Plasma Ergothioneine Levels and Mushroom Consumption Are Associated with Lower Odds of Cognitive Impairment in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Findings from the Diet and Healthy Ageing (DaHA) Study
12 affiliations
- 1School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- 2Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117596, Singapore
- 3Neurobiology Programme, Life Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117596, Singapore
- 4Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117596, Singapore
- 5NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- 6Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119229, Singapore
- 7School of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, China
- 8Shanghai EGT Synbio Group Co., Ltd., No 1299’ Ziyue Road, Minhang, Shanghai 200241, China
- 9Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore 169857, Singapore
- 10Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- 11Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, 1081BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 12State Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
Abstract
Background: Cognitive impairment poses significant challenges to aging populations globally. Mushrooms, the primary dietary source of ergothioneine (ET), have been associated with cognitive health, but the specific roles of ET and its metabolite S-methyl-ergothioneine (S-ET) remain unclear. Objectives: This study intends to extend previous work on mushroom intake and cognition by simultaneously examining mushroom consumption, plasma ET, and plasma S-ET, and by exploring the independent associations and potential mediation or moderation roles of ET and S-ET in relation to cognitive impairment. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 499 older adults (67 ± 8 years, 75.35% female) from the “Diet and Healthy Ageing Study” (DaHA) in Singapore were analyzed. Cognitive impairment (CI) was defined as Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score < 27. Plasma ET and S-ET concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Associations were examined using logistic regression, with exploratory mediation and moderation analyses. Results: Mushroom consumption >2 servings/week was associated with lower odds of CI (OR = 0.421, 95% CI: 0.180–0.986). Higher plasma ET levels were also independently associated with lower CI odds. Exploratory moderation analyses suggested that the inverse association between mushroom intake and CI was more evident among individuals with higher ET or S-ET levels (Mushroom × ET interaction: β = −0.008, p = 0.007; Mushroom × S-ET interaction: β = −0.079, p < 0.05). No evidence of exploratory mediation was observed for either ET or S-ET. Conclusions: Higher mushroom intake and plasma ET levels were associated with lower odds of cognitive impairment. Exploratory analyses suggested that the mushroom–cognition association may vary according to ET and S-ET status. The findings on mushroom and ET/S-ET interaction and the lack of a mediating role in our cohort are preliminary and hypothesis-generating and require validation in future longitudinal and intervention studies.
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BibTeX
@article{yang2026plasma,
title = {{Plasma Ergothioneine Levels and Mushroom Consumption Are Associated with Lower Odds of Cognitive Impairment in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Findings from the Diet and Healthy Ageing (DaHA) Study}},
author = {Mengxue Yang and Irwin K. Cheah and Zhaoyu Li and Kaisy Xinhong Ye and Jiuyu Guo and Luwen Cao and Na Li and Wei Zhang and Tih-Shih Lee and Long Lu and Andrea B. Maier and Chen Chen and Lei Feng},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/nu18223755},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/22/3755},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Plasma Ergothioneine Levels and Mushroom Consumption Are Associated with Lower Odds of Cognitive Impairment in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Findings from the Diet and Healthy Ageing (DaHA) Study
AU - Mengxue Yang
AU - Irwin K. Cheah
AU - Zhaoyu Li
AU - Kaisy Xinhong Ye
AU - Jiuyu Guo
AU - Luwen Cao
AU - Na Li
AU - Wei Zhang
AU - Tih-Shih Lee
AU - Long Lu
AU - Andrea B. Maier
AU - Chen Chen
AU - Lei Feng
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/12
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18223755
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/22/3755
AB - Background: Cognitive impairment poses significant challenges to aging populations globally. Mushrooms, the primary dietary source of ergothioneine (ET), have been associated with cognitive health, but the specific roles of ET and its metabolite S-methyl-ergothioneine (S-ET) remain unclear. Objectives: This study intends to extend previous work on mushroom intake and cognition by simultaneously examining mushroom consumption, plasma ET, and plasma S-ET, and by exploring the independent associations and potential mediation or moderation roles of ET and S-ET in relation to cognitive impairment. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 499 older adults (67 ± 8 years, 75.35% female) from the “Diet and Healthy Ageing Study” (DaHA) in Singapore were analyzed. Cognitive impairment (CI) was defined as Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score < 27. Plasma ET and S-ET concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Associations were examined using logistic regression, with exploratory mediation and moderation analyses. Results: Mushroom consumption >2 servings/week was associated with lower odds of CI (OR = 0.421, 95% CI: 0.180–0.986). Higher plasma ET levels were also independently associated with lower CI odds. Exploratory moderation analyses suggested that the inverse association between mushroom intake and CI was more evident among individuals with higher ET or S-ET levels (Mushroom × ET interaction: β = −0.008, p = 0.007; Mushroom × S-ET interaction: β = −0.079, p < 0.05). No evidence of exploratory mediation was observed for either ET or S-ET. Conclusions: Higher mushroom intake and plasma ET levels were associated with lower odds of cognitive impairment. Exploratory analyses suggested that the mushroom–cognition association may vary according to ET and S-ET status. The findings on mushroom and ET/S-ET interaction and the lack of a mediating role in our cohort are preliminary and hypothesis-generating and require validation in future longitudinal and intervention studies.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -