L-Ergothioneine: The Longevity Vitamin

Do you pick out the mushrooms from any dish they happen to sneak their way into or do you add them to as many things as you can?

If you’re in the former group, you might want to rethink your strategy around mushrooms. After all, Super Mario did get super-sized by eating mushrooms.

The reason they are so great?

L-Ergothioneine – a super antioxidant that has been shown to significantly outperform Vitamin C, CoQ10 and Glutathione – is currently being researched as a new vitamin. There is only one other ingredient that has been considered for this status and that is PQQ. What makes L-Ergothioneine so different is that it has a unique storage system and a unique transporter system specifically for this ingredient in your body.

What is L-Ergothioneine?

A rare amino acid antioxidant that is primarily found in mushrooms. L-Ergothioneine is considered a unique and potent antioxidant because it is very stable – meaning that once it does its job of scavenging reactive oxygen species (called ROS; molecules that have been oxidized and cause damage to our cells), it is quickly regenerated back into its original form to act again. This ingredient cannot be produced by humans therefore must be consumed from food like fungi (mushrooms) or as a supplement. The only other ingredient that acts that way is iron, and iron is CRITICAL to life.

Facts about L-Ergothioneine

L-Ergothioneine can be stored in our body for about one month and it seems to accumulate mostly in tissues that are more susceptible to oxidation, i.e. tissues that need more antioxidants to keep them healthy like the liver, red blood cells, kidneys and eyes. It’s almost as if this molecule is the perfect bodyguard, protecting us from as much harm as possible. Its ability to protect our cells is the reason it has been dubbed the ‘longevity vitamin’ by Dr. Bruce Ames, the anti-aging researcher.

It also has the ability to bind to metals in the body. The accumulation of certain metals in our tissues can cause moderate to severe health issues because they bond to proteins or carbohydrates in our cells to produce ROS. L-Ergothioneine can bind to these metals, preventing ROS from being made and damaging our cells.

L-Ergothioneine is seen in very high amounts in the mitochondria (the energy powerhouses of our cells). It protects them by fighting off ROS that is produced there. Briefly, when we break down food into energy in our mitochondria, we produce ROS as byproducts. These can accumulate and make our mitochondria weak and inefficient at producing energy. But, L-Ergothioneine scavenges these damaging ROS, protecting the DNA and proteins that are so vital to our cellular functions. Mitochondrial health is tightly linked to longevity and healthspan so having adequate levels to protect your mitochondria is essential.

Top Benefits

• Healthy cytokine expression and signaling
• Upregulates toll-like receptor (TLR)
• Superior antioxidant
• Increases cellular energy
• Helps “rev up” the mitochondria 
• Promotes recovery from exercise
• Protects cells against toxins, free radicals and harmful substances

Conclusion

L-ergothioneine is a highly stable, powerful antioxidant. To incorporate more into your diet, check out “The Wonderful World of Mushrooms Guide” for information on types of mushrooms and their benefits. For supplementation, look for the natural (non-synthetic) vegan form by NNB Nutrition as the ingredient MitoPrime^®.

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