What are the molecular events linking a healthy food pattern to reduced risk of cardiometabolic disease?
Ergothioneine, studied in 3236 participants (Heart 2019, PMID 31672783) — during a median follow-up of 21.4 years, 603 participants developed CVD, 362 developed diabetes mellitus, and 843 died. The study identified associations but did not establish causality between ergothioneine levels and reduced risk.
Source: Heart 2019, PMID 31672783 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: high
Heart · 2019 · PMID 31672783 · DOI 10.1136/heartjnl-2019-315485
Higher levels of the metabolite ergothioneine are linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and death.
The question
What are the molecular events linking a healthy food pattern to reduced risk of cardiometabolic disease?
What they tested
Plasma metabolites associated with a health conscious food pattern (HCFP) will predict cardiometabolic disease and mortality.
How they did it
Plasma levels of 112 metabolites were measured in 3236 participants from the Malmö Diet and Cancer study using liquid-chromatography mass-spectrometry. Participants had no history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Multivariable adjusted linear regressions identified metabolites associated with the HCFP. These biomarkers were then related to the risk of cardiometabolic disease and mortality using multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards models during long-term follow-up.
What they found
During a median follow-up of 21.4 years, 603 participants developed CVD, 362 developed diabetes mellitus, and 843 died. Five healthy dietary biomarkers were associated with the HCFP at baseline, and four of these predicted at least one of the studied endpoints. Ergothioneine was the metabolite most strongly connected to the HCFP and was associated with a lower risk of coronary disease (HR=0.85), cardiovascular mortality (HR=0.79), and overall mortality (HR=0.86) per 1 SD increment.
| Coronary Disease | 0.85 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Mortality | 0.79 | |
| Overall Mortality | 0.86 |
Hazard Ratios (HR) for outcomes per 1 standard deviation increment of plasma ergothioneine.
What it means
Higher plasma ergothioneine is an independent marker of lower risk of cardiometabolic disease and mortality, potentially influenced by a healthy dietary intake.
Limitations
The study identified associations but did not establish causality between ergothioneine levels and reduced risk. The specific dietary components of the HCFP that induce higher ergothioneine were not detailed.
The paper at a glance
| Magellan’s evidence label | plasma ergothioneine, cytoprotection (our label for this citation — see PubMed for the paper’s own title and authors) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Heart |
| Year | 2019 |
| PMID | 31672783 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1136/heartjnl-2019-315485 ↗ |
| Topic | Cardiovascular & vascular aging |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
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Ergothioneine (L-Ergo)
In humans, blood ergothioneine levels tend to fall with age, particularly after 60, and multiple observational and prospective studies link lower plasma ergothioneine to a higher risk of cognitive decline, dementia, cardiovascular disease, frailty and overall mortality;
Ergothioneine (L-ergothioneine, "L-Ergo") is a naturally occurring sulfur-containing amino acid (a…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). What are the molecular events linking a healthy food pattern to reduced risk of cardiometabolic disease? [Plain-English summary of Heart 2019, PMID 31672783, DOI 10.1136/heartjnl-2019-315485]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s108.html@misc{magellan_s108,
title = {What are the molecular events linking a healthy food pattern to reduced risk of cardiometabolic disease?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s108.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 31672783; DOI 10.1136/heartjnl-2019-315485; Heart 2019. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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