Edible mushrooms: The potential game changer in alleviating vitamin D deficiency and improving human health

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 D 2 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‐D 2 .

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