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Have you heard of this (lifesaving) essential fatty acid?
Al Sears, MD
ToRichard Potvin
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Feb 21 at 3:33 PM
Richard,
Your body has always known what foods are best for it…
But for decades, we were told to ignore our instincts – and instead, pay attention to “the science.”
Well, scientists are finally beginning to understand the enormous mistake they made when they linked animal fats to heart disease.
In fact, they have now discovered that the opposite is true.
Your body needs saturated fats. And breakthrough research proves they are one of the best sources of the first essential fatty acid to be discovered in more than 90 years.
I’m talking about an odd-chain saturated fat called pentadecanoic acid, or C15:0.
This brand-new research reveals that this essential fatty acid is just as important as omega-3.1 And just like omega-3 fats, your body can’t readily make C15:0.
You need to source it from your diet.
Today, we realize that higher dietary intakes of C15:0 can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.
But a game-changing clinical trial proves that pure C15:0 goes even further…
In the randomized, double-blind study, participants were divided into three groups.2
The first group was placed on a caloric-restricted diet. The second group went on a caloric-restricted diet that followed a modified Mediterranean-style diet. The third group followed the same diet but added C15:0.
After three months, those who were given C15:0 had the greatest results, including:
Greater weight loss
Decreased body fat, including less visceral fat
Lower insulin and glucose levels
Reduced triglycerides
Less liver fat
Healthier gut microbiome
Better blood pressure
How The Diet Dictocrats Got It All Wrong
This groundbreaking discovery means that when you eat low-fat versions of butter, milk, cheese, and yogurts – as the diet dictocrats have been advising for more than half a century – you’re missing out on this key fatty acid that strengthens and protects the outer part of a cell.
You see, C15:0 works by protecting your cells against the inflammatory damage that’s at the root of dozens of modern disorders.
This includes chronic conditions like heart disease… diabetes… autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis… gastrointestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis… fatty liver disease… and lung diseases like COPD and asthma.3
C15:0 has also been found to be essential for your brain, allowing you to age smarter. And some peer-reviewed studies have discovered that people with higher C15:0 levels live longer.4
This confirms the anti-aging power of C15:0, which isn’t surprising because the same study reveals that this essential fatty acid protects and boosts your mitochondria, the microscopic energy powerhouses that are found in each one of your cells.
Researchers have known for years that your mitochondria hold the secret to preventing - and in some cases reversing – dozens of chronic conditions that strike us from middle age onwards.5
C15:0 isn’t only found in full-fat dairy products.
Other sources include pastured, grass-fed beef… pork fat… flaxseed oil… dark chocolate with 70% cacao… quail eggs… rainbow trout… salmon… and coconut oil.
Getting more C15:0 in your diet is easy. Eating just one tablespoon of butter or a serving of cheese – from grass-fed cows – provides up to 130 mg a day.
To make sure I’m getting what I need, I like to cook a thick, fatty steak in a fistful of butter. Here’s one of my favorite recipes:
Pan Seared Steak With Rosemary Butter
Serves 2
Ingredients:
steak
2 one-pound ribeye or NY strip steaks, grass-fed
½ tsp Himalayan sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, grass-fed
Fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Directions:
Let steaks come to room temperature for a half hour. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large cast iron skillet until very hot. Add olive oil to coat the bottom and bring back to high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and stir to combine with oil.
Add steaks and sear for 3 to 4 minutes until you see a brown crust forming. Flip and cook another 3 minutes.
Lower heat to medium and add the remaining butter, garlic, and chopped rosemary. Spoon over the steaks for about 1 minute.
Remove from skillet onto a plate. Top with heated butter mixture and a spring of rosemary and serve.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
”Discover C15:0” Seraphina Therapeutics. (www.seraphinatherapeutics.com). Accessed February 18, 2025.
Chooi Y, et al. “Effect of an Asian-adapted Mediterranean diet and pentadecanoic acid on fatty liver disease: the TANGO randomized controlled trial.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 Mar;119(3):788-799.
Venn-Watson SK et al. “Pentadecanoic acid (C15:0), an Essential fatty acid, shares clinically relevant cell-based activities with leading longevity-enhancing compounds.” Nutrients. 2023;15(21):4607.
Venn-Watson SK, et al. “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 17(5):e0268778. 2022.
Neustadt J et al. “Medication-induced mitochondrial damage and disease.” Mol Nutr Food Res.2008;52(7):780-8.
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