Edible mushrooms: The potential game changer in alleviating vitamin D deficiency and improving human health
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Date
2021-10-20T00:00:00
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Publisher
John Wiley and Sons Inc
Abstract
The present review attempts to critically examine and evaluate research findings on mushrooms as sources of vitamin D and other nutraceuticals. Recently, there is a growing concern about diseases associated with the deficiency of vitamin D in humans. As people tend to stay indoors, in present times, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vitamin D levels are further affected. Research indicates vitamin D as a promising defensive or therapeutic agent against COVID, making this review more crucial. Mushrooms, as a rich source of vitamin D along with various bioactive compounds, perform a significant role in resolving health issues. Robust analyses of various strategies for enhancing vitamin D content in mushrooms holds significance in this study; moreover, this will help stakeholders of the mushroom industry in enriching the overall mushroom quality and human health. Mushroom-based medicinal formulations and functional foods serve to deliver vitamins and nutrients to humans, thus helping to combat malnutrition and other health problems, especially in developing countries. Evidence from pre-clinical and clinical analyses suggests that vitamin D2 bioavailability in mushrooms is comparable with vitamin D from other sources. The review also emphasises molecular findings from mushrooms related to genes responsible for morphology and metabolic production of pro-vitamin-D2. � 2021 Institute of Food Science and Technology
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Keywords
bioavailability, fortification, mushrooms, provitamin-D<sub>2</sub>(ergosterol), sunlight, UV-Irradiation, vegans, vitamin D<sub>2</sub>(ergocalciferol)