Australians should be heaping mushrooms onto their plates this winter to avoid becoming vitamin D deficient, growers say.
The Australian Mushroom Growers Association has commissioned its own research to prove what nutritionists have known for years - that mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D when people aren't getting enough from the sun.
The research, which has been vetted by Food Standards Australia New Zealand, shows one serve of mushrooms bought in a store can provide 20 per cent of an adult's daily vitamin D needs.
But if consumers purchase mushrooms that have been exposed to one to two seconds of UV light, a single serve can provide 100 per cent of an adult's daily vitamin D needs.
Vitamin D is present in very few foods, but it's important to maintain strong bones. It works by helping the body absorb calcium, and people who get too little risk developing soft, thin, and brittle bones.
Osteoporosis Australia says many Australians don't have adequate vitamin D levels, especially during winter.
Those most at risk of being deficient are people who work indoors, or work night shifts, the elderly and housebound, or people in residential care, naturally dark skinned people, and those who cover their bodies for cultural or religious reasons.
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