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# Vitamin D in mushrooms as good as vitamin D in fish
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/mushroom_vitamin_d_0423130708/
- Published: 2013-04-23T07:47:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:23:48.000Z
- Description: In a 12-week study of 30 healthy adults, serum 25(OH)D rose similarly whether people took 2,000 IU of vitamin D2, vitamin D3, or mushroom powder supplying vitamin D2, researchers reported at an American Society for Biochemistry and Microbiology meeting.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

By Jimmy Downs

Tuesday April 23, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Eating mushrooms is like taking vitamin D supplements, both effectively increasing and maintaining serum vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D), according to a new study presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Microbiology annual meeting in Boston on April 22.

Vitamin D is known for its crucial role in bone health and muscle strength and vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency can increase the risk of fracture, osteomalacia, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Also, vitamin D has been known for its protective effect against a variety of infections and diseases cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression and diabetes.

Mushrooms contain vitamin D2, which is different from the form of vitamin D3 found in fish and humans. Some doctors say vitamin D2 is inferior to vitamin D3 and eating mushrooms or taking vitamin d2 supplements is not as effective as taking vitamin D3.

For the current study, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) let 30 healthy adults take 2000 IU of vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 or mushroom powder with 2000 IU of vitamin D2 once a day for 12 weeks in Winter.

It was observed that the serum 25(OH)D concentrations in subjects of all the three groups gradually increased and then plateaued at seven weeks and were maintained for the rest of the study period. At the end of the 12-week supplementation, serum 25(OH)D concentrations among the three groups were not statistically significantly different.

Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, the principal investigator of the study was cited as saying "These results provide evidence that ingesting mushrooms which have been exposed to ultraviolet light and contain vitamin D2, are a good source of vitamin D that can improve the vitamin D status of healthy adults."

"Furthermore we found ingesting mushrooms containing vitamin D2 was as effective in raising and maintaining a healthy adult's vitamin D status as ingesting a supplement that contained either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3."

The current study also found mushrooms actually contain multiple forms of vitamin D including vitamin D3 found in humans.

Vegans and vegetarians can now take vitamin D2 supplements or simply eating mushrooms to maintain their serum vitamin D.