Ergothioneine powder (EGT) was first discovered in 1909 by French pharmacist Charles Tanret. There are two isomers, L and D, in nature. They usually exist in the form of L-EGT, and the D form has low activity. As a longevity vitamin, ergothioneine is as important as taurine in the field of anti-aging.
What does ergothioneine do ?
1. Regular mushroom consumption may benefit cognitive function during aging.
A research team from the University of Reading in the UK published a study in the journal Nutrients:
Consuming more than 12g of fresh mushrooms per day is associated with a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment. Includes episodic memory, prospective memory, reading ability, executive function and processing speed.
2. In 2023, researchers from the University at Buffalo and other institutions in the United States published an important paper in the internationally renowned academic journal "Science". The study found that chitin, which is rich in mushrooms, can have a significant impact on the immune system. This positive immune response helps reduce weight gain, reduce body fat content, and increase resistance to obesity. Therefore, long-term consumption of mushrooms has a certain effect on preventing and improving obesity.
3. Muscle mitochondria are rich in the metabolite ergothioneine to cope with endurance exercise training. Supplementation with ergothioneine improves acute aerobic exercise capacity, and ergothioneine enhances cartilage respiration in mammalian cells by activating MPST. Dietary intake of ergosulfide enhances endurance exercise training performance.
What is ergothioneine in skin care ?
Ergothioneine capsules developed by a health care brand use ergothioneine as its main raw material, and also add rose hips and amla. It claims to have the effects of rejuvenating cells, anti-aging, and tightening skin. Scientific research shows that the anti-aging function of EGT is mainly reflected in three major aspects: anti-oxidation, anti-photoaging and protection of mitochondria, namely, protection from ultraviolet damage, scavenging free radicals, and anti-wrinkle.
Ergothioneine for hair
Ergothioneine can directly transport a large amount of nutrients into damaged cells, neutralize free radicals generated by oxidative stress, repair damaged cells, help cell regeneration, maintain cell health, and promote cell growth.
When the cells responsible for hair growth in the hair follicles are damaged, the natural antioxidant ergothioneine can repair damaged, dry hair and promote hair growth.
The cosmetics industry is one of the most widely used fields for EGT. The United States and Europe are the largest markets for the use of EGT. As an antioxidant, it is used in various famous cosmetics. The European Union (EU) has approved L-EGT powder as a new food ingredient that can be used in dietary supplements.
Reference
[1]. Paul, B.D.; Snyder, S.H. The unusual amino acid L-ergothioneine is a physiologic cytoprotectant[J]. Cell Death Differ. 2010, 17, 1134–1140.
[2]. Ames B N. Prolonging healthy aging: Longevity vitamins and proteins[J]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2018, 115(43): 10836-10844.
[3]. The natural antioxidant L-ergothioneine and its receptor/transporter OCTN-1 participate in the skin's response to UVA-induced oxidative damage[J].Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.2008,Vol.58(No.2Suppl2):AB111.
