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m u s h r o o m s . a n d . v i t a m i n . D 2
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  • As per this article - “Vitamin D-enhanced mushrooms are the only non-animal food product with substantial amounts of bioavailable vitamin D and, as such, have the potential to be a primary source of dietary vitamin D for vegans and vegetarians.”


  • The problem that we would be trying to solve is how to improve the viability of commercially produced mushrooms as a source of Vitamin D. This a problem particularly relevant to Northern Europe where Vitamin D deficiency is a common health issue. Here in The Netherlands, some commercial farms do already expose fresh mushrooms to UV radiation to trigger the production of Vitamin D, but the levels produced do not reliably yet meet the daily requirements.


  • Without any source of UV exposure the ergosterol within the mushroom is not converted to Vitamin D2, so without any post harvest interference (given they are grown in the dark) mushrooms produce little to none Vitamin D2. Also, post exposure if not properly chilled or stored the Vitamin D2 currently does breakdown over time, and given that mushrooms are typically kept open-air in many supermarkets this could be further reducing the actual intake from the UV exposed mushrooms.


  • There has been research into using CRISPR technology to alter the genes of mushrooms already. I don’t yet understand enough in this area to make an in-depth plan, but being able to increase the ergosterol production in the most commercially relevant mushrooms (oyster, button, shiitake) in line with species such as Cordyceps militaris could be valuable in improving these as a nutritional source for vegetarians/vegans (and everyone else!). If there is also a way to improve the rate of conversion in the presence of UV light this could also be an interesting avenue to explore.


  • There appear to be several researchers investigating this area that we can reach out to for insights, particularly in Asia. This is a great opportunity for international collaboration and to learn from another culture’s expertise to help solve a Western diet issue of low Vitamin D intake.


  • Another related idea that is less explored is if ergosterol production could be increased during the production of tempeh - a relatively newly popular product here in the West which nutritionally already has many other benefits and is produced from fungi. Some studies already exist commenting on the ergosterol levels in tempeh. This is a particularly interesting avenue as tempeh is also already a great source of calcium for vegetarians but in order for calcium to be absorbed Vitamin D must be present. Despite ergosterol existing in tempeh, current products in stores here have no nutritionally relevant Vitamin D levels. If this could be changed as part of the production process alongside increase of ergosterol production during fermentation, it would be a two for one benefit.


  • This could fall under the Agriculture or Food & Nutrition Category (or even Climate) depending on where we think we’d be best positioned to shape our story and which stakeholders we end up with.


  • Other sources: Himalayan Mushrooms as a Natural Source of Ergosterol and Vitamin D2: A Review of Nutraceutical and Functional Food Perspectives, UV induced conversion during drying of ergosterol to vitamin D in various mushrooms: Effect of different drying conditions , Novel Post-Harvest Preservation Techniques for Edible Fungi: A Review , and The Nutritional Benefit of UV-Exposed Mushrooms for the Dutch Population: Modeling the Addition of UV-Exposed Mushrooms to the Diet.