Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases in low-income countries, with approximately 1.6 million people dying of the disease each year. In a new study, researchers show that sun-exposed oyster mushrooms offer a readily available source of vitamin D that can help TB patients respond better to anti-TB drugs by improving immune response. "TB is becoming more difficult to fight due to the emergence of drug-resistant strains, creating an urgent need for new treatments that can support first-line drugs," said TibebeSelassie Seyoum Keflie, a doctoral fellow at University of Hohenheim, in Stuttgart, Germany. "This source of vitamin D is ideal for low-income countries because mushrooms can easily be distributed and administered in a safe, low-cost, easy-to-replicate manner." Keflie, who performed the research with Hans Konrad Biesalski, PhD, at the University of Hohenheim, will present the research at Nutrition 2019 (https://meeting.nutrition.org/), the American Society for Nutrition annual meeting, held June 8-11, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. The title of the abstract (OR15-04-19) is “Vitamin D2 as Adjunctive Therapy of Tuberculosis” (https://www.eventscribe.com/2019/ASN/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=544946). Studies have shown that vitamin D induces the body to form an antimicrobial compound that attacks the bacterial cause of TB. Although sun exposure can boost a person's vitamin D levels, it must be obtained through diet when sun exposure is scarce. The researchers used oyster mushrooms because they offer a cheap, safe, and readily available source of vitamin D that is easily absorbed by the body. Although fresh oyster mushrooms contain almost no vitamin D, the fungus produces it the after exposure to sunlight much like the human body.Login Or Register To Read Full Story