We often see vitamins advertised as super-supplements, or as extra additives in food and drink. “Take your vitamins!” people say, “To keep you healthy.” But what actually are vitamins? Is everything you’ve heard about them true? Did you for instance know that there is no evidence at all that vitamin C prevents common colds? But it is essential to prevent the development of scurvy. Let’s take a look into the world of vitamins, both old and new.
Vitamins are organic molecules that are essential to an organism’s survival, needed in small quantities for the organism to function properly at a cellular level. Vitamins are an essential nutrient group that can’t be synthesised in an organism itself in sufficient quantities and needs to be obtain through diet to keep the body healthy at a cellular level. This means that different species need different vitamins. For example, ascorbic acid is considered a classical vitamin in humans – we call it vitamin C – while dogs can synthesise it themselves. So, no need for ol’ Rufus to munch on citrus fruits!
History of vitamins
Francois Magendie, the pioneer of experimental physiology, laid the foundations of nutrition research in the early 19th century. It was at this point that people were starting to explore the nutritional value of food, figuring out what it was made of and what was required to remain healthy. By the late 19th century, the common belief was that there were four essential elements of nutrition: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals. However, these four alone did not seem enough to avoid serious nutritional deficiencies. Conditions like rickets, scurvy and beriberi were rampant, yet the link to diet had not yet been discovered. It was common belief that these conditions were diseases and infections that were contracted, probably because it was at this time that the germ theory of disease was established and people were learning that sickness was caused by microorganisms (not the devil or a curse).
Having confidently pursued the four-nutrition model, scientists were finding that animals (and people) were dying when supplied with seemingly the four key food constituents. Gradually, they began to consider that there was something else in food that was needed to both survive and to thrive.
The belief that there was more to food than four basic groups was indeed backed up by observations and experiments on animals - chickens that were fed rice that had been polished of its bran developed polyneuritis, the equivalent of human beriberi. Mice could live well on a diet of milk, but when fed on just the separate constituents believed to make up milk - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, water and salts - they deteriorated and died. Early theories sprang up that there must be additional components in food that are essential to survival. The unknown factors in milk were initially called accessory food factors, and then later the term “vitamine”, derived from “vital amines”, was proposed by Casimir Funk, the scientist that is today considered the godfather of vitamins
Lucky number 13! Or is it..?
When we learn about vitamins in school, we typically see the 13 vitamins with different letters - A, B, C, D, E, K, with a whole host of eight different B vitamins. These 13 fundamental vitamins were all discovered within a 35 year timespan. As molecular chemistry continues to improve, we are now starting to explore avenues of additional molecules that may provide essential functions in the body. Rather than subjecting and observing humans and animals to the severe consequences of poor diets, scientists can now use cell models to find out what happens if the cells are lacking a specific kind of molecule. This has led to the classification of a number of additional molecules as Vitamins in just the last two decades… While they don’t fall into the conventional category of ‘classical vitamins’ that directly counter a deficiency condition, they play an essential role in the well-being of humans.
Ergothioneine, the modern vitamin
One such recent classification is ergothioneine: an unusual sulphur-containing amino acid derived from histidine that is acquired predominantly through food, since mammals cannot synthesise it. A lack thereof is associated with adverse consequences in cell models in response to stress stimuli, which is what led to its classification as a vitamin in 2010.
A major source of ergothioneine is - you guessed it - mushrooms; in particular Lion’s mane and Oyster mushrooms. Although ergothioneine was discovered in 1909, and is present all the way throughout the food chain - the levels of Ergothioneine found in our food has decreased dramatically over the past century due to the rampant use of fungicides in farming. This is because, it turns out, Ergothioneine is actually produced by fungi in the first place! While it can be found in plants and animals, they have in fact originated from fungi. It was not possible to investigate the effect of its absence until the cell models progressed to a point where the compound could be specifically depleted.
Scientists have found that humans have evolved a highly selective transporter, catchily dubbed ‘SLC22A4’ in their cells, specifically for moving ergothioneine around and into cells. Let’s just take a pause on that for a moment - to have developed an evolutionary trait to help move this molecule around the body must mean it’s pretty critical. Recent studies also show that expression of this transporter is upregulated just before mealtimes, indicating that the body is anticipating an influx of ergothioneine - and is preparing to move it to where it needs to be: inside your cells. An important feature of ergothioneine is that it is thermostable, ie it doesn’t degrade or decompose during cooking (unlike various other organic compounds).
