Only ¥9 per Day to Regain Vitality: How Ergothioneine, Long Overlooked by the Skincare Industry, Shines in Anti-Aging

Master of Life Sciences, Fudan University — "Listening to the echo of time plucked on the strings of DNA"

Beauty enthusiasts have probably heard of ergothioneine one way or another. It’s a common ingredient in skincare products from major brands like Clinique, La Mer, Obagi (C20/C10), and Proya. The favor it receives from these luxury brands speaks to its skin-protecting potential — but what’s surprising is that ergothioneine isn’t just for skincare; it can also extend lifespan. Beyond these two benefits, its power is far greater than you might imagine.

Today, we’ll dive into the past and present of ergothioneine, uncovering the treasure trove of biological functions hidden within this compound.

Ergothioneine gets its name because it is a sulfur-containing alkaloid isolated from ergot fungi (Claviceps purpurea).

Ergot fungi first entered human awareness due to the "Poisoned Bread Plague" in the Middle Ages: after eating contaminated bread, people suffered from hallucinations, convulsions, madness, limb pain, and a burning sensation in the body[1]. Later, researchers discovered the culprit: wheat used to make the bread was contaminated with a toxic parasitic fungus — ergot.

To identify the source of its toxicity, scientists studied ergot fungi. In 1909, Professor Tanret isolated ergothioneine during his research on ergot[2]. However, for a long time afterward, ergothioneine failed to attract academic attention. Instead, another completely different substance extracted from ergot around the same period stole the spotlight and shocked the world — the famous hallucinogen LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)[3].

The discovery of LSD sparked a subcultural wave in the 20th century. From psychedelic rock to the Hippie Movement that influenced an entire generation of Americans, LSD’s presence was everywhere[4]. After decades of indulgence and exploration, humans finally moved to ban LSD — yet it still circulates in the drug scene today. Since it is often adsorbed onto small printed paper sheets, it is commonly codenamed "stamps".

Behind the famous LSD, its "low-key counterpart" ergothioneine (a completely different compound from LSD) was quietly developing. As a histidine derivative containing sulfur, it was found to have a stable thiol-thione tautomer structure[5] and antioxidant properties[6].

Ergothioneine’s rise from obscurity to fame owed to two key factors: the discovery of its transporter protein OCTN1, and strong support from Professor Bruce Ames of the University of California.

In 2005, the OCTN1 transporter — which is expressed in nearly all tissues of the human body — was identified. Researchers found that when ergothioneine is ingested, the accumulation of ergothioneine in various human tissues is directly correlated with the expression level of OCTN1[7].

With the discovery of OCTN1, scientists observed how ergothioneine accumulates in different organs, leading to a surge in research on the compound.

In 2018, Professor Bruce Ames spotted ergothioneine — like unpolished jade — among numerous anti-aging substances and published a paper dubbing it a "longevity vitamin"[9]. This marked the start of ergothioneine’s "golden age": from 2018 to 2022, related research papers exploded in number, and ergothioneine quickly became a front-runner in anti-aging, beauty, and health supplements.

If ergothioneine were merely a stable antioxidant, it could never have risen to the top. So, what other magical effects does it possess?

Ergothioneine’s popularity is no accident: it built a foundation over more than a century, and its widespread, powerful biological functions truly live up to its title of "longevity vitamin".

Like most aging-related targets, ergothioneine levels in the human body decrease with age[10]. Significantly lower ergothioneine levels are also observed in patients with various age-related diseases[11]. If aging and age-related diseases are both associated with reduced ergothioneine, can supplementation reverse these effects?

A 2022 study was the first to explore ergothioneine’s impact on fruit fly lifespan. When fruit flies were fed a diet containing an appropriate amount of ergothioneine, their lifespan was extended — and their reproductive ability remained unaffected[12].

Another study the same year indirectly confirmed ergothioneine’s anti-aging and lifespan-extending effects: in cells treated with ergothioneine, telomere length was generally extended, and the proportion of cells with short telomeres decreased significantly[13]. Telomere shortening is a well-recognized marker of biological aging[14], and ergothioneine effectively reverses this process.

