Which Plants Contain C15:0 Fatty Acids?

Pentadecanoic acid (aka C15:0) is getting quite a bit of press. That’s probably how you found this article. In addition to being the first essential fatty acid to have been discovered in over 90 years, a dietary deficiency syndrome caused by low levels of C15:0 has also been established. 

This is big news because discovering new nutrients and accompanying deficiencies is extremely rare, especially in well-developed countries. When last did you hear of someone with scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) or rickets (vitamin D deficiency)?

C15:0 is also making headlines due to its direct link to longevity. By now, you’ve probably seen the documentary Blue Zones or at least heard of it. This documentary follows five areas in the world where residents frequently live to be 100 years of age or older. In these regions, people have levels of C15:0 that are much higher than anywhere in the world. 

The big picture is that C15:0 is necessary for our bodies to thrive, protect our health, and support our longevity. Let’s take a look at where C15:0 exists in nature and how we can increase our circulating levels. We’ll also discuss the benefits of C15:0 and why getting it from a supplement may be the best option. 

What Are the Sources of C15:0?

C15:0 is an odd-chain, saturated fatty acid. If you’ve been told that all fats (especially saturated fats) are bad, it might be confusing to learn that your body actually needs saturated fat to thrive. As it turns out, not all fats are bad, and even some saturated fats are beneficial to us. 

Finding C15:0 is a bit of a scavenger hunt. The most abundant sources of C15:0 are found in whole-fat dairy products like full-fat milk and butter and some fish. Some plants contain C15:0, but only in trace amounts. 

If you can find C15:0 in whole-fat dairy products, it would stand to reason that simply increasing your intake of these foods would help you increase your C15:0 levels. Not so fast. Because the levels of C15:0 are so low in these foods, you’d have to consume extremely large quantities to elevate your C15:0 levels. Unfortunately, that can be problematic.

Food Sources May Not Be the Best Option for C15:0 

Say, for instance, you decide to level up your intake of whole-fat dairy. First, you might find yourself switching from low fat milk to whole milk. After all, we’ve spent an entire generation avoiding whole milk, and very few people still consume it.

In addition to getting a little more C15:0 in your body, you’ll be getting a wallop of excess calories, sugar, and bad fats along with it. Whole milk contains 150 calories per 8-ounce serving compared to just 85 calories in skim milk. 

You’ll also be increasing your sugar intake from lactose. Whole-fat dairy also contains even-chain saturated fats, which are consistently associated with negative health outcomes. The benefits of the trace amounts of C15:0 don’t outweigh the potential detriment to your health from consuming whole milk. 

What’s more, in whole-fat dairy, C15:0 is attached to branches of triglycerides, which the body must break down before the beneficial C15:0 can be used. This additional step makes the absorption of C15:0 less efficient. 

If you’re vegan or more conscious about your carbon footprint, consuming an animal-based product may be off the table for you. If that’s the case, turning to milk for your C15:0 content is a no-go. That leaves plants for consumption of C15:0, and that’s also problematic because they simply don’t contain enough to helpfully restore circulating C15:0 levels. 

Chia seeds, for instance, contain about 0.4% pentadecanoic acid by weight, which is extremely low and virtually insignificant. Instead of sprinkling chia seeds on everything you eat, there’s a better way to get the C15:0 you need without consuming calories or fats you don’t have. 

What’s the Solution?

The solution to the C15:0 problem is a supplement. In supplement form, C15:0 is already a free fatty acid that is:

• Ready to digest and absorb by the body
• Not mixed with bad fats or sugar
• Doesn’t contain any excess calories
• Supports the environment and allows cows to be cows

Fatty15™ is the first and only supplement that contains a pure, patented, vegan-friendly and award-winning version of C15:0 known as FA15™. This once-daily capsule contains all the C15:0 your body needs to restore your circulating levels and protect you from a C15:0 deficiency. 

Understanding how a deficiency could affect your body can help you appreciate the importance of this groundbreaking supplement.

Cellular Fragility Syndrome

Low levels of C15:0 result in a deficiency known as Cellular Fragility Syndrome. As published in the scientific journal Metabolites, this deficiency can result in fragile cells that accelerate cellular aging and increase the risk of developing chronic metabolic, heart, and liver conditions. 

This nutritional C15:0 deficiency syndrome may impact as many as 1 in 3 people worldwide. Numerous studies have shown that people with low C15:0 levels have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (also called NAFLD).

Additionally, Cellular Fragility Syndrome has a direct link to ferroptosis, a type of cell death that was first discovered by Columbia University researchers in 2012. This cell death has direct links to some of the same negative health outcomes as low levels of C15:0, especially in younger adults. 

The key takeaway is that low levels of C15:0 are directly associated with accelerated aging and metabolic diseases that can rob a person of their longevity and health span. 

How Much C15:0 Do You Need?

Optimal levels of C15:0 are within 0.2% and 0.4% of a person’s total fatty acids. The Blue Zone residents in Sardinia, Italy, have C15:0 levels that measure much higher, around 0.64%. 

Most people won’t know their circulating fatty acid levels offhand. Your doctor can order a blood panel test to measure your fatty acid count, or you can grab an at-home test here. 

The lab will send you a testing kit that requires a finger-prick blood sample. Once you return it, your fatty acid levels will be measured, and you’ll find out how much C15:0 you have in your bloodstream. 

If your levels are low, you can head over to fatty15.com to order a 90-day supply of the science-backed supplement that contains pure C15:0. You’ll elevate your C15:0 levels and enjoy longevity protective benefits that, along with a healthy lifestyle, can help you live healthier, for longer.

What Are the Benefits of C15:0?

Sometimes, supplements can seem too good to be true. We get that. It’s why we’ve spent 20 years researching C15:0 and why the benefits of C15:0 have been demonstrated in more than 100 peer-reviewed studies. After all the research, C15:0 still amazes us.

C15:0 is a fatty acid that strengthens our cells. The foundation of every person’s health lies in their cells. 

Aging, as it turns out, is a result of specific functions (12 to be exact) that occur at the cellular level. By protecting our cells against cellular aging, we can help increase longevity, reduce the risk of metabolic illness, and give ourselves a fighting chance to age healthfully. 

It starts when C15:0 integrates into our cells to protect them and even reverse cellular aging by:

• Strengthening cell membranes. Cell membranes can become flimsy over time, leaving cells compromised and causing them to lose their shape. In studies, C15:0 strengthened cell membranes by 80%.
  
  
• Improving and repairing mitochondrial function. The mitochondria in our cells become sluggish with age, resulting in less cellular function. C15:0 bolsters mitochondrial function and increases ATP levels within cells by up to 350%. More cellular energy, more energy overall.
  
  
• Lowering bad LDL cholesterol.
  
  
• Binding with PPAR receptors that control functions like mood, sleep, and hunger to restore balance.
  
  
• Improving liver enzymes.
  
  
• Activating AMPK. C15:0 restores cellular and whole-body homeostasis, regulates glucose uptake, and calms our immune systems.
  
  
• Clearing damaged cells. C15:0 activates AMPK, which helps to clear out damaged cells.
  
  
• Regulating inflammatory response. C15:0 significantly calms and lowers proinflammatory cytokines, a key driver of aging.

C15:0 even targets 6 out of the 12 cellular hallmarks of aging. That’s a lot for a little fatty acid. And if you’re wondering how it stacks up against omega-3, we’ve got that study for you, too.

How Does C15:0 Compare to Omega-3?

Omega-3 has long reigned as the supreme fatty acid supplement, but when tested head-to-head with fatty15, omega-3 underperformed. 

Fatty15 was found to be:

• Better. Fatty15 had 26+ more clinically relevant benefits than omega-3, including immune-calming and balancing activities and prevention of “bad” cell proliferation.

• Broader. Fatty15 repaired 2.5X more cell types than omega-3. Omega-3 repaired 4 out of 12 cell types, while fatty15 repaired 10 out of 12. Some of the cell types that fatty15 repaired include immune cells, heart cells, joint cells, skin cells, red blood cells, and lung cells.

• Safer. At all concentrations tested, fatty15 was safe for all 12 cell types. Omega-3 was toxic to 4 out of 12 cell types, including lung and blood vessel cells. 

Omega-3’s benefits come with an Achilles heel, in that they are oils at room temperature that are prone to oxidation and going rancid. In fact, studies show that 50% of omega-3 fish oil supplements have lipid peroxidation levels that are above voluntary international safety standards. 

The pure form of C15:0 found in fatty15 is a stable powder at room temperature and is not prone to oxidation. No fishy taste or fish burps here. 

Get Fatty

Maintaining proper C15:0 levels is important, but you may not be able to get the levels you need through your diet alone, so taking a supplement like fatty15 is a solid solution. 

By optimizing your C15:0 levels, you’ll be supporting your long-term health and longevity. It’s one of the best long-term investments you can make. 

 

Sources:

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

Foods High in Pentadecanoic acid | Whole Food Catalog

The Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Chia Seeds—Current State of Knowledge | PMC

The Cellular Stability Hypothesis: Evidence of Ferroptosis and Accelerated Aging-Associated Diseases as Newly Identified Nutritional Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0) Deficiency Syndrome | MDPI

Ferroptosis: an iron-dependent form of nonapoptotic cell death | PubMed

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

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 | MDPI

Pentadecanoic acid promotes basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes | PMC

Broader and safer clinically-relevant activities of pentadecanoic acid compared to omega-3: Evaluation of an emerging essential fatty acid across twelve primary human cell-based disease systems | PLOS ONE