Within the Vitamin Information video above, Dr. Michael Greger evaluations the scientific literature exhibiting that ergothioneine, a sulfur-containing amino acid present in mushrooms, is an actual powerhouse with regards to selling longevity.
For instance, he cites a 2020 examine1 printed within the journal Coronary heart, which discovered that out of 112 measured plasma metabolites:
“Ergothioneine was the metabolite most importantly related to decrease morbidity and mortality, being related to a decrease threat of CAD [coronary artery disease], stroke, dying of all causes, and dying of cardiovascular causes.”
The authors concluded that “greater ergothioneine was an unbiased marker of decrease threat of cardiometabolic illness and mortality, which probably may be induced by a particular wholesome dietary consumption.”
Mushrooms that comprise ergothioneine embrace pine mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake, king boletes, porcinis, chanterelles, lion’s mane and Enokitake,2 simply to call a couple of.
Porcini, shiitake, oyster, maitake and king oyster usually comprise the best quantities. White button mushrooms additionally comprise it, however in far decrease quantities. Greger presents some comparative knowledge on these mushrooms in his video.
We Had been Made to Eat Mushrooms
As famous by Greger, ergothioneine was largely ignored till 2005, when scientists found that the majority human tissues have a extremely particular carnitine-based3 transporter for ergothioneine.4
This transporter is even chronobiologically upregulated earlier than mealtimes. These details strongly point out that mankind was designed to eat and reap particular advantages from mushrooms. However what are these advantages, precisely?
One of many mechanisms of motion that make ergothioneine so helpful for well being is its antioxidant properties,5,6 that are much like that of glutathione.7 As an antioxidant, it reduces mobile injury by gobbling up dangerous free radicals.
It has an additional edge over many different antioxidants, nevertheless, as a result of it accumulates in tissues and organs after ingestion,8 and will help stop oxidative injury in these tissues over an extended time frame.9
What’s extra, the tissues during which it tends to build up essentially the most are tissues that additionally are typically extra vulnerable to free radical injury, such because the lenses of your eyes and liver, in addition to tissues which can be extra delicate to break typically, comparable to bone marrow, seminal fluid and blood.
Mushrooms Might Shield Mitochondrial Well being
Remarkably, it could even accumulate in, and defend, your mitochondria,10 the tiny organelles inside your cells that produce mobile vitality within the type of ATP. As defined in a 2021 paper:11
“Early research recommended (however didn’t rigorously set up) that OCTN1 is discovered within the mitochondria, permitting ET [ergothionione] accumulation on this organelle. Certainly, ET might defend mitochondrial DNA from oxidative injury on account of hydrogen peroxide or UV publicity.
Since then, few research have investigated the intracellular localization of OCTN1 and ET. Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in a variety of issues and the therapeutic advantages of ET have been recommended to be mediated by way of safety of this organelle.
We just lately demonstrated that ET protects mitochondrial morphology in transgenic Drosophila fashions of PD [Parkinson’s disease] (unpublished knowledge). Definitive proof of ET uptake and accumulation within the mitochondria is required.”
Ergothioneine — A Longevity Vitamin?
Ergothioneine additionally has anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic12 and cytoprotectant13 properties. In brief, it protects your cells towards all types of harm. “Depletion of ETT (ergothioneine) results in augmented oxidative stress and cell dying,” one examine notes.14
As such, the authors recommended it’d symbolize a brand new vitamin. Nonetheless, as defined by Greger, nutritional vitamins are categorised as such “by the manifestation of overt dietary deficiency ailments,” and no such ailments have been recognized for ergothioneine. Or have they?
“Maybe deficiency ailments are staring us within the face,” Greger says. Low plasma ranges of ergothioneine have been linked to frailty, heart problems, gentle cognitive impairment, dementia and Parkinson’s illness,15,16 for instance, all of that are rampant.
Others have recommended ergothioneine is perhaps higher categorised as “longevity vitamin.”17 Whereas some nutritional vitamins might not be important for all times, “longevity nutritional vitamins” seem like essential for prolonged health- and life span, and ergothioneine matches that invoice.
