Vitamin D has been getting a lot of attention during the pandemic. Some people are spruiking vitamin D supplements as a viable treatment or prophylactic for COVID-19 but the truth is, there is currently not enough good-quality evidence to support these claims.
We do know that vitamin D plays a vital role in immune function, and around one-quarter of Australians are vitamin D deficient. If you have been diagnosed with a deficiency, you should have a chat with a registered nutritionist or dietician.
For the rest of us, we should be getting our daily dose of vitamin D through sunlight exposure and a healthy diet.
In winter, Melbournians need around 3 hours of direct sunlight exposure to their skin throughout the week. You don't have to take your shirt off in the middle of winter, exposing your arms or legs should suffice.
Mushrooms are a good source too. Like humans, mushrooms produce their own vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. So if you are trying to increase your vitamin intake, sit your mushrooms in direct sunlight for 15 minutes before cooking them. This will increase their vitamin D content by around 700%.
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