WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—Guzen Development introduced its vegan High Vitamin D Mushroom Powder, an organic, whole-food supplement ingredient that provides a pure vegetable source of vitamin D2.
High Vitamin D Mushroom Powder is standardized to 5000 IU/g of vitamin D2. It contains no carriers, the 80 mesh powder is 100-percent mushroom powder; it is not an extract.
Currently, the most common form of Vitamin D on the market is vitamin D3; a derivative sheep's wool (lanolin), the form is not suitable for vegan diets. Alternatives are edible fungi such as the white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), which are naturally high in vitamin D.
According to Vincent Hackel, president and CEO of Guzen Development, vitamin D2 has shown to be as effective as D3 in maintaining circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
High Vitamin D Mushroom Powder also provides riboflavin, niacin, copper, beta-glucans and chitin-glucan. The supplement is also a source of the antioxidant ergothioneine, which has been shown to protect against damaging UV rays, protect mitochondria from degradation, help conserve circulating levels of other antioxidants, and scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS).
The supplement may be processed into traditional tablets, capsules and powders; it may also be viable in food products such as soups, sauces and mushroom chips.
High Vitamin D Mushroom Powder is available in either 1 kg or 15 kg pack sizes.
Traditionally, vitamin D has played a role in bone and joint, heart and immune health. However, new testing aims to determine other possible uses and benefits. In January 2012, an article published in Analytical Chemistry reported a new serum vitamin D standard would help to increase the quality and accuracy of lab tests.