Mitochondrial Damage & Its Impact on How We Age

Science is ever-evolving, and the science of aging, or what causes us to age, has recently exploded with discoveries that can help us live longer, healthier lives. As we understand aging from a cellular level, we can learn what steps to take to protect our cells, avoid cellular decline, and improve our healthspans. 

Our bodies age in two different ways: biologically and chronologically. Chronological aging occurs due to the passage of time. Biological aging occurs due to mechanisms and processes that occur inside our cells. One of these processes affects how our cells’ mitochondria operate. 

The mitochondria are important because they fuel our cells with energy to carry out cellular processes. When our mitochondria are damaged, we experience system-wide effects that can lead to illness. Protecting our mitochondria is possible, and doing so could very well be the smartest thing you do to preserve your lifespan. 

Mitochondrial Damage

The mitochondria are organelles within our cells that produce cellular energy, also known as adenosine triphosphate or ATP. ATP is shuttled to other organelles within the cell so that they can effectively carry out cellular processes and work with other cells to maintain the functionality of every tissue, organ, and system in our bodies. 

As such, when something goes awry with the mitochondria, the effect is a large-scale chain reaction that impacts our bodies’ ability to continue functioning properly. 

Scientists have identified 12 processes within our cells that cause our bodies to age biologically. One of these processes is mitochondrial dysfunction. Although you may not know it, the mitochondria in your cells could be experiencing dysfunction as you read this. 

Here’s what happens.

Aging Mitochondria

As we age, mitochondria begin to lose their function. Loss of function in our mitochondria can happen due to genetics or from factors like:

• Environmental factors. Pollution, medications, or lifestyle choices (like smoking) can cause mitochondrial decline.

• Illness. Certain illnesses (like cancer and diabetes) can lead to decreased mitochondrial function.

• Inflammation. Chronic, low-level inflammation can also lead to a decline in mitochondrial performance. 

When mitochondria age, several events happen within the mitochondria themselves. 

• Less ATP production. Mitochondria that have become damaged begin to produce less ATP, resulting in less cellular energy.

• More ROS production. A side effect of energy production is the production of reactive oxygen species, or “ROS.” ROS are free radicals that lead to oxidative stress and damage to our cells.

• Mitochondrial DNA changes. When mitochondria can’t function properly, they can’t replicate properly in new cells, resulting in mitochondrial DNA mutations.

• Cellular senescence. Cells have a programmed death, which means they should cease operations, die, and be removed from the body. Sometimes, mutated cells reach a state of senescence. This means they lose their function completely but don’t die. These zombie-esque cells create an inflammatory environment in the body that can lead to chronic, low-level inflammation.

• Disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction is correlated to age-related illnesses, like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and metabolic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. 

The giant takeaway is that when our mitochondria fail, we are susceptible to more diseases, more decline, and a shorter lifespan. Protecting our mitochondria and supporting them is possible, and doing so could protect us against these health detriments. 

Protecting Our Mitochondrial Function

It’s possible to protect our mitochondria and support our cells as we age, and the good news is that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. Being proactive about our cellular health has been shown to quite literally reverse cellular aging and give us a new lease on life (at least at the cellular level). 

With a few lifestyle changes and one powerful cellular support supplement, you can change your healthspan and improve your longevity.

Diet

Diet plays a massive role in the health of our mitochondria. A diet rich in antioxidants and essential nutrients ensures your cells get what they need for proper fueling. Avoiding excessive sugar and trans fats is another way to protect your mitochondria and help support their function. 

Exercise

The powerhouses of our cells love a good workout. Exercise helps stimulate mitochondrial function and is thought to be one of the best behavioral methods of supporting and preserving mitochondrial function. Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day is recommended for optimal health. 

Stress Management 

Think stress only affects your mood? Think again. Chronic stress that is not properly managed has a big impact on your overall health. 

Mitochondria respond to stress by entering mitochondrial allostasis or MAL. This process helps mitochondria maintain homeostasis when changes (due to stress) occur in the cell. Being in a state of long-term MAL can change the way mitochondria function. 

Make Lifestyle Changes

Excessive drinking and smoking hurt mitochondrial health. If you smoke, get help stopping. If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to one drink a day for women and two for men. These changes can support mitochondrial health and improve your ability to avoid smoking and drinking-related health problems. 

Take a Mitochondrial Supportive Supplement

One supplement that is research-backed and scientifically proven to repair and improve mitochondrial function is fatty15. Fatty15 rescues the broken energy pathways inside our cells by increasing ATP production (by up to 350%) while simultaneously reducing ROS by 45%. 

It also helps protect our cells from other processes that lead to cellular decline, resulting in an overall longevity boost for our entire bodies. How does it work? Let’s deep dive.

Understanding Fatty15

Fatty15 was discovered by a team of doctors and scientists from the US Navy studying healthy aging and longevity in bottlenose dolphins. 

They discovered that dolphins with higher levels of a certain fatty acid in their diets had a reduced risk of age-related illness compared to populations whose circulating levels of this fatty acid were lower. They took their research further and discovered that the same health benefits were available to humans, too. 

