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Shiitake mushrooms are now being upgraded to superfood status thanks to a new protocol for drying the mushrooms that enriches them with natural vitamin D.
The health benefits of shiitake mushrooms are many and well known. They strengthen the immune system, inhibit the development of tumors, viruses and bacteria, and reduce high blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.
During the drying process the mushrooms are exposed to direct sunlight, thus generating large amounts of vitamin D. Mushrooms are the only “plant” that can produce this vitamin after being exposed to the sun naturally, without adding it artificially.
In addition to the contribution of vitamin D to many essential functions in our bodies, recent studies have proven that it helps us in fighting the coronavirus. People with a vitamin D deficiency get the disease more often than those who are not deficient, and experience more severe symptoms. Although vitamin D is formed in our bodies after being exposed to the sun, a third of Israelis suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, particularly in the winter.
Our new dried mushrooms contain 6 times more vitamin D than mushrooms that have not been exposed to the sun. A 25-gram package of sun-dried shiitake mushrooms provides 43% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D.
Another advantage of the dried mushrooms is their availability and long shelf life, and they also maintain their nutritional values and health benefits in the drying process. Dried mushrooms need to be reconstituted by a short immersion in hot water, after which their shape and texture change and are suitable for many cooked dishes.
The new shiitake mushrooms are a tasty way to consume vitamin D and help protect the body against the coronavirus and its symptoms, in addition to other health benefits provided by the vitamin.
See the Health Ministry’s recommendations on consuming vitamin D to help fight the coronavirus.
