Older adults represent one of the fastest growing demographic groups, with the percentage of older adults estimated to increase from 8.5% to 17% of the world population by 2050.1
As the aging population grows, consumers are looking for support to ensure later years are spent in optimal health. To do this, it is important to understand the factors which can influence the aging process. Identifying factors which, over time, can negatively impact healthy aging may allow for preventative interventions earlier in life.
A key contributor to healthy aging is sleep. Sleep is essential to support brain function, cellular repair, and metabolic balance. This makes it an ideal target for promoting healthy aging and reducing the likelihood of poor health in later life.
Antioxidation and mitochondrial health are also vital for healthy aging. Antioxidation and mitochondrial health help to protect cells, boost energy, and slow the aging process through key strategies such as dietary antioxidants and regular exercise.
They help to protect cell power plants, reduce harmful free radicals, and prevent chronic tissue damage. By reducing free radicals, antioxidants stabilize unstable molecules and preserve energy production in the mitochondria – preventing oxidative stress and supporting long-term tissue vitality.
Ergothioneine – a natural antioxidant amino acid
Ergothioneine is a unique, naturally occurring antioxidant amino acid found predominantly in mushrooms, black beans, and certain meats. As ergothioneine does not occur naturally in the body, it must be absorbed through the diet using a specialized cell transporter.
First discovered in 1909 in Ergot fungus, ergothioneine is particularly effective as the stability of its thione form makes it resistant to autoxidation – an oxidation process brought about by reactions with oxygen at normal temperatures.
Ergothioneine has been studied in relation to its effect on sleep. In a clinical study reported in 2023, volunteers with reported high anxiety and sleep complaints daily took ergothioneine for 4 weeks.2 Results showed that ergothioneine increases the N2 stage, while decreasing the N1 stage in non-REM sleep and the frequency of waking after sleep onset.
In another clinical study reported in 2025, in a 16-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adults with subjective memory complaints received ergothioneine.3 Ergothioneine supplementation was safe and well tolerated, with evidence suggesting some benefits in this cohort of healthy older adults.
In addition to supporting sleep, ergothioneine has been studied in relation to its effect on mitochondrial health, helping to bind to and activate the enzyme 3-mercaptopruvate sulfurtransferase (MPST) to boost cellular respiration and protect against oxidative stress.4
A pilot study in 19 adults aged 60 or older used 25 mg three times weekly for one year reported improved verbal-learning performance and stable neurofilament light chain versus deterioration in placebo.5 This suggests ergothioneine is safe for extended consumption and may hold the potential to delay cognitive decline in elderly adults.
Clinically backed ergothioneine ingredient
Shanghai EGT Synbio – a Chinese biotechnology company – is committed to the mission of delaying aging, focusing on the application of synthetic biology, fermentation, and plant extraction technologies to produce natural anti-aging ingredients.
Shanghai EGT Synbio has specialized in researching and producing ergothioneine. Its flagship product Dr.Ergo® is a high purity, stable, and odorless ergothioneine. Produced via fermentation and enzyme-based technology, Dr.Ergo has clinical trials demonstrating its safety, tolerability, and efficacy for applications.
“Dr.Ergo is built on more than a high-purity claim. Its quality is supported by a differentiated enzymatic route and a multi-dimensional quality-control system covering NMR structural confirmation, purity, specific optical rotation, whiteness, crystal form, and batch consistency,” says Dr. Long Lv, chief scientific advisor at Shanghai EGT Synbio.
Inspired by mushrooms, Shanghai EGT Synbio developed a patented green biofermentation technology to produce Dr.Ergo. After oral intake, ergothioneine is taken up through the dedicated OCTN1 (SLC22A4) transporter and retained in tissues including the brain, skin, liver, kidneys, and eyes.
Its use is now permitted for use in coffee, tea, fruit drinks, and carbonated soft drinks – as well as cakes, cookies, pastries (including granola bars), and candy containing chocolate at a level of 5 mg per serving. Additionally, Dr.Ergo now holds an official US FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status-GRN 001191, ensuring the ingredient is safe to be included in dietary supplements.
Global competition for safe, accessible interventions
XPRIZE Healthspan is a seven-year, $101m global competition designed to accelerate safe, accessible interventions that can restore muscle, cognitive, and immune function as adults age.