A Fat That is Good For Us

Pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) is the fatty acid hero of the dolphin story, and arguably a hero to your cells. C15:0 is an odd-chain, saturated fatty acid that is essential, which means our bodies need it to thrive but can’t make it on their own. 

Although we’ve been told that all fat (especially saturated fat) is bad for us, science says that isn’t the case. This new class of fatty acids — the first discovered in over 90 years since the omegas — is associated with better heart and liver health. There are now calls to action to update current dietary guidelines to differentiate between good and bad saturated fats.

How It Works

C15:0 works by integrating into our cells and supporting them by:

• Strengthening weak cell membranes against age-related breakdown. In studies, C15:0 improved cell membrane strength by 80%.

• Activating clean-up mode. Those zombie cells that hang around and cause inflammation get an eviction notice from C15:0. C15:0 activates AMPK, a molecule that the body uses to clear out damaged cells.

• Regulating inflammatory response. C15:0 calms and lowers levels of proinflammatory cytokines, a key driver in the aging process.

• Restoring cellular and whole body homeostasis. The activation of AMPK helps regulate glucose uptake, immunity, and promotes balance in our bodies.

• Activating PPARɑ and PPARẟ receptors. By activating these receptors, C15:0 has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to support metabolic, immune, heart, and liver health in relevant models. These receptors also help to improve mood and deepen sleep.

In addition, C15:0 helps support our overall health by:

• Lowering LDL cholesterol
• Improving liver enzymes
• Supporting metabolic and immune homeostasis
• Balancing the gut microbiome

By increasing your C15:0 levels, you can take a giant step toward improving your overall wellness and reversing the aging process in your cells. Increasing your C15:0 levels can be tricky, and that’s why fatty15 is the solution. 

Where Does C15:0 Come From?

C15:0 is found in trace amounts in full-fat dairy products like whole milk and full-fat butter. Because most of us haven’t touched whole milk in literal decades, it’s no wonder our levels of C15:0 are incredibly low. 

We will discuss why adding more whole milk to our diets may not be the quick-fix solution to improving our C15:0 levels. C15:0 is also found in the heads and skin of certain fish; however, many of us don’t eat fish heads. 

Why a Supplement Is Better

There are a few reasons why taking a supplement to obtain this essential fatty acid may be beneficial. 

• First, it's made ready-to-absorb. In milk (and other foods), C15:0 is attached to branches of lipids called triacylglycerides, aka triglycerides. That means our gut has to use digestive enzymes to break down these triacylglycerides to release C15:0 as a free fatty acid. Once C15:0 is released, it is ready to be absorbed. These multiple steps can make our absorption of C15:0 from foods less efficient. In contrast, FA15 in fatty15 is our proprietary pure, powder C15:0 ingredient already in free fatty acid form.

• It’s not mixed with bad saturated fats. While the good C15:0 fatty acid is present in whole fat dairy products in trace levels, there are much higher levels of 'bad' even-chain, proinflammatory saturated fatty acids that continue to be associated with poorer health. That is probably why studies evaluating the effects of milk on our health are mixed. Fatty15 provides just the good fat without the bad fats.

• It cuts out the middle man (or cow) and the calories. Whole-fat dairy products provide a wallop of calories, including sugars (aka lactose), that also cows. The movement to more plant-based milk and meat replacements are driven by a desire for more animal-free products, as well as a desire to veer from cows and cattle because of concerns around methane production. Interestingly, plant-based milk replacements lack C15:0 altogether. Fatty15 offers a vegan-friendly C15:0, with only one calorie per dose.

All the C15:0 you want and nothing else. That’s something great for you and your mitochondria.

How Much Do I Need?

Just one fatty15 capsule per day provides you with the amount of C15:0 you need to elevate your levels. Optimal levels of C15:0 range between 0.2% and 0.4% of a person’s total fatty acid count. 

Not sure of your fatty acid count? This at-home, finger-prick test can clue you in on how much C15:0 you have circulating in your body. If you find out it is low, taking fatty15 is the easy way to restore it and protect your mitochondria from decline. 

In populations where people live the longest (100+ years), levels of C15:0 are much higher than the global standard, averaging about 0.64% of the total fatty acid count. 

A Fatty15 Per Day…

Just one fatty15 per day is enough to keep your mitochondria supported and give you a solid chance of improving your longevity and achieving your health goals. In addition to lifestyle modifications, taking fatty15 is one of the smartest decisions you can make to support your health and avoid the mitochondrial decline that comes as a natural side-effect of the aging process.

Sources:

Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe | PubMed

Efficacy of dietary odd-chain saturated fatty acid pentadecanoic acid parallels broad associated health benefits in humans: could it be essential? | Scientific Reports

Exercise and mitochondrial health | PubMed

A review of odd-chain fatty acid metabolism and the role of pentadecanoic Acid (c15:0) and heptadecanoic Acid (c17:0) in health and disease | PubMed

Effect of an Asian-adapted Mediterranean diet and pentadecanoic acid on fatty liver disease: the TANGO randomized controlled trial | ScienceDirect

Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0), an Essential Fatty Acid, Shares Clinically Relevant Cell-Based Activities with Leading Longevity-Enhancing Compounds

Circulating fatty acids and endocannabinoidome-related mediator profiles associated to human longevity | GeroScience