You’ve probably heard of essential fatty acids like omega 3s. They’re the nutrients that do so many great things for joints, skin, hair, heart, and brain health. Nutritional science has long ago identified other fatty acids too in the form of omega 6, 7, and 9 fatty acids, which are also important for health (omega 7 and 9 are produced by your body and thus not necessary in your diet). The essential omega 3s have been the star of the show, though. That is, until now.
In 2001, the U.S. Navy began research on how to improve the health of aging bottle-nose dolphins. They found that many Navy dolphins were living much longer than dolphins in the wild, but some of these dolphins showed signs of aging just like some people … arthritis, metabolic dysfunction, and even dementia-type symptoms. The researchers wondered why some and not others. Using metabolomics – the study of metabolites in the body used to measure biomarkers of health and disease – scientists discovered that C15:0, or pentadecanoic acid, is a very strong predictor of healthy aging in dolphins and in people.
C15:0 is an odd-chain saturated fatty acid that dolphins obtain from eating certain fish, but the primary source for humans is whole-fat dairy products like milk, butter, and cheese. Yum! (So much for all the outdated recommendations of avoiding saturated fat dairy products!) The Navy researchers found that dolphins with higher levels of C15:0 were much healthier that those with less. More recent ongoing science with people and animals has shown that C15:0 improves the integrity and resilience of cell membranes, supports mitochondrial function (your cell’s power generators), and improves metabolism, immunity, mood, sleep, regulates appetite, improves insulin sensitivity, reduces systemic inflammation, and lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Wow! No wonder those dolphins with high C15:0 lived longer and better! C15:0 does not replace omega 3s, rather it complements them. Think of omega 3s as your source to reduce inflammation and provide membrane flexibility whereas C15:0 is your source to provide cell membrane stability and resilience.
Like omega 3s, since the body (animal and human) doesn’t produce enough C15:0, it must be obtained through the diet or supplementation, thus the designation of an “essential fatty acid,” the first new one in 90 years at the time of the earlier Navy research. Of course, research has continued and verified and expanded these earlier findings, and vegan C15:0 supplements are now available for those who don’t consume whole-fat dairy foods. The highest quality supplement we’ve found thus far and the one developed by these original researchers called Fatty15 is available online at fatty15.com or Amazon.com.
