What's the deal with Fatty15?

Is Fatty15 worth the investment?

Nutrition Diva evaluates whether the $49/month Fatty15 supplement is worth it, especially for people who already consume full-fat dairy.

"Learn more at mayoclinic.org slash possible. Mayo Clinic. You know where to go. Oikos presents 15 Seconds of Strength. Here we go. Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five-trip load at least. He grabs the first bag, the second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it on one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim, now that's a man who eats his protein-packed Oikos. With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup, Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos, stronger makes everything better. Hello, this is Monica Reinagle, and you are listening to the Nutrition Diva podcast, a show that takes a closer look at food and nutrition research headlines and trends to sort fact from fiction and help you make more informed decisions about what you eat and buy. I do not watch cable news, first because I value my sanity, and also because I think there are probably better ways to stay informed. But the televisions that hang above the cardio equipment at my gym are permanently tuned to cable news, and also, weirdly, cooking shows. I mean, who wants to watch people eat while they're exercising? Because I am always sort of looking at the cable news shows, I couldn't help but notice a frequently recurring ad spot for a new supplement called Fatty 15. I was curious, so I decided to check it out. According to the manufacturer, Fatty15 supplies a saturated fatty acid called pentadecanoic acid, which is essential for cellular health, strengthening cell membranes, and preventing premature cell death. It is also said to reduce inflammation, improve metabolic health, and liver function, most impressively of all, to combat cellular fragility syndrome. In fact, fatty 15 is being positioned as not just beneficial, but actually necessary for optimal health and longevity, suggesting that a deficiency of this fatty acid, which, you guessed it, is much more likely without supplementation, is going to result in poor health and decreased health and longevity. Those are some pretty big claims for a supposedly essential fatty acid that few nutritionists have even heard of. So let's take a closer look. Pentadecanoic acid is the common name for a saturated fatty acid containing 15 carbon atoms, and that makes it a bit unusual because most saturated fats have an even number of carbon atoms. And in fact, some argue that these odd-chain fatty acids, like pentadecanoic acid, play a unique role in human health. The primary dietary source for these odd-chain fatty acids is butterfat. Butter, cream, whole milk dairy products. And the presence of these fatty acids might be part of the reason that saturated fats from dairy products don't seem to have the same negative effects that saturated fats from other foods do. If you consume full-fat dairy products, you might get 50 to 150 milligrams per day of pentadecanoic acid from your diet. If you don't consume dairy or you gravitate to low-fat or fat-free options, well then your dietary intake of this nutrient will be far less. Now interestingly, if you are following a very high-fat diet, such as a ketogenic diet, that might dramatically reduce the amount of pentadecanoic acid that you can absorb from those foods, blunting the potential benefits. Now, you will see references to pentadecanoic acid as an essential fatty acid, but it is not officially recognized as an essential nutrient. Neither is there a recommended daily intake for this nutrient. However, there has been some research associated higher dietary intake or higher blood levels of this fatty acid with increased longevity, and lower risks of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or heart failure. These are mostly correlations. And in the show notes, I'll include links to a handful of articles in peer-reviewed journals reviewing the existing research and making the case for pentadecanoic acid as an essential fatty acid. Although these papers have cleared the peer review process, it at least bears mentioning that the primary author for most of these papers works for the company that holds the patent for this particular fatty acid, as well as for the company that sells it as a supplement. I'm not saying there's not a good case to be made here. Rather, we may only be hearing one side of it. And, as you might expect, once we leave the scientific literature and turn to the marketing materials, things get a lot more exciting. At Mayo Clinic, we are conquering the unconquerable. Our experts are leading the way with innovative regenerative medicines and biotherapeutics that can repair diseased, injured, or defective tissues and organs to help treat people with chronic medical conditions. We're making more possible at Mayo Clinic because every day we're doing what's never been done. Learn more at mayoclinic.org slash possible. Mayo Clinic, you know where to go. to deliver thoughtful gifts that help create lasting bonds. Because it's more than just a gift. It's your way of showing you care. Visit 1-800-Flowers.com slash SXM and connect today. That's 1-800-Flowers.com slash SXM. One of the primary arguments and claims for the Fatty 15 supplement is that it provides protection against cellular fragility syndrome. And one of the problems with this claim is that this appears to be a completely invented condition. According to the company that sells Fatty 15, cellular fragility syndrome affects approximately one in three people, despite the fact that this syndrome is not recognized by any medical authority, detectable by any lab test, or included in any standard diagnostic classifications. And the best way to prevent or reverse this condition is, well, you can probably guess. You might also be impressed by what appears to be the volume of scientific research supporting this new discovery. The marketing materials cite over a hundred peer-reviewed studies to support the benefits of this very special fatty acid, the benefits of which were first identified, by the way, by scientists who were studying dolphins. Who doesn't love dolphins? But among those hundred or more peer-reviewed studies, there appear to be only two randomized controlled trials of pentadecanoic acid in humans. And one of those simply demonstrates that if you take it as a supplement, it will increase the levels of the fatty acid in your blood. In fact, the vast majority of all of these studies to support this supplement are assays of cell cultures in petri dishes or animal studies or correlations observed in population studies. It's not that there's nothing here, but as often happens in the world of nutritional supplements, the marketing has gotten way ahead of what is promising but still extremely preliminary research. As one critic expressed it, the marketing behind Fatty 15 is essentially the equivalent of selling tickets to a concert before the band has even confirmed that they're playing. But what about all these rapturous testimonials from users who are convinced that this supplement has transformed their health or is responsible for positive changes in their lab work? Well, these kinds of anecdotal reports have the same weaknesses that I mentioned just recently in my episode on raw milk. There's reporting bias, where positive results are much more likely to be documented than no results. There are uncontrolled variables, where the user makes a whole bunch of changes at once, but then ascribes the results that they see to just one of them. And of course, the placebo effect, which is especially hard to avoid when you're trying to assess effects like energy, mental clarity, or reduced cravings. Okay, so the evidence that the supplement will make you healthier, or make your cells less fragile, or extend your longevity might still be pretty limited. But is there any downside? Well, the good news is that there doesn't appear to be any real safety concerns. And in fact, because this fatty acid does not have any effect on blood clotting, it may be even a bit safer than old school fish oil supplements. Really, the main hazard that I can see, other than making this type of hype profitable, thereby encouraging more of the same, is the possible harm to your wallet. This supplement will cost you $40, $50 a month."