To live a longer and healthier life is a common human want. We’re constantly on the hunt for ways to boost our wellbeing, whether that’s through what we eat, that exhausting, sweat-inducing spin class, or just trying to find some kind of zen in the chaos. While reaching an old age may be partly down to luck (and genetics), some of it is affected by what we do or what we put into our bodies.
Now, scientists are investigating new and exciting nutrients that may help us improve our health and how we age. One of these rising stars is C15:0 – the first essential fatty acid to emerge in over 90 years, and it comes with one surprising origin story.
How it all began
It’s funny how interconnected the world can be – how research in one organism can spark benefits in another. For this story, it all began with the help of US Navy dolphins.
Dr Stephanie Venn-Watson, a veterinary epidemiologist, and her team noticed that some older Navy dolphins developed age-related conditions and others did not. For example, they found that, similar to a human ratio, one in three dolphins developed fatty liver disease.
Through a metabolomic study, which compared healthy aging dolphins with their counterparts, they found one molecule that came out on top: C15:0.
C15:0 is an odd-chain fatty acid and is also known as pentadecanoic acid. Fatty acids are essential in cellular membrane stability, cell signaling, and activating brain receptors that regulate immunity, metabolism, mood, and sleep.
In the wild, dolphins get this fatty acid through a delicious diet of heads and skins of fish. When veterinarians enriched the dolphins’ diet with C15:0, their age-related conditions seemed to improve.
C15:0 is a fascinating fatty acid, and the researchers turned to humans to see if C15:0 could also help us. As it turns out, many of us are deficient in this fatty acid, too. For humans, C15:0 comes from whole-fat cow’s milk and butter. In many parts of the world, especially in the US, this is an issue, mainly due to Congress deciding to reduce the intake of saturated fats by almost fourfold in 1977.
Now, researchers around the world are investigating C15:0 to see if it can improve human longevity. The results are interesting.
C15:0 may slow down human biological aging
Aging is something that all humans go through. But, apart from the images you have in your head – wrinkles getting deeper and hair getting grayer – scientists have come up with some more quantifiable biological hallmarks of the process.
There are 12 recognized hallmarks of aging, which include:
- Genomic instability
- Telomere attrition
- Epigenetic alterations
- Loss of proteostasis
- Disabled macroautophagy
- Deregulated nutrient-sensing
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
- Cellular senescence
- Stem cell exhaustion
- Altered intercellular communication
- Chronic inflammation
- Dysbiosis
When it comes to C15:0, this fatty acid shows promise in helping to reverse six of the 12 hallmarks of aging.
Cellular senescence
Cellular senescence is where our cells start to malfunction but don’t die as we age. This leads to the aptly named “zombie” cells, which contribute to age-related tissue breakdown.
One in vitro study found that C15:0, in combination with tamoxifen, suppressed mTOR, which is a protein kinase that is a regulator of lifespan, aging, and cellular aging (including those zombie cells).
Mitochondrial dysfunction
Another aging hallmark is mitochondrial dysfunction. The mitochondria – also known as the powerhouse of our cells – unfortunately, stop shoveling as much energy into the cellular furnace as we age. Instead, they start overproducing damaging oxidative radicals, which can injure our cells.
C15:0 may help lower these damaging reactive oxygen species, allowing the mitochondria to get back to their magical energy production. In a 2020 in vitro study, C15:0 repaired mitochondrial function and was associated with lower damaging reactive oxygen species.
Chronic inflammation
When the immune system gets fired up and forgets to calm down, it can lead to chronic, low-lying inflammation. Unfortunately, this inflammation can speed up the natural wear and tear on both the brain and body.
In a human cell-based molecular phenotyping study, C15:0 was compared against other longevity-enhancing candidates (like metformin and rapamycin). At the optimal dosage, C15:0 reduced inflammatory activity.
C15:0 is also an inhibitor of JAK-STAT and HDAC6, which helps explain how this healthy fat moderates inflammation.
Altered intracellular communication
Communication between cells is incredibly important. If this goes slightly out of sync, it can affect things like immunity, metabolism, and more.
In the 2020 study mentioned above, it was also shown that C15:0 targets key receptors that help keep metabolism and immunity balanced. In another study, researchers investigated the effect of C15:0 and found that it significantly stimulated glucose uptake in immature muscle cells.
In an in vivo study, C15:0 reduced anemia, dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of bloodstream lipids), inflammation, and fibrosis. This may be because the fatty acid binds to key cellular receptors to activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and AMPK that help to balance metabolic responses.
Epigenetic alterations
Our health and development can differ from what is written in our genetic code – it all comes down to how epigenetic modifications alter gene expression. These changes occur in a number of ways, including when small methyl groups are added or removed from our DNA. As we get older, this DNA methylation can cause gene-based mix-up, which may result in age-related diseases.
In a population-based study, scientists investigated the relationship between complex lipids and DNA methylation-based metrics of biological aging. This study, conducted on 4,181 participants, found that odd-numbered fatty acid tail lengths (like C15:0) were associated with slower biological aging.
A larger study called EPIC-InterAct, which studied a population of 27,296 people, also found that these odd-chain saturated fatty acids were associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Microbiome health
The microbiome is a very important part of our bodies; it is an ecosystem that contains trillions of microorganisms that live in the gut. Some of the bacteria in this environment are the “good” kind, helping produce beneficial molecules that keep us functioning (and youthful, too). When the balance tips and “bad” microbes outnumber the good, it’s called dysbiosis.
In one double-blinded trial, it was found that C15:0 could help boost beneficial gut bacteria. Participants who received C15:0 supplementation also had lower LDL cholesterol.
C15:0 may help strengthen cells
Hemoglobin is found in our red blood cells, and when it declines, it can lead to disease. Often the levels will decline with age, and some people may get anemia associated with aging – a condition that makes people more frail, increases the risk of heart disease and disease complications, and raises the chances of falling.
This decline in hemoglobin can be caused by the red blood cells becoming more fragile. According to Hulbert’s Cell Membrane Pacemaker Theory of Aging, mammals with more fragile fatty acids in their cell membranes have more fragile cells, which may result in a shorter lifespan.
When dolphins with anemia or low-to-normal hemoglobin levels were given a modified diet featuring more biochemicals, including C15:0, by month three, they had normal hemoglobin concentrations. This same benefit was seen in a controlled in vivo study using pure C15:0.
In humans, decreased levels of saturated fatty acids (including C15:0) have been observed in children with severe iron deficiency anemia. In another clinical trial, people receiving C15:0 supplements also showed a greater increase in hemoglobin.
Taking C15:0 may be important for human health, and supplements seem to be the most effective way to get it. Venn-Watson and her team were funded by the Office of Naval Research to create a new supplement called Fatty15, which only contains C15:0. You can find out more here.
If you’re curious about the science behind longevity, there is more information found in The Longevity Nutrient, published by Simon Element – it’s available now.
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The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Source Link: Could This Molecule Be The Answer To Growing Old Gracefully?
