Mushrooms & Your Health: Ergothioneine Benefits?
Quick Summary: This study found that eating mushrooms gives your body ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant. It also showed a possible benefit for your heart health by slightly lowering triglycerides after a meal.
What is Ergothioneine?
Ergothioneine (ET) is a special antioxidant found in mushrooms. Antioxidants help protect your cells from damage. This study looked at how well our bodies absorb ET from mushrooms.
What The Research Found
- ET Absorption: The study showed that your body does absorb ET when you eat mushrooms.
- Triglycerides: Eating mushrooms seemed to slightly lower the rise in triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood) after a meal. High triglycerides can be a risk factor for heart problems.
- Antioxidant Levels: Surprisingly, the study found that overall antioxidant levels in the blood decreased after eating mushrooms. This might be because of how ET interacts with other things in the mushrooms.
Study Details
- Who was studied: 10 healthy men.
- How long: The study looked at the effects for about 6 hours after eating.
- What they took: The men ate a meal with either:
- No mushroom powder (control)
- 8 grams of mushroom powder
- 16 grams of mushroom powder
What This Means For You
- Eat Your Mushrooms! This study suggests that eating mushrooms can boost your ET levels.
- Heart Health: The possible triglyceride benefit is promising, but more research is needed.
- Don't Overlook Other Nutrients: Mushrooms are packed with other nutrients, so they are a healthy food choice overall.
Study Limitations
- Small Study: Only 10 men were in the study, so the results might not apply to everyone.
- Short-Term: The study only looked at the effects for a few hours. We don't know the long-term effects.
- More Research Needed: The study didn't measure the exact amount of ET in the mushrooms. More research is needed to confirm the benefits.
- Not for Women: The study only included men, so the results may not apply to women.
- Antioxidant Mystery: The decrease in overall antioxidant levels is a bit of a puzzle, and more research is needed to understand why.
Technical Analysis Details
Key Findings
The study demonstrated that ergothioneine (ET) from Agaricus bisporus mushrooms is bioavailable in humans, as evidenced by increased red blood cell ET concentrations post-consumption. While ET doses of 8 g and 16 g of mushroom powder showed a trend toward reducing postprandial triglyceride (TG) spikes compared to a 0 g control, no significant changes were observed in plasma cholesterol, HDL, LDL, or C-reactive protein (CRP). Contrary to expectations, total antioxidant capacity (ORAC) decreased after both mushroom doses, suggesting potential interactions between ET and other mushroom compounds.
Study Design
This was a pilot observational study with a randomized, crossover, dose-response design conducted at Pennsylvania State University in 2009. Ten healthy men participated in three test meal conditions (0 g, 8 g, 16 g mushroom powder). Postprandial blood samples were collected over 6 hours to assess ET absorption and metabolic effects.
Dosage & Administration
ET was delivered via mushroom powder incorporated into a test meal. Doses included:
- 8 g dry mushroom powder (low dose)
- 16 g dry mushroom powder (high dose)
- 0 g mushroom powder (control)
The powder was likely standardized to ET content (0.4–2.0 mg/g dry weight), though exact ET amounts per dose were not specified.
Results & Efficacy
- Bioavailability: Red blood cell ET concentrations increased significantly after both mushroom doses, confirming absorption.
- Triglycerides: A trend toward reduced postprandial TG response was observed with 8 g and 16 g mushroom meals compared to 0 g, though statistical significance (p-values) was not explicitly reported.
- Antioxidant Effects: ORAC(total) decreased after mushroom consumption (p < 0.05), conflicting with ET’s known antioxidant properties.
- Inflammatory Markers: CRP levels remained unchanged across all doses.
- Lipid Profile: No significant differences in plasma glucose, HDL, LDL, or total cholesterol were noted.
Limitations
- Small sample size (n=10 males) limits generalizability and statistical power.
- Short duration: Only acute (6-hour) postprandial effects were measured; long-term impacts unknown.
- Lack of direct ET quantification: Mushroom powder ET content was not precisely reported, complicating dose-response interpretation.
- Observational design: Cannot establish causality for TG or ORAC changes.
- No female participants: Results may not apply to women.
- Unexplained ORAC decrease: Potential interactions between ET and other mushroom components (e.g., carbohydrates, proteins) require investigation.
Clinical Relevance
This pilot study suggests that dietary mushroom intake effectively delivers ET into circulation, supporting its role as a bioavailable antioxidant. The observed trend in blunted TG spikes aligns with potential cardiovascular benefits, though larger trials are needed to confirm significance. Supplement users should note that ET’s antioxidant activity may not directly translate to systemic ORAC increases when consumed via whole mushrooms, possibly due to matrix effects. While promising, these findings warrant further research on chronic ET supplementation and metabolic outcomes in diverse populations.
Original Study Reference
The bioavailability of ergothioneine from mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) and the acute effects on antioxidant capacity and biomarkers of inflammation.
Source: PubMed
Published: 2012
📄 Read Full Study (PMID: 22230474)