Additionally, in interventions involving the elderly, ergothioneine has shown therapeutic effects on age-related conditions such as:

Its anti-aging effects are broad and far-reaching.

Beyond benefiting anti-aging enthusiasts, ergothioneine offers health perks for people of all ages — some of which are already mature and widely applied.

The skincare brands that "favor" ergothioneine (mentioned at the start) are a testament to its skin-protective potential. Researchers have uncovered its mechanisms:

By protecting the skin from multiple angles, it delivers more effective results.

Studies have found that animal seminal plasma is rich in ergothioneine[20], which may affect sperm function in the testes and seminal vesicles. This was confirmed in a study on the infertility side effects of anticancer drugs: supplementing with ergothioneine increased sperm count and motility in rats while reducing sperm abnormalities[21].

Inspired by this, researchers began adding ergothioneine to sperm cryopreservation solutions — and found it improved the preservation effect of frozen sperm[22-23]. Recently, multiple Chinese provinces have been encouraging eligible healthy men to donate sperm. If you’re interested but worried about your "performance", perhaps ergothioneine supplementation is worth considering!

Beyond these two functions, ergothioneine has also been proven to:

Its applications are remarkably wide-ranging. Even in forensic science, ergothioneine can be used to determine the age of bloodstain donors and the time bloodstains were left at crime scenes[28].

Ergothioneine’s diverse effects are supported by underlying molecular mechanisms:

Many of ergothioneine’s mechanisms remain poorly understood, and research into its molecular biology is still advancing based on the above findings.

After learning about ergothioneine’s numerous benefits, you might be eager to try it — but wait! Before blindly taking supplements, you need to understand its safety and recommended dosage.

Ergothioneine is highly safe. A previous study showed that even doses as high as 2000mg/kg body weight caused no side effects in rats[33] (equivalent to approximately 286mg/kg body weight in humans). For food applications, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established safe dosage standards:

These recommended intakes are easily achievable, as ergothioneine is present in daily diets, supplements, and even breast milk.

Ergothioneine was first extracted from toxic ergot fungi, but it is also highly expressed in other fungi (though levels vary). The clear leaders are edible mushrooms; other foods contain small amounts, but far less than edible fungi[35].

Among the mushrooms with the highest ergothioneine content, the most accessible in daily life are porcini and shiitake mushrooms. For a 70kg adult, meeting the daily ergothioneine requirement requires:

Even based on prices from premium online grocery platforms, this costs only ¥9 per day!

Moreover, eating mushrooms provides more than just ergothioneine — they are rich in other bioactive substances, such as potassium, B vitamins, β-glucan, phenols, selenium, vitamin D2, and glutathione[36].

If you dislike the taste of mushrooms but still want to supplement ergothioneine, numerous supplement products are available.

Ergothioneine is accumulated in the human body through dietary intake — yet newborns who have never eaten any food are not deficient in it. This is a "gift" from mothers.

Studies have found that the ergothioneine transporter OCTN1 is expressed in the placenta and mammary glands, allowing ergothioneine to be passed from mother to child. There is a strong correlation between ergothioneine levels in the blood of human mothers and their children. Additionally, ergothioneine is present in breast milk, cow’s milk, and goat’s milk, providing sufficient supplementation for infants[37].

From a toxic mushroom byproduct to an anti-aging star, and from a skincare ingredient to a multi-purpose health booster, ergothioneine has gone from obscurity to stardom in over a century of research — becoming an unexpected dark horse in the anti-aging field.

In the world of anti-aging, every substance has the potential to "ride the waves and reach its moment of glory". Who knows? One day, an entirely unexpected substance might emerge as a breakthrough to solve humanity’s aging dilemma.

Upcoming Live Stream: On Wednesday, February 22, at 8:55 AM, we are honored to invite Professor Keith Baar (Neurobiology & Physiology, University of California, Davis; renowned tendon training researcher) to host a live stream sharing the secrets of muscle training for longevity. He will answer your "difficult questions" about muscles, exercise, and lifespan!

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