Nutritionist Rebecca Gawthorne reveals why mushrooms should be in the sun for vitamin D content

A nutritionist has revealed why you should be putting your uncooked mushrooms in the sun for 15 to 120 minutes before eating them in order to enjoy maximum health benefits.

Rebecca Gawthorne, from Sydney, said mushrooms produce vitamin D when they are exposed to sunlight in the same way that our skin does.

Vitamin D plays an ‘important role’ in keeping our bones and muscles healthy, strengthening our immune system and simultaneously boosting our mood. 

By leaving just 100 grams of mushrooms in the sun for at least 15 minutes, you can boost your daily vitamin D levels by 100 per cent. 

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A nutritionist revealed why you should be putting uncooked mushrooms in the sun for 15 to 120 minutes before eating in order to enjoy health benefits (Rebecca Gawthorne pictured)

Rebecca Gawthorne, from Sydney, said mushrooms produce vitamin D when they are exposed to sunlight in the same way that our skin does (pictured in the sunshine)

‘Verified health hack. By placing your mushrooms (button, oyster, shiitake etc) in the midday sun for 15 to 120 minutes, they can generate significant amounts of vitamin D2,’ Rebecca posted on Instagram. 

‘In fact, mushrooms exposed to sunlight can produce the recommended amount, or close to the recommended amount, of vitamin D we need each day.’ 

Rebecca said that if you want to further boost the health benefits of your mushrooms, you can slice them or turn them upside down.

‘While there are many factors including the time of the day, weather, latitude, season and exposure time, that can influence the amount of vitamin B2 produced by mushrooms’ exposure to sunlight, they are a great way to boost your vitamin D intake,’ Rebecca said. 

She added that there are other vitamin D sources including fatty fish like salmon, herring and tuna, eggs, fortified milks and margarine. 

You should always consult your GP or health professional for a blood test if you’re worried about your overall levels of vitamin D, as you may need supplementation.

Vitamin D plays an ‘important role’ in keeping our bones and muscles healthy, strengthening our immune system and simultaneously boosting our mood, Rebecca (pictured) said

Hundreds who saw Rebecca’s simple trick online said they had never heard of the fact that mushrooms’ vitamin D content is boosted when they are put in the sunshine. 

‘This is a great tip – thanks so much for sharing!’ one commenter posted.

‘No way, that’s so cool,’ another added.   

Rebecca said that if you want to further boost the health benefits of your mushrooms, you can slice them or turn them upside down (pictured)

The reason why the trick works is because mushrooms con­tain a ‘pro-vitamin’ called ergosterol that is converted into vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radia­tion.

Berkeley Wellness reports that this is similar to how your skin synthesises the vitamin in response to sun exposure. 

If you like mushrooms, those that have been exposed to UV can help you get more vitamin D, but it can be easier to take a vitamin D supplement, if you need one.