This is what happens when you leave a pack of mushrooms in the sun, according to science.

As strange as the question "what happens when you leave mushrooms in the sun before cooking them ?" may seem, it has a very interesting scientific explanation. According to Spanish nutrition expert Dr. Álvaro Carmona (@sdesiensia), buying some mushrooms and leaving them exposed to the sun for a few minutes has a series of health benefits we would never have imagined.

Specifically, the expert talks about vitamin D. It seems that, as confirmed by several scientific studies, when these types of foods are exposed to the sun, they immediately absorb a large amount of vitamin D , making sun-dried mushrooms a particularly interesting product from a nutritional perspective and for bone and immune health. They may also help prevent certain types of cancer.

What is vitamin D and how does it work in our bodies?

The vitamin D that mushrooms replenish when we leave them in the sun for a few minutes is a fat-soluble nutrient essential for bone health, the immune system, and muscle and nerve function . Therefore, it's a component we obtain through our diet and is essential for life. It's also absorbed through the skin (in the sun).

Foods such as fatty fish, eggs (especially the yolk), liver , and fortified dairy products, as well as supplements formulated for this purpose, are important sources of vitamin D, which is synthesized in the body primarily through sunlight. On the other hand, a deficiency in this essential vitamin can worsen bone health and lead to osteoporosis , as well as muscle problems.

Thus, vitamin D is essential because it helps the body absorb calcium, and the amount needed depends on age . Older adults often need extra support, just as people with Crohn's disease or celiac disease do .

Mushrooms in the sun: an extra dose of vitamin D according to Dr. Carmona

Now that we understand the fundamental role vitamin D plays in the body, Dr. Álvaro Carmona shares how we can replenish our stores simply and effectively . If vitamin D is absorbed through certain foods that contain it , its presence will increase significantly in mushrooms exposed to the sun.

And this simple, natural, protein-rich, plant-based food, with hardly any calories, rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins B and D, and minerals, works like a battery capable of charging itself with the effects of the sun: "When you put mushrooms in the sun for about twenty minutes, they become small vitamin D2 factories because the ultraviolet rays transform the ergosterol in the mushrooms into vitamin D2. So basically you give them a mini sunbath and eat them loaded with vitamin," he explains.

Thanks to this natural phenomenon, when regular sunbathing isn't possible because we're entering the months when the sun is less present, the vitamin D2 provided by mushrooms (different from the vitamin D3 provided by fish and eggs ) is equally beneficial for our health. It's as simple as placing a packet of mushrooms on the windowsill for no more than twenty minutes, then cooking them to replenish our vitamin D stores and strengthen our immune system.