Tim Spector says leave this food on the windowsill to boost its health benefits

A food expert is urging people to leave a certain food out on the windowsill before eating in order to get all of their health benefits. According to Professor Tim Spector, the founder of Zoe Health, mushrooms are a "great" source of vitamin D.

This means they can help support the immune system, promote healthy bones and muscles, and potentially even lower the risk of dementia, according to research. But to get the most vitamin D out of your mushrooms, Tim advised letting them soak up some sun.

Part of this reason is because mushrooms actually share more DNA with humans than plants. In a video uploaded to his Instagram, Tim explained: "They're a great source of vitamin D and mushrooms are more human than plant.

"That's why, like us, they can synthesise vitamin D through sunshine and produce it in their skin. So when you go to the supermarket, look out for those that have been sunbathing and have a vitamin D sign on them.

"Or get your own and just leave them on the windowsill for a short while and they'll produce vitamin D for you." Tim added that mushrooms are packed with protein.

"They are a really good source of protein and have more protein than most of the other vegetables you'll be eating and they contain all the essential amino acids you need," he said.

On top of this, he referenced a number of scientific studies linking mushroom consumption to a lower risk for dementia and improved recovery for cancer patients.

One such study was published in the in 2017.

This followed 13,000 elderly subjects for nearly six years and found regular mushroom eaters who ate three or more portions a week had their chance of developing dementia reduced by a fifth.

The study authors concluded: "This cohort study suggests that frequent mushroom consumption is significantly associated with a lower risk of incident dementia, even after adjustment for possible confounding factors."

And research, published in journal, found that mushrooms showed "promising" anti-cancer benefits.

Tim added: "Emerging research around the use of reishi mushrooms to support people undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, especially immunotherapy, have promising results. While we await further data, reishi mushrooms could be considered a useful addition to chemotherapy."

If you're not a fan of mushrooms, other good sources of vitamin D include:

• Sunlight
• Vitamin D supplements
• Oily fish - such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
• Red meat
• Liver (avoid liver if you are pregnant)
• Egg yolks
• Fortified foods - such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals.