Three Veterans Petition Government to Recognize Ergothioneine as Essential Nutrient
My name is Rod Wayne. I’m a Navy veteran and registered nurse with 39 years in emergency and critical care medicine. My service dog Charlie got me thinking about something that changed everything.
I noticed we were both aging the same way—getting tired faster, slower recovery, cognitive changes. I started researching oxidative stress in both of us. What I found led to a formal petition to the federal government that could change preventive health for millions of people and animals.
On December 18, 2025, three service-disabled veterans submitted an official petition asking the Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize ergothioneine as an essential nutrient. If successful, this creates a pathway for recognition across all federal health agencies—affecting every American and potentially every mammal.
WHAT IS ERGOTHIONEINE
Ergothioneine is a compound found primarily in mushrooms. Your body cannot make it, but you have a specialized transporter whose only job is to collect it and concentrate it in your cells.[1]
Think about that: evolution gave mammals a dedicated system to gather something we can’t produce. That doesn’t happen for non-essential compounds.
The transporter gene is over 90% identical in humans, dogs, horses, and cats.[2] This means the mechanism is the same across all mammals.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Three major studies published in 2025 proved something remarkable.
Swedish Study (3,236 people, 21 years):[3]
People with higher ergothioneine levels had:
- 21% lower risk of dying from heart disease
- 15% lower risk of coronary disease
- 14% lower risk of death from any cause
Singapore Study (470 elderly people, 5 years):[4]
People with low ergothioneine at baseline:
- Had worse memory and thinking abilities
- Declined faster over five years
- Showed more brain shrinkage on MRI scans
Japanese Study (13,230 people):[5]
People who ate mushrooms (main source of ergothioneine) three or more times per week had 92% lower risk of developing dementia compared to people who rarely ate mushrooms.
The 2025 Breakthrough:[6,7]
Two studies in Cell Metabolism (one of the most respected scientific journals) proved how ergothioneine works. When researchers genetically removed the pathway ergothioneine uses, all protective effects disappeared completely. This is the gold standard for proving cause and effect.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR ANIMALS
The same biology works in all mammals.
Dogs develop Alzheimer’s-like dementia. It affects 28% of dogs age 11-12, and 68% of dogs age 15-16.[8]
Horses develop metabolic syndrome affecting 20-30% of domestic horses.[9]
Racehorses develop exercise-induced bleeding affecting approximately 80% of them.[10]
The mechanism is identical. The same transporter, the same protective systems, the same diseases when it fails.
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP
The science is published. The petition is filed. Now we need to prove it works before symptoms appear.
We’re proposing biorepository studies: analyze blood samples that were stored years ago from people and animals, measure their ergothioneine levels along with other oxidative stress biomarkers, and see if low levels predicted who got sick.
This has never been done. If it works, we’ll know years in advance who’s at risk.
What the funding supports:
Human biorepository studies
- Measure ergothioneine and oxidative stress biomarkers in stored blood samples from veterans and general population to understand their synergistic relationship
- Match to medical records showing who developed disease
- Statistical analysis and publication in medical journals
Animal biorepository studies
- Partner with veterinary hospitals for dog and horse samples
- Same process for companion animals
- Publication in veterinary journals
Legal and government process
- Navigate VA policy review
- Present to federal committees
- Work with FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
- Congressional outreach if needed
Public education
- Explain the science to the public
- Media outreach
- Work with doctors and veterinarians
- Community education
Laboratory work
- Validate the testing methods
- Establish what levels are normal vs. deficient
- Make testing affordable and accessible
Travel
- Present findings to VA committees
- Medical and veterinary conferences
- Government meetings
Goal: $100,000
Every dollar funds research that could identify at-risk people and animals before disease develops.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE SUCCEED
If the studies prove low ergothioneine predicts disease:
The VA recognizes it as essential → The Department of Defense follows → The NIH funds large studies → The CDC issues guidance → The FDA updates policy → Insurance covers testing → Food gets fortified with it → Veterinary medicine adopts it → Millions of people and animals get screened and protected.
