with onions, garlic, butter, cream, salt and white
pepper)
Does vitamin D2 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).
