"VitaminD" news and stories

Vitamin D, known by young and old alike as the sunshine vitamin, might soon come from a source that's usually not associated with sunlight: mushrooms.

A preliminary study backed by the Food and Drug Administration reports that exposing mushrooms to ultraviolet light for a short period of time endows them with a huge amount of vitamin D. Five minutes of UV exposure turns the commonplace white button mushroom into a superfood with a whopping 869 percent of the RDA of vitamin D. That's more of the vitamin than is found in two tablespoons of cod liver oil, and probably much tastier.

[photo: Wikipedia]

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Just one vitamin that is crucial to our health and well being - D.  Vitamins themselves are substances that are required by our bodies in small amounts but are not produced internally and are therefore needed in the daily diet.  A few facts on vitamin D -

• Vitamin D is recommended for combating osteoporosis as it aids the absorption of calcium.
• The natural form is known as cholecalciferol and is made in the skin when cholesterol reacts with ultaviolet light from the sun.
• Good sources of Vitamin D - Salt water fish such as herring, salmon, sardines, mackerel, eel and other fish liver oils. Small quantities of vitamin D are also derived from eggs, veal, beef, butter, and vegetable oils.
• Plants, fruits, and nuts are extremely poor sources of vitamin D. Fortification of foods such as milk, margarine and butter, cereals, and chocolate mixes help in meeting the RDA recommendations.
• The World Health Organisation has definded that the "International Unit of vitamin D recommended for adoption is the vitamin D activity of 0.025 micrograms of the international standard preparation of crystalline vitamin D₃". Thus, 1.0 IU of vitamin D is 0.025 micrograms, which is equivalent to 65.0 pmoles." Well I hope thats all clear!