Stress, oxidation, and aging – the longevity vitamin is here to help!
Ergothioneine is referred to as the stress vitamin in the scientific community, because of its antistress properties; specifically its ability to protect cells that are subjected to chemical stress. If we flip that on its head we can think of it as the longevity vitamin, because it helps keep cells healthy for longer, which we will explore in a bit more detail.
Studies show that ergothioneine provides protection against oxidative stress. This makes it a potent antioxidant, and we’ve all heard at some point that antioxidants are good and healthy. But why?
First, we need to understand what oxidants are; another name is free radicals. These are byproducts of converting food to energy, and they are unstable molecules because they are missing an electron. To stabilise themselves, they scavenge for electrons from other molecules in our cells, which causes damage. Oxidation is actually considered one of the key factors in ageing. Antioxidants is a term for all the different molecules we get through our food that donate electrons to these free radicals, stabilising them and minimising oxidative stress in our cells. Ergothioneine accumulates in cells that are frequently exposed to oxidative stress, likely because it is transported there to counter the oxidation.
Recent research has also shown that ergothioneine has the capacity to absorb UV light, acting as a natural UV filter for your cells, preventing DNA damage. This is a particularly important function, as UV radiation can cause damage to your DNA that results in cancerous mutations. Ergothioneine is regularly added as an ingredient into skin care products and cosmetics due to its ability to suppress melanin synthesis and strengthen the skin barrier. In addition to blocking the UV radiation, ergothioneine was also found to actively repair DNA in UV damaged cells!
Brain boost and heartbeats
In addition to being a helpful antioxidant and cell protector, ergothioneine can cross the blood brain barrier, and has been reported to have beneficial effects in the brain. In fact, there is a higher concentration of ergothioneine transporters in the brain than anywhere else in the body, indicating that it is a key protector of the brain from oxidative stress. The presence of ergothioneine in the brain was observed as early as the 1960s, and it was initially believed to be a neurotransmitter! Its true role comes back to its antioxidant properties, which it also carries out in the brain in order to protect our neurons. This includes safeguarding against memory issues, such as those associated with dementia caused by beta-amyloid plaques. A study in mice showed a clear difference when the mice were pretreated with ergothioneine before being injected with beta-amyloid; those that weren’t treated developed learning and memory deficits.
Human levels of ergothioneine decline during ageing, dropping significantly beyond 60 years of age, and these levels also correlate with cognitive performance. Analysis of Parkinson’s patients showed a significant decline in ergothioneine levels compared to healthy subjects, and decrease in ergothioneine is also observed in patients with vascular dementia. Keeping levels topped up could therefore boost your brain: one study revealed that eating 1.5 servings of mushrooms per week was associated with halving the incidence of mild cognitive impairment, a precursor of Alzheimer’s dementia, and increasing the intake to 9 portions resulted in a five-fold effect! This is backed up by studies where mice are given oral supplements of ergothioneine which promoted memory, which was measured through their ability to learn and recognise new objects.
Heart disease is the leading global cause of death, responsible for a quarter of annual deaths in the UK annually. A study that analysed mortality and coronary artery disease identified ergothioneine as the metabolite that was most significantly tied to lower morbidity and mortality, directly associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
The future of longevity: embracing ergothioneine
As our understanding of nutritional science continues to evolve, ergothioneine stands out as a fascinating example of how we're still discovering essential compounds that support human health. From its potent antioxidant properties to its unique ability to protect our brain cells, this "longevity vitamin" offers promising benefits for healthy aging. The evidence connecting ergothioneine to reduced cognitive decline, heart disease prevention, and cellular protection makes a compelling case for including more mushroom-rich meals in our diets. While research is ongoing, the selective transporter our bodies have evolved specifically for this compound suggests nature has long recognised what science is just beginning to understand: ergothioneine may be a key player in our quest for healthier, longer lives.
Look out for our brand new bio-hacking bundle featuring both Lion’s mane and Oyster mushrooms in our shop — your cells and your future self might thank you for it.
Sources
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Borodina, I. et al. (2020) ‘The biology of ergothioneine, an antioxidant nutraceutical’, Nutrition Research Reviews, 33(2), pp. 190–217. doi:10.1017/s0954422419000301.
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