Well being Advantages of Ergothioneine
Whereas analysis into the well being advantages of ergothioneine remains to be in its infancy, ergothioneine has been proven to:
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Help wholesome mind perform, cognition18 and temper19 — As famous within the evaluate paper “Ergothioneine within the Mind”:20
Consuming two or extra parts of mushrooms per week has been proven to scale back your threat of gentle cognitive impairment by greater than half, in comparison with one portion every week or much less.21 One other examine discovered individuals who consumed mushrooms 3 times every week or extra had a considerably decrease threat of creating dementia, over a interval of six years, in comparison with those that solely ate mushrooms as soon as every week or much less.22 A 3rd examine discovered seniors with early-stage Alzheimer’s illness who consumed one-third to a full teaspoon of powdered lion’s mane mushroom per day for a number of months noticed gentle however measurable enchancment of their cognitive perform and Actions of Each day Residing scores, in comparison with placebo.23 As famous within the 2022 evaluate paper, “Decline of Ergothioneine in Frailty and Cognition Impairment”:24
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Bolster the immune response, thereby decreasing your threat of infections.25 |
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Shield cardiovascular well being by decreasing oxidative stress, irritation and lipid peroxidation.26 |
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Enhance atherosclerosis.27 |
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Shield pores and skin and mitochondrial DNA from UV-related injury.28 |
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Promote eye well being and defend towards age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and imaginative and prescient loss by neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress within the retina.29 |
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Shield and keep the well being of your central nervous system by selling neuronal stem cell differentiation.30 |
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Shield fertility in males when taken two weeks earlier than administration of the anticancer drug cisplatin, which is thought to trigger testicular injury leading to infertility.31 |
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Gradual or stop fibrosis by modulating ranges of inflammatory cytokines and mitigating oxidative injury in tissues.32 |
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Decrease your threat of most cancers, particularly breast most cancers.33 |
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Decrease all-cause mortality.34 |
A Cup of Mushrooms a Day Might Preserve the Physician Away
A 2019 examine35 printed in Vitamin In the present day, which in contrast ergothioneine intakes between varied international locations, discovered the bottom estimated every day consumption within the U.S., at 1.1 milligrams per day, and the best in Italy, at 4.6 mg per day. A main issue on this consequence was believed to be Italians’ choice for ergo-rich porcini mushrooms.
Nonetheless, even simply including white button mushrooms to your every day weight loss program, which has among the many lowest quantities of ergothioneine, can greater than double your blood degree.
A retrospective examine36 in Plant Meals for Human Vitamin, which checked out how every day mushroom consumption would possibly have an effect on Sort 2 diabetes threat components, discovered that consuming 1 cup of white button mushrooms a day raised ergothioneine concentrations from a imply of 317 nanograms per milliliter at baseline to 677 ng/mL on the finish of 16 weeks. Members with metabolic syndrome additionally skilled important:
“… will increase within the antioxidant marker ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capability) and anti inflammatory hormone, adiponectin and important decreases in serum oxidative stress inducing components, carboxymethyllysine (CML) and methylglyoxal (MG).”
A Promising Therapeutic for Longer, More healthy Life Span
In closing, take into account the next ultimate ideas offered within the paper “Ergothioneine, Current Developments”:37
“The distinctive chemistry of ET [ergothioneine] offers rise to its excessive stability and skill to build up within the physique, enabling a variety of cytoprotective and illness mitigating properties.
Whereas associations have been made between low blood ranges of ET and varied human issues, there’s a lot nonetheless unknown. Nonetheless, the uptake within the fetus and toddler, the close to, if not totally, ubiquitous presence in tissues and the avid retention by the physique are robust proof that ET performs a crucial function in human growth and well being.
Quite a few animal research have additionally demonstrated its advantages, whereas stopping uptake by way of silencing OCTN1 seems to worsen pathology in these illness fashions.
It stays to be seen whether or not supplementation in people, particularly the aged or the subset of people with decrease blood ranges of ET (on account of polymorphic variants of the transporter or weight loss program), might cut back the chance of age-related and different ailments, or act as a therapeutic by slowing or halting illness development.
The protection profile of ET and regulatory approvals facilitate such research. With the speedy surge in curiosity, it’s undoubtedly thrilling occasions for this distinctive … compound.”