Vitamin D deficiency treated by consuming UVB-irradiated mushrooms

Vitamin D deficiency treated by consuming UVB-irradiated mushrooms.

Vitamin D deficiency treated by consuming UVB-irradiated mushrooms

Andrew Ozzard, DCH, MRCPCH, GP Registrar and Gurdip Hear, BSc, DCH, DRCOG, DFFP, MRCGP, GP Trainer

Crosby House Surgery, Slough
Gavin Morrison, MBBS, FY1

Leighton Hospital, Crewe, Cheshire
Mike Hoskin, DRCOG, MRCGP, GP Trainer

Abstract

Deficiency of vitamin D is usually caused by dietary deficiency and/or lack of exposure to sunlight in dark skinned individuals living at northern latitudes. Simple vitamin D deficiency is commonly treated by prescribing a vitamin D containing calcium supplement. This report presents a patient who rejected this approach and instead, after researching alternative treatment options independently, opted to self-treat by consuming UVB-irradiated mushrooms. The beneficial effect of this on the patient’s plasma biochemical markers is shown. Further research into the beneficial effect of consuming UVB-irradiated mushrooms is required.

Keywords: food irradiation, vitamin D, vitamin D deficiency