Three or four button mushrooms are able to make enough vitamin D for the average person's estimated daily needs, a new Australian study has found.
But like humans, button mushrooms need exposure to sun to get the vitamin D boost, said Rebecca Mason, head of physiology at Sydney Medical School.
The study found that placing the mushrooms a couple of extra hours in the shade will allow time for the full chemical reaction, Mason was quoted as saying by AAP news agency.
This step doesn't affect the mushroom or the taste either, she said.
Vitamin D plays an essential role in bone health, but many people have vitamin D deficiencies, especially during winter.
Scientists do not fully understand why mushrooms can make so much vitamin D, but the idea is backed by good evidence, said Mason.
Three or four button mushrooms provide about 10 micrograms of vitamin D - the estimated daily need for the average adult.
Mason said this amount is enough for active people, while people who are housebound or unwell could up their dose of button mushrooms to increase their levels of vitamin D.