In May 2025, the National University of Singapore (NUS) Academy for Healthy Longevity received a Milestone 1 Semi-Finalist Award for PROMETHEUS, led by Professor Andrea B. Maier. The program matches interventions to an individual’s “gerotype”, or pattern of age-related functional strengths and weaknesses.
The peer-reviewed protocol, published in GeroScience in July 2026, describes an eight-week, single-arm feasibility study in 20 adults aged 50 to 80.6 It combines lifestyle guidance, supervised cognitive–physical exercise and foundational supplements, with additional interventions matched to baseline muscle, aerobic, or cognitive measures.
Dr.Ergo has a defined adaptive role: at the one-month assessment, if cognitive improvement remains below the protocol’s predefined sex-specific threshold, Dr.Ergo L-ergothioneine is added at 25 mg, three times per week.
The protocol publicly names the product and supplier. This is a verifiable research milestone, but it does not yet prove that Dr.Ergo alone improves cognition or reverses biological age; the publication is a protocol, not a final outcomes paper.
Gold standard of safety
Clinical studies are the gold standard for the safety and efficacy of an ingredient. A series of clinical studies on Dr.Ergo have been conducted and published in scientific peer-reviewed journals.
A 2023 study analyzed the dermatological effects of oral administration of ergothioneine (Dr.Ergo).7 Participants were administered a daily dose of 25 mg over a four-week period. The study enrolled 19 healthy subjects, with the average age of 34.1 years, presenting with mild dermatological concerns, including acne, freckles, and a dull complexion.
The results showed significant improvements in several dermatological parameters, with notable enhancements observed in the appearance of pores, wrinkles, UV spots, brown spots, and porphyrins. The study demonstrates the clinical efficacy of Dr.Ergo in improving skin health, reinforcing the potential of oral antioxidant supplementation in dermatological care.
A 2025 study completed by Japan Clinical Trial Association (JACTA) involved 66 women aged between 35 to 59 who were assigned to receive either Dr.Ergo (30 mg/day) or placebo.8 Skin parameters were evaluated at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks.
Compared to placebo, the Dr.Ergo group showed significantly greater improvements in melanin and erythema reduction, skin glossiness, elasticity, and wrinkle and spot reduction (all p < 0.01). No adverse events were reported, which suggests Dr.Ergo may serve as an effective oral anti-aging agent.
In 2026, more studies will be conducted. Shanghai EGT Synbio is planning to conduct a clinical study on the efficacy of Dr.Ergo on sleep quality and other aging-related markers.
The study will explore the potential mechanisms by which ergothioneine intervention improves sleep quality and aging markers, including its regulatory effects on the gut microbiota-brain axis, oxidative stress-inflammation pathways, and the neuroendocrine system.
Find out more about Dr.Ergo® here. And learn more about Shanghai EGT Synbio Group Co., Ltd here.
References
- Ravyts, SG.; et al. Sleep and Healthy Aging: A Systematic Review and Path Forward. Clin Gerontol. 2024 May-Jun;47(3):367-379.
- Katsube, M.; et al. Food-derived antioxidant ergothioneine improves sleep difficulties in humans. Journal of Functional Foods. 2022; 95.
- Zajac, IT.; et al. The Effect of Ergothioneine Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Memory, and Sleep in Older Adults with Subjective Memory Complaints: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nutraceuticals. 2025; 5(3):15.
- Sprenger, H-G.; et al. Ergothioneine controls mitochondrial function and exercise performance via direct activation of MPST. Cell Metabolism. 2025; 37(4).
- Yau, YF.; et al. Investigating the efficacy of ergothioneine to delay cognitive decline in mild cognitively impaired subjects: A pilot study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2024 Dec;102(3):841-854.
- Kuerec, A.H.; et al. PROMETHEUS clinical trial protocol: tailoring healthy ageing with lifestyle and nutraceuticals. GeroScience. 2026.
- Zhang, C.; et al. Efficacy of Oral Administration of Ergothioneine (DR. ERGO™) on Skin Health Improvement: A Single-Center, Open-Label Clinical Study. Am J Biomed Sci & Res. 2023; 20(6).
- Ma, X.; et al. Effects of Continuous Oral Intake of DR.ERGO® Ergothioneine Capsules on Skin Status: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. medRXiv. 2025.