No, we don鈥檛 have to eat dolphins, and neither are they eating yogurt. So, here we go. The latest product to enter the 鈥渁nti-aging supplement sweepstakes鈥� has the curious name 鈥淔atty15.鈥� That name certainly doesn鈥檛 conjure up an image of rejuvenation, but it is chemically descriptive. Fatty15 refers to a dietary supplement that contains 鈥減entadecanoic acid,鈥� a fatty acid with 15 carbon atoms linked in a chain without any double bonds, making it a saturated fat. That doesn鈥檛 sound particularly healthy since saturated fats are generally linked with increased blood cholesterol.
However, as far as elevating cholesterol goes, it is fatty acids with an even number of carbon atoms, such as the C16:0 palmitic acid, that are the culprits. (In this terminology, the 鈥�16鈥� indicates the number of carbon atoms and the 鈥�0鈥� the number of double bonds in the molecule). It turns out that fatty acids with an odd number of carbons have a different type of biochemical activity, one that apparently affects our health in a positive fashion. At least so claims the advertising for Fatty15. A deep dive into the claims reveals that we are not looking at yet another example of capsules filled with anti-aging snake oil. But neither are we diving into the fountain of youth.
Speaking of diving, our story starts with dolphins, specifically U.S. Navy dolphins. Yes, the Navy has dolphins. At a base in San Diego, these highly intelligent animals are trained to locate mines buried in sediment, recover lost equipment, and detect underwater intruders. They are well cared for, fed controlled diets, and their health status is constantly monitored with blood tests that check for metabolic markers such as glucose, insulin and cholesterol. What caught the attention of researchers was the result they saw when blood samples from the dolphins were subjected to 鈥渕etabolomics.鈥� This is the measurement of metabolites, the simple molecules that are produced when a biological system, such as the human body, breaks down food, drugs, various chemicals it has encountered or its own tissues. Metabolomics essentially produces a snapshot of the biochemical activity happening in the body at a given moment.
In this case, dolphins with metabolic markers that predict a poorer health outcome showed a different pattern of chemicals in their blood. There was one feature that stood out. The 鈥渦nhealthy鈥� dolphins had lower levels of pentadecanoic acid, or C15:0! Whether the low levels were the results of being unhealthy, or the cause, could not be determined. However, since the diet of the dolphins was monitored, and they were fed different types of fish at different times, the researchers were able to determine that the circulating C15:0 fatty acids in the dolphins鈥� bloodstream were determined by the C15:0 content of the fish that they ate. When dolphins with poor markers were given the diet that dolphins with high C15:0 in their blood had been eating, their metabolic markers improved.
So, we have the observation that healthier dolphins have higher circulating C15:0, and the amount of C15:0 that circulates is proportional to the amount of C15:0 in their diet. This can be interpreted as 鈥渃onsuming C15:0 fatty acids promotes health.鈥� But not so quick! Association is not causation! Nutrition is very complex and the improved health markers may be due to some other component in the dolphins鈥� feed. Association could be turned into causation by feeding pure C15:0 to the dolphins and then monitoring their metabolic markers. Still, markers do not necessarily predict longevity. The only way that can be determined is to see if the dolphins fed this fatty acid live longer. Neither of these studies has been done. On top of this, we have to remember that people are not dolphins.
There are some intriguing cell culture and animal studies that suggest C15:0 may affect inflammation, strengthen cell membranes, and activate AMPK, an enzyme that turns on energy production and is found in all cells. But what about human studies?
Administering C15:0 to volunteers has been shown to increase blood levels, but no physiological effects were observed over the short term. Some observational studies have shown a correlation between higher blood levels of C15:0 and better insulin sensitivity, lower inflammatory markers and better cardiovascular risk profile. But this may be because people with higher levels have different diets and some feature other than C15:0 is responsible for the markers. Dairy fat is known to be the best source of C15:0, butter being a particularly excellent source. Unfortunately butter also contains saturated fats with an even number of carbon atoms and these are the ones linked with elevating blood cholesterol.
A better bet is to increase C15:0 in the diet is by turning to full fat (5%) Greek yogurt. A 170-gram serving will furnish about as much (100 mg) C15:0 as is found in a capsule of commercial Fatty15. With the yogurt you are also getting beneficial probiotic bacteria.
Now for that supplement. It is promoted as benefitting the brain, metabolism, red blood cells, the liver and the immune system. Those claims are based on laboratory studies which are interesting but do not prove that benefits will be seen in people taking the supplement. Then there is mention of a report that 70% of customers experience better sleep, improved energy and overall improved health within 16 weeks of starting the supplement. That too is interesting, but it is just anecdotal evidence. What is missing is the gold standard of nutritional science, the randomized, double-blind controlled trial. Without that, what we have is an intriguing supplement, one which based on numerous studies has potential health benefits but is lacking the crucial trials that convert potential to actual.
Certainly, learning about slowing the aging process from dolphins makes for a compelling story. Let鈥檚 keep in mind, though, that fascinating biology can often lead to persuasive marketing long before it is backed by solid evidence. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 holding off on Fatty15 for now, but I鈥檒l go for the 5% Greek yogurt.
