> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Mushrooms contain vitamin d2, but not all mushrooms are the same
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/mushrooms_contain_vitamin_d2_0729110825/
- Published: 2011-07-29T21:24:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:44:04.000Z
- Description: A Virginia Tech analysis found vitamin D2 varies widely by mushroom: 0.1-0.3 micrograms per 100 g in white button, crimini, portabella and enoki; 0.4-0.7 in shiitake and oyster; 5.2-28.1 in morel, chanterelle and maitake; and 3.4-20.9 in UV-treated portabella.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, Vitamin D, Mushroom, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, Ph.D.

Friday July 29, 2011 (foodconsumer.org) -- Katherine M. Phillips of Virginia Tech and colleagues tested a variety of mushrooms to determine the amount of vitamin d2 or ergocalciferol in these foods collected nationwide.

They found the following:

Agaricus bisporus including white button, crimini, and portabella, and enoki contain 0.1–0.3 μg of vitamin d2 per 100 g;

Shiitake and oyster contain 0.4–0.7 μg of vitamin d2 per 100 g;

Morel, chanterelle and maitake contain 5.2–28.1 μg of vitamin d2 per 100 g;

UV-treated portabella contains 3.4–20.9 μg of vitamin d2 per 100 g;

The study was published recently online in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Vitamin d2 is easier than vitamin d3 to be metabolized and it remains in the body for a shorter time. Studies cited in news media show vitamin d2 can be digested in a matter of 7 to 10 days. It takes a longer time for the body to metabolize vitamin d3\. That suggests that vitamin d2 may be safer than vitamin d3\. But vitamin d3 is already very safe to use. The upper tolerance is 10,000 IU per day.

Vitamin d rich foods are only a few including cod liver fish oil, herring, catfish, oyster, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, steel-head trout, halibut, sardine. mackerel, raw mixed shrimps, and light tuna fish. Mushroom has a different type of vitamin d, - d2.

Vitamin D expert Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University conducted a study and found vitamin d2 can be as effective as vitamin d3.

Vitamin D expert DR. John Cannell says on the website of his organization Vitamin D Council that one needs about 5000 IU of vitamin D each day to maintain optimal health and protect against diseases.

The Institute of Medicine recommends a much lower daily dosage of vitamin D, which has drawn criticism from vitamin D experts. According to Dr. Cannell, comments on recommendations of vitamin D from 14 vitamin D experts have never been released while the panelists, of whom few are veteran vitamin D researchers, decided that people aged 1 to 70 years should use same dosage - 600 IU of vitamin D daily. Dr. Cannell says it does not make sense to recommend both babies and older people use the same dosage.

Canadian Cancer Society has already recommended that daily intake of vitamin D should be 1000 IU.

Vitamin D deficiency is linked with more than 100 health conditions including cancer, heart disease and diabetes among other western diseases. 

It is unknown how cooking would destroy vitamin d2\. Mushrooms are often cooked and eaten in Asia while in some regions or countries, raw mushrooms are used.

Because vitamin D is not commonly present in foods, vitamin D is added to some foods including milk, orange juice, and cereals. But the amount used for such fortification is quite limited. Some estimated that one needs to drink 20 glasses of milk to have sufficient amounts of vitamin D.

Vitamin D in the form of supplements is readily available. Food consumers may consider using vitamin D drops to have enough daily vitamin D. The amounts of vitamin D in multivitamins are not enough, Dr. Cannell say.

One another thing food consumers need to know is that to optimize the uptake of vitamin d, a number of co-factors are needed including magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin A, zinc, and boron.

Magnesium, vitamin K and vitamin A are rich in green leafy vegetables. Zinc is found rich in seafood like oysters and clams. Boron rich foods include almond, apricots, avocado, banana, red kidney beans, Brazil nuts, Hazel nuts, peanut butter, raisins, and walnuts.