We hypothesize that consuming vitamin D-enriched mushrooms daily for 12 weeks will prevent decreases in serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D2 concentrations. Secondarily, we hypothesize consuming vitamin D-enriched mushrooms daily for 12 weeks will improve clinical indicators of inflammatory status and alter/enhance immune status and immune cell function. This short-term randomized, controlled trial will provide important data to inform the plausibility, focus, and design of longer-term intervention trials, consistent with The Mushroom Council's research agenda regarding health-promoting effects of vitamin D-enriched mushrooms.
We propose to assess the effects of including vitamin D-enriched mushrooms as part of participants' usual eating pattern primarily on 25(OH) vitamin D2 status and secondarily on immune function and inflammatory status.