What Is Ergothioneine? The Antioxidant Hiding in Your Mushrooms

You've probably never heard of ergothioneine. Your body has.

Ergothioneine is a rare, diet-derived antioxidant. Your body can't make it, so you have to eat it, and mushrooms are by far the richest food source. That's the short answer.

Here's the no-jargon version of why scientists keep circling back to it.

What is ergothioneine, exactly?

Your body can't make ergothioneine. Not a drop. You get all of it from food.

And here's the kicker. Your body built a special doorway just for it. A dedicated transporter, discovered back in 2005, whose only job is to pull ergothioneine in and stash it where you take the most wear, like your brain and skin.

Bodies don't build doorways for nothing. So this one probably matters.

Why mushrooms have the most ergothioneine, by a mile

Ergothioneine comes from fungi. That's why mushrooms are the richest food source going, way ahead of everything else. Gram for gram, they can carry dozens of times more ergothioneine than grains or vegetables.

Oyster mushrooms sit near the top, with king oyster, shiitake, maitake, and porcini. A few other foods carry a trace, like beans and oat bran. But mushrooms are the easy answer.

Is ergothioneine really a "longevity vitamin"?

You might see it called a "longevity vitamin." That tag isn't marketing. A Berkeley biochemist, Dr. Bruce Ames, floated the idea in 2018 for nutrients that aren't strictly essential day to day but may quietly protect you over a lifetime.

We tend to carry less of it as we get older. That's the gist.

What the research on ergothioneine actually says

Less than the headlines suggest. Most studies just spot a pattern: people who eat more mushrooms tend to do a little better on certain tests. That's a link, not proof.

The serious trials are still running, including work at the University of Reading on oyster mushrooms and aging. Worth watching. Not worth hyping.

Where oyster mushrooms (and our ground) come in

Our plant-based ground starts with oyster mushrooms. That's the main event, blended with pea protein, which brings the protein.

We think it's cool that our hero ingredient is one researchers are this into. But we won't dress it up. A pack of our ground is food, not a supplement. Real ingredients, built on a pretty great little fungus. That's the whole pitch.

Want more mushrooms in your week? Easy. Try a quick spaghetti bolognese or a smoky chorizo fried rice.

Ergothioneine FAQ

Is ergothioneine a vitamin?

Not officially. It's a nickname. Some scientists think it should count, since you can only get it from food, but it hasn't been classified as one.

What does ergothioneine do in the body?

It acts as an antioxidant, and your body goes out of its way to absorb it and concentrate it in hard-working tissues like the brain, liver, and skin. Scientists are still working out exactly what that means for long-term health.

Which mushrooms have the most ergothioneine?

Oyster mushrooms are near the top, along with king oyster, shiitake, maitake, and porcini. Plain button mushrooms have less.

Do I need an ergothioneine supplement?

Probably not. Mushrooms are the richest food source by far, and supplement research is still early. Just eat mushrooms.

Why can't my body make ergothioneine?

No one's totally sure. We never evolved to produce it, but we did evolve a way to grab and hold it from food. Telling, right?

Ergothioneine, the short version

Ergothioneine is a rare antioxidant you can only get from food, and mushrooms are the best source there is. Scientists are still working out exactly what it does. We'll let them.

Our ground just happens to start with one of the richest sources around. Want more mushrooms on your plate? Stock up with our Big Box, browse the recipes, or find us in a store near you. We're in 250+ stores across Canada.

Want the rest of our story? It's right here, with more on the blog.

Now you know.

Sources

• Beelman RB, et al. Is ergothioneine a 'longevity vitamin' limited in the American diet? Journal of Nutritional Science, 2020.
• Ames BN. Prolonging healthy aging: Longevity vitamins and proteins. PNAS, 2018.
• Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. Cognitive Vitality: Ergothioneine.
• University of Reading oyster mushroom trials (OYSACO and OYSCOG), ClinicalTrials.gov.