Mushroom a new vitamin D power food

Vitamin D is hard to come by through food alone. Bethany just briefed us on this issue, telling us how difficult it is for kids to get D in their diets. Adults need it too -- and right now, your best sources are salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, egg yolk, and D-fortified foods, like milk and some cereals. Not a lot of options. Be patient, though, and you'll soon be able to add a new food to this short list: The mushroom.

Mushrooms contain a compound a called ergosterol that gets converted to vitamin D when exposed to UVB light. Problem: Mushrooms typically grow in the dark. Solution: In order to cultivate the D, you've got to force the shrooms into the sun -- think tanning beds for mushrooms -- which is just what some folks are doing. Yep, a new technology is exposing mushrooms to high-intensity artificial UV rays, and it's packing quite a punch -- one three-ounce serving of this D-dosed food contains 100 percent of the recommended intake of vitamin D.

Be on the lookout for products by Sun Bella and Dole. They're the first to harness the power of the mighty mushroom.