I recently watched a TikTok video in which someone tried a youth treatment that involved going back inside the womb. It was a joke, but not too far off from the great lengths many are willing to go to reverse the effects of Father Time, especially here in Los Angeles.

Just as I began to consider considering more drastic measures for my aging face, I came across fatty15, a supplement made with the newly discovered essential fatty acid, C15:0 (aka pentadecanoic acid)—the first to be discovered in over 90 years!

Lucky for me, The Chalkboard asked me to try the much buzzed about supplement for myself and it didn’t take much convincing. Fatty15 is poised to transform how we tackle aging and repair our mitochondrial function from the inside out.

“Say no more,” I said, waving my hands in the air. “I’ll try it.”

The First Essential Fatty Acid To Be Discovered In Over 90 Years

While, like most serious wellness devotees, TCM has been a big believer in fatty15 for quite some time, I had to see for myself what all the hubbub was about.

I was fortunate enough to sit down with Drs. Stephanie and Eric Venn-Watson, who co-founded the brand, and they explained everything to me in words I could understand (some I, admittedly, had to look up!).

In short, C:15:0 was discovered as a beneficial fat by Dr. Stephanie during her time as a veterinary epidemiologist, who was helping to continually improve the health and welfare of aging dolphins at the Navy (yes, really!). Over the course of 10 years, she observed that the dolphins aging best had the presence of certain small molecules in their blood that served as predictors of healthy aging.

Among those molecules, the best in class was C15:0, a healthy and active saturated fat that presented itself as an essential fatty acid (EFA). Essential, by the way, means “a nutrient that our bodies must have to maintain baseline health.” Unfortunately, our bodies don’t make enough C15:0 on our own, so most of us need to supplement it.

While C15:0 is naturally found in dairy, some fish, and plants, the majority of us are deficient in this specific EFA because 1) many of us have stopped drinking whole milk dairy, opting instead for plant-based options; 2) even if we were to be aboard the dairy train, the corn-feeding of our livestock leaves us with depleted, nutrient-deficient food sources, which reduce our C15:0; and 3) the U.S.’s historic avoidance of saturated fats. Long term, this means accelerated aging and fewer defenses to help us fight against daily oxidative stress on our cells.

Fatty15 proudly contains 100% C15:0, which the Venn-Watson’s suggest serves as armor for our cells to keep us healthy and protected against premature breakdown as we age. You might not guess it, but fatty15 is also completely vegan.

The Trouble with Omega-3 Supplements

Unlike saturated fats C16:0 and C18:0 that can increase our risk of developing type II diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic inflammatory diseases, C15:0 is an “odd-chain” saturated fat that has been shown to help reduce inflammation and protect our heart and metabolic health across the board in study after study.

Dr. Stephanie shared that  “most people have long been taught that their omega 3s are an integral part of their health. But what they don’t realize is that the science behind omega-3 supplements has been falling. The list of omega-3 supplement benefits is likely getting shorter because EPA and other omega-3s are unstable, poly-unsaturated fats with multiple double bonds that make them particularly susceptible to oxidation and rancidity.” Translation? If your Omega 3 supplement is shipped in a box that overheats, it can go bad very quickly. If it goes bad in the bottle, it can go bad in the body and can start to wreak havoc. If just one element changes in these delicate supplements, the whole makeup of that fat can become fragile.

The Scientific Benefits Of fatty15

Pure C15:0 has been shown to be three times more effective than EPA at the cellular level, while being a completely stable, healthy, saturated fat. Not a single double bond in sight.

As a pure source of C:15:0, fatty15 can support the reversal of cellular aging, which can translate to meaningful, long-lasting benefits for many of us, including:

+ Healthy metabolism
+ Balanced immunity
+ Improved heart health
+ Improved liver function
+ Longer life
+ Deeper sleep
+ More energy
+ Less hunger
+ Improved mood

Here’s what I noticed…

My Fatty15 Experience + Evening Routine

I’ll start with the basics because, despite their science-driven nature, the fatty15 team has not neglected the unboxing experience. My fatty15 arrived with one glass bottle and three individual pouches, each with a month’s supply inside. All of the packaging is sustainability-focused and low-waste, which I found very impressive and reassuring. The brand’s entire mission is about reducing cellular friction which we know can be aggravated by climate change–it all makes sense.

While you can opt to take fatty15 whenever you see fit in your supplement routine, I opted for a nighttime dose so the C:15:0 could “do its thing” during my body’s most primed time for cellular repair.

I went into my fatty15 experiment hoping to improve the below:

01 | My sleep quality. I often take hours to decompress at night and wake up feeling exhausted.

02 | My post-workout recovery. I go pretty hard five-to-seven days a week in the gym, and find that, by day seven, my knee hurts or my hips feel prohibitively tight.

03 | My hair and skin. During more stressful periods of my life, my skin and hair take a hit. Recently, I’ve noticed more hormonal breakouts and hair loss (devastating).

04 | My central nervous system. I’m a Jewish woman from Los Angeles, who works in digital media. Dare I say more?

As a tried-and-true Virgo, who loves routines, I had no problem adding fatty15 into my daily supplement portfolio. I even removed my omega 3 from my regimen so as to give C:15:0 the stage to perform. While I was nervous, I was not disappointed.

Within two weeks, I noticed things started to change in my body. Normally, I wake up in what can only be described as a state of panic, and then find myself trying to catch my breath throughout the day. (“Dysregulation, much?”) I could feel a blanket of ease come over me, making it easier for me to take deep breaths throughout the day, which also meant that my food was digested better and I could think more clearly.

I also observed that it took me a lot less time to fall into a deep sleep. My mind quieted from the usual evening ritual of obsessing over every detail from the day or worrying about my entire future. I’d wake up feeling refreshed and energized, not frazzled or stressed.

While Dr. Stephanie explained that it takes about 3 to 6 months with fatty15 before I’d see a change in my hair, skin, and nails (and 6 to 12 before one would see a change in liver enzyme and glucose numbers), I felt like my skin was less hormonal and brighter. Most importantly, I felt that I was contributing to my overall wellbeing every day.

Final Thoughts on My Fatty15 Experience

Aside from the fact that fatty15 is peer-reviewed and scientifically backed, it helped support all of the facets of my life that keep me healthy. As someone who is already living a healthy lifestyle, but looking to optimize to the max, fatty15 gave me one more tool to lower the potential impact of my overall daily stressors on a cellular level.

Dr. Stephanie and Eric don’t suggest that fatty15 could replace a healthy lifestyle. They’re hoping to boost your efforts so that your 100% investment gives you a 100% return.

I am still working through my three-month supply, but I’m super jazzed to see how my body continues to find its stasis, which I’m learning is my absolute best when it comes to mental health, sleep and performance.

Interested in trying C:15:0 for yourself? We’ve teamed up with the fatty15 team to offer TCM readers an exclusive 20% off the 90-Day Starter Kit with subscription.