The Mediterranean Diet is Good. Fatty15 Makes It Better.

An important, recently published clinical trial shows that while lowering those calories and following a Mediterranean diet are good for our health, adding a pure C15:0 supplement makes these healthy go-to's even healthier.

So, let’s dive into this new study, the results, and how fatty15 is an addition to boost the benefits of the world’s healthiest diet.

I've heard of the Mediterranean diet. But, what is it exactly?

Good question! Among dozens and dozens of diets tested, the Mediterranean diet is the most science-backed to improve your long-term heart health. Many studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet can help you live a longer, healthier life.

Components of the Mediterranean diet most strongly associated with healthier hearts and longer life include the following:

• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Moderate (vs minimal or excessive) alcohol consumption (though it is worth noting that the risks versus benefits of moderate alcohol continue to be debated)

Other healthy parts of the Mediterranean diet include:

• Fish and shellfish
• Whole grains
• Legumes and nuts
• High monounsaturated (vs. polyunsaturated) fats from olive oils

Two parts of the Mediterranean diet that have been sometimes associated with shorter lives are:

• Meat and meat products
• Milk and dairy products

Got it. What are C15:0 and fatty15?

C15:0 (also called pentadecanoic acid) is an odd-chain saturated fatty acid. It is the first essential fatty acid to be discovered since omega-3, which was over 90 years ago. Numerous large studies have linked higher C15:0 to better metabolic, liver and heart health. 

These benefits are thanks to C15:0’s ability to directly repair and restore our cellular health, especially as we age. Specifically, pure C15:0 has been shown to improve cell membrane strength by 80%, improve mitochondrial function by 45%, and activate key pathways involving AMPK and PPARs that keep our metabolic and immune systems balanced.

Fatty15 is the world’s first and only pure and science-backed C15:0 supplement. To boot, it’s vegan-friendly and highly bioavailable.

In head-to-head studies, fatty15 had 36+ clinically relevant cellular benefits, which was 3x more than the purest, highest performing omega-3 (EPA). Even among leading longevity-enhancing molecules, fatty15 got the top spot (Fun fact: you can nerd out on all the science around C15:0 at DiscoverC15.com).

Both the Mediterranean diet and fatty15 sound good. Did this new clinical trial test these together?

It did! The recently published study from Chooi et al. shows that when you add pure C15:0 supplementation to a low calorie Mediterranean diet, the health benefits just get better. And not just any study. This was a randomized, double-blinded, and controlled clinical trial.

This clinical trial divided participants into the following three groups:

• Group 1: Caloric-Restricted Only. The first study group limited their diets to 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day, with no specific guidance on what foods they ate.
• Group 2: Caloric Restriction + Mediterranean Diet. The second group also had a caloric-restricted diet of 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day, but followed Mediterranean diet guidelines.
• Group 3: Caloric Restriction + Mediterranean Diet + C15:0 Supplementation. The last group had a caloric-restricted diet + Mediterranean diet guidelines + daily C15:0 supplementation.

Various measurements, including body weight and body fat, as well as indices relevant to metabolic, heart, and liver health, were evaluated and compared at 1) the start of the study (baseline), and 2) after 3 months for all three groups.

I’m in! What did they find?

Simply put, this study found a bunch of good things, including proof that pure C15:0 supplementation makes both the Mediterranean diet and caloric restriction even better. Here’s what this study found:

• All three groups experienced lower body weight due to less body fat, which resulted in healthier insulin, glucose, and blood pressure levels. Well, that’s good.
• The caloric-restricted Mediterranean diet, with and without C15:0 supplementation, resulted in even lower body weight as well as lower total cholesterol, triglycerides, and healthier livers compared to just the low calorie group. That’s even better.
• Finally, the third C15:0 supplemented group showed the greatest health benefits among all three groups, including all of the benefits above, plus 1) the healthiest body weight, 2) the healthiest livers, 3) lower LDL cholesterol, and 4) supported growth of a (very) health gut microbe, called Bifidobacterium adolescentis. That's hands-down the best.

The take-home message.

In summary, a randomized, double-blinded and controlled clinical trial showed that pure C15:0 supplementation (aka fatty15) helps make your healthy regime - including less calories and the Mediterranean diet - even healthier. Yes, please.

Read the study.

Chooi et al.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2023)

Nerd out on all the peer-reviewed C15:0 science at DiscoverC15.com.