Researchers at the US Navy Marine Mammal Program and founder Dr Stephanie Venn-Watson identify C15:0, an odd-chain saturated fatty acid abundant in dolphin diets, as an essential longevity nutrient. Through controlled dolphin serum analyses and dietary trials, they demonstrate C15:0’s benefits for liver function, cholesterol reduction, and mitochondrial repair. These findings underpin Fatty15, a peer-reviewed supplement engineered to deliver bioavailable C15:0 for human metabolic health optimization.

Key points

• Identification of pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) as an essential longevity nutrient through dolphin serum metabolomics.
• Correlation of dietary C15:0 intake with improved metabolic markers and reduced liver disease in bottlenose dolphins.
• Dolphin dietary trials demonstrate C15:0’s effects on lowering cholesterol, reducing inflammation, and repairing mitochondria.
• Development of vegan C15:0 supplement Fatty15, validated by over 100 peer-reviewed studies for bioavailability and safety.
• Proposal to integrate C15:0 into fortified foods, beverages, and infant formulas for broader metabolic health applications.

Why it matters: This discovery challenges prevailing notions that saturated fats are uniformly detrimental by highlighting the therapeutic potential of C15:0, a previously overlooked odd-chain fatty acid. Demonstrating efficacy in a long-lived mammalian model bridges the gap between rodent studies and human application, paving the way for targeted metabolic interventions and evidence-based longevity supplements.