WHY IT STARTED WITH VETERANS
Veterans have standing to petition the VA. The VA has clear preventive health policies. VA recognition creates federal precedent that extends to everyone.
We’re using our access to open a door that protects all Americans and their animals.
THE SCIENCE IN SIMPLE TERMS
When ergothioneine is present:
- Cells produce protective molecules called persulfides
- These protect your cellular power plants (mitochondria)
- Your cells can make energy efficiently
- Damage is prevented before it starts
When ergothioneine is depleted:
- Protective molecules disappear
- Mitochondria get damaged
- Cells switch to inefficient energy production
- Damage accumulates
- Disease develops
This happens the same way in humans, dogs, horses, and all mammals.
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
Most campaigns ask for help after someone gets sick.
We’re asking for help to prove we can identify risk before anyone gets sick.
We’re not selling anything. Ergothioneine is found in mushrooms—you can’t patent it. This is about getting the government to recognize what the science shows.
We’re working across species. Success in animals proves it works in humans. Success in humans proves it works in animals.
TRANSPARENCY
Quarterly financial reports will be posted publicly.
Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals regardless of outcome.
I hold a patent on diagnostic methods (not on ergothioneine itself, which cannot be patented). This campaign funds independent research, not commercial development.
If we raise less than the goal, we’ll prioritize the human biorepository study first.
CURRENT STATUS
December 18, 2025: Petition filed with full scientific evidence
January 7, 2026: Petition forwarded to VA decision-makers and Senator Rick Scott
WHAT WE’RE NOT CLAIMING
We’re not saying ergothioneine cures disease.
We’re not saying everyone needs supplements.
We’re not saying this replaces medical care.
We’re saying the published evidence is strong enough to warrant validation studies, and if those studies confirm low levels predict disease, then screening and maintenance of levels could save lives.
WHO THIS HELPS
Anyone over 60 worried about Alzheimer’s or heart disease
Veterans dealing with TBI, PTSD, or declining health
Athletes wanting to maintain performance
Pet owners watching their dogs age
Horse owners managing metabolic issues or performance decline
Anyone who wants to know their risk before symptoms appear
THE SIMPLE TRUTH
Published studies show people with higher ergothioneine levels live longer and stay healthier.
Published studies show it works through a specific biological pathway.
Published studies show that pathway exists in all mammals.
Nobody has checked if measuring it early predicts who gets sick.
We want to fund that study.
That’s it.
HOW TO HELP
Donate: Any amount funds research
Share: Especially with veteran groups, pet owners, horse communities
Follow: We’ll post updates
This started with three veterans and a service dog named Charlie.
It’s for everyone.
Rod Wayne, RN, CEN, DOSB
U.S. Navy Veteran
k9alphascience.com
REFERENCES
[1] Grundemann D, et al. Discovery of the ergothioneine transporter. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2005;102(14):5256-5261.
[2] NCBI GenBank sequence alignment: Human SLC22A4, Dog XM_005639305, Horse XM_023638890, Cat XM_023249654.
[3] Smith E, et al. Ergothioneine is associated with reduced mortality and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Heart. 2020;106(9):691-697.
[4] Wu LY, et al. Low plasma ergothioneine predicts cognitive and functional decline in an elderly cohort attending memory clinics. Antioxidants. 2022;11(9):1717.
[5] Zhang S, et al. Mushroom consumption and incident dementia in elderly Japanese: the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017;65(7):1462-1469.
[6] Sprenger HG, et al. Ergothioneine controls mitochondrial function via direct activation of MPST. Cell Metab. 2025;37(4):857-869.
[7] Petrovic D, et al. Ergothioneine improves healthspan of aged animals by enhancing cGPDH activity through CSE-dependent persulfidation. Cell Metab. 2025;37(3):542-556.
[8] Landsberg GM, et al. Cognitive dysfunction syndrome: a disease of canine and feline brain aging. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2012;42(4):749-768.
[9] Frank LR. Equine metabolic syndrome. J Equine Vet Sci. 2009;29(5):259-267.
[10] Hinchcliff KW, et al. Exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage in horses: American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine consensus statement. J Vet Intern Med. 2015;29(3):743-758.