Nutritional approach to the control of anemia, diabetes and other diseases or conditions and prevention of associated comorbid states with the use of ergothioneine

2:

• The method of claim 1 wherein said Vitamin D is Vitamin D2 and/or Vitamin D3.

3:

• The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining a source of Ergothioneine from a whole food and/or bacteria source.

4:

• The method of claim 3 wherein said source is the cyanobacteria Spirulina or a cereal crop (e.g. oat, barley, hops).

(canceled)

6:

• The method of claim 1 wherein said filmentous fungi is a mushroom of a species selected from the group consisting of:
• Agaricus bisporus, Agaricus blazei, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Pleurotus erymgii and wherein said mushroom is enriched by pulsed UV irradiation without changing said mushroom's Ergothioneine content.

7:

• The method of claim 1 wherein said fungi is in powder form.

8:

• The method of claim 1 wherein said administering step further includes providing a source of erythropoietin or erythropoiesis-stimulating agent.

9:

• The method of claim 2 wherein said Vitamin D is Vitamin D2, and Vitamin D2 content is increased to about 800% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin D.

10:

• A method of treating a disease state associated with inflammation, oxidative stress and damage to blood cells and associated disease states in mammals comprising:
• administering to said mammal an effective amount of Ergothioneine and a filamentous fungi that has been naturally enriched in Vitamin D2, wherein upon administration of the same, survivability of said animal is increased, progression of the disease state of said animal is decreased and/or need for additional drug therapy is reduced when compared to an animal with such disease state without such treatment.

11:

• The method of claim 10 wherein said enrichment is from UV treatment and said filamentous fungi is a mushroom selected from the group of species consisting of:
• Agaricus bisporus, Agaricus blazei, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus eryngii and wherein said Vitamin D2 content is increased to about 800% of the daily recommended value of said vitamin.

12:

• The method of claim 10 further comprising obtaining a source of Ergothioneine from a whole food source, a cereal crop (e.g. oat, barley) and/or bacteria source (e.g., cyanobacteria Spirulina).

13:

• The method of claim 10 wherein said Ergothioneine, with or without Vitamin D2 is capable of controlling and/or modifying the transcriptional and/or translational process.

14:

• The method of claim 10 wherein said methods correct or modify genetic polymorphisms of the ETT gene as a result of providing said Ergothioneine.

16:

• The nutritional product of claim 15 further comprising an antioxidant and/or a phytonutrient.

17:

• The nutritional product of claim 15 wherein said source of Vitamin D is a UV irradiated, filamentous fungi, tissue, substrate or component thereof with higher levels of Vitamin D than a non-irradiated product, and wherein said Ergothioneine is obtained from a whole food and/or bacteria source.

18:

• The nutritional product of claim 15 wherein said nutritional product increases the production of ETT within cellular membranes of reactive stem cells (e.g. part of the disease repair process), including stem cells in a patient having an autoimmune disease (e.g. diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and/or conditions associated with anemia).