Most conversations about aging skip straight to wrinkles and gray hair — the visible endpoints. But aging actually starts much earlier, at the level of your cells, long before it shows up in the mirror. That's the idea behind ergothioneine, one of the more interesting ingredients in the anti-aging supplement world right now.
Ergothioneine (often shortened to EGT) is a naturally occurring antioxidant amino acid. Your body can't produce it on its own — you get it from food, primarily mushrooms, along with smaller amounts in beans and certain meats. Because modern diets often fall short on these sources, many people simply don't get much of it day to day.
What makes EGT worth paying attention to is where it goes once it's in your system. It concentrates in mitochondria — the energy-producing structures inside your cells — which are also a major source of the oxidative stress linked to cellular aging. Researchers have been studying whether topping up EGT levels through supplementation can support your cells' natural antioxidant defenses.
A clinical trial published in 2025 looked at this question directly. Over eight weeks, women between 35 and 59 took a daily 30mg dose of EGT, while a comparison group took a placebo. Researchers tracked several measurable skin parameters — including elasticity, moisture, tone, and the visible signs women associate with aging skin. The group taking EGT showed meaningfully better results across multiple measures compared to the placebo group.
It's worth being clear about what this research does and doesn't tell us. It doesn't mean EGT reverses aging, repairs DNA, or turns back the clock. What the evidence supports is more modest and more honest: EGT appears to support your cells' antioxidant defenses in ways that show up in measurable skin outcomes over time.
That's the philosophy behind how we think about ingredients at herhabit — we'd rather tell you exactly what a study measured than round it up into a bigger promise. If you're curious how EGT fits into a daily routine, it's the hero ingredient in our CELLULAR AGE formula.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.