Mushroom is a very familiar ingredient in daily cooking. The market popularity has continued to heat up in the past two years, especially medicinal mushroom, which is rapidly rising in the European and American markets. From natural health, to meat substitutes, to environmental sustainability, mushroom is starting to fit into mainstream food consumption trends.
Vitamin D from mushroom
Vitamin D is one of the few vitamins produced by the human body under the influence of sunlight on the skin, so it is also called the sunshine vitamin. When the intensity of the sun diminishes, or the body is exposed to too little sunlight, the body cannot produce enough vitamin D, which can affect related health conditions.
Mushroom is known to be high in fiber, contain little fat, sugar or salt, and their health benefits have been widely studied. When exposed to UV rays or sunlight, mushroom is able to increase levels of vitamin D, thanks to the presence of a specific compound called ergosterol. Ergosterol is converted to vitamin D when exposed to UV radiation, similar to how human skin synthesizes vitamins when exposed to sunlight.
Mushroom powder—new chapter in nutrition
As consumers' concepts of healthy consumption continue to upgrade, sustainability, health, functional foods and convenience are all mainstream global health trends. Based on the health properties of mushroom, mushroom powder has become another popular health raw material in the European and American markets after turmeric, CBD, and ashwagandha.
In terms of specific product applications, mushroom can be used in food, beverages, nutritional and health foods, functional foods, snacks, coffee, cosmetics, etc., covering multiple industry chain roles in the industry.