Mushrooms have insignificant amounts of vitamin D unless they are exposed to ultraviolet B light. There is some interesting research on how exposing mushrooms to ultraviolet B light can boost their vitamin D levels. It may be possible to boost the vitamin B in mushrooms from 5,000 IU to 46,000 IU or more. It’s good to consume your mushrooms with some type of fat, like butter, to help increase vitamin D absorption.
Contents
Other nutrients in mushrooms:
- B vitamins
- Selenium
- Zinc
- Copper
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
Mushrooms I recommend:
- Shitake
- Maitake
- Oyster
- Button
How to make your own vitamin D supplements:
1. Obtain organic mushrooms
2. Use the sun in the summer or use UV light year-round. Take the stems off of the mushrooms and place them on a tray with the gills facing upward (slice button mushrooms lengthwise). Put them in the sun or under UV light from 10 am-6 pm. After 6 pm, take them inside and cover the tray.
3. The next day, re-expose the mushrooms to the sun or UV light (keep them in a low-moisture environment). If the mushrooms are still not dried out, put them in a food dehydrator.
4. Store the mushrooms in a sealed glass jar with a small amount of dry rice (to absorb any moisture) and seal the lid. They will last up to one year.
Thanks for reading! I hope this inspires you to use mushrooms to make your own vitamin D supplements. Give it a try.