Steph’s Sardinian Blue Zone C15:0 Levels

Healthy Aging

The Science (and Daily Practices) Behind Optimizing C15:0 Levels

As recently covered in Science Says!, numerous peer-reviewed studies are helping us define low, normal, and optimal C15:0 blood levels relevant to our aging rates and health. Hot off the presses, our co-founder Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson just received her C15:0 test results.

In this issue, we’ll review the science-backed definitions of C15:0 levels, share Steph’s results, and review daily practices that help her maintain Sardinian Longevity Blue Zone levels.

Great! What are the definitions of “Low”, “Normal”, and “Optimal” C15:0 levels?

First, let’s review how C15:0 levels (whether in serum, plasma, red blood cell membranes, or whole blood) are typically reported. In general, C15:0 results may be reported as follows:

• % of total fatty acids
• mcg/ml
• µM

As described in an extensive review published in Metabolites, clinical trials, prospective cohort studies, and laboratory-based studies consistently support the following C15:0 level definitions:

• Low C15:0 Levels: ≤ 0.2% total fatty acids. As described in the Metabolites paper, as many as 1 in 3 people have low C15:0 levels and are susceptible to Cellular Fragility Syndrome. This nutritional C15:0 deficiency syndrome results in fragile cell membranes, ferroptosis, accelerated aging, and affected long-term metabolic, liver, and heart health.
• Today’s Normal C15:0 Levels: > 0.20-0.25%. Today, most people have C15:0 levels in this range. While this range is “normal”, these levels have been driven down over the past 40 years due to population-wide decreased dietary C15:0 intake. Studies repeatedly support that this range reflects people who are likely on the edge of the cliff of Cellular Fragility Syndrome.
• Optimal C15:0 Levels: > 0.4% (≥ 5 mcg/ml, ≥ 20 µM). This range is based on multiple studies published in Nature’s Scientific Reports and Nutrients, which identified optimal C15:0 levels for cellular strength, mitochondrial repair, and 36+ clinically-relevant benefits. Additionally, as shared by Manca et al., people living in the Sardinian Blue Longevity Zone have matching optimal C15:0 levels between 0.4-0.6%, and these same levels have been associated with optimal heart health by an extensive prospective cohort study by Trieu et al.

Take home point: Not only can we increase C15:0 to avoid and treat Cellular Fragility Syndrome, we can leverage C15:0 at higher levels to slow cellular aging and optimize our healthspan.

Okay, so what is Steph’s C15:0 level?

Typical of our nerdy overachiever, Steph’s C15:0 levels are in the optimal range: 0.46% and 5.64 mcg/ml. Below are her test results from Genova Diagnostics’ at-home C15:0 test. The range bars have been colored in to reflect the C15:0 categories listed above. As you can see, Steph’s C15:0 levels are 2x higher than the average U.S. adult. Better yet, her C15:0 levels are in the optimal Sardinian Zone range. Now we’re talking.

Even more importantly, at 52 years old, Steph is pretty darn healthy these days. To boot, her sleep, mood, and joint comfort are in tip-top shape. These added delight and surprise benefits are likely due, as published in Scientific Reports (2022), to that C15:0 metabolite (PDC), which fully activates key endocannabinoid receptors.

How Steph achieves and maintains optimal C15:0 levels.

Understanding that the average person has C15:0 levels of around 0.2%, here are several daily routines that Steph has which support her optimal Sardinian C15:0 longevity levels:

1. Daily fatty15 (of course). By taking the pure, bioavailable, and free fatty acid C15:0 ingredient in fatty15 with her coffee each and every morning, Steph helps to ensure that she maintains reliable and healthy C15:0 levels.
2. Mid-morning snack of a serving of cheese with six whole grain (non-processed) crackers. Like Sardinians, Steph has 1 to 2 servings of pure cheese slices a day, which contain C15:0. Whole grain fiber also contains inulin, which extensive studies by Wei et al. show helps our gut microbes make a humble amount of C15:0.
3. Daily exercise, which often includes resistance training. Liu et al. showed that people who exercise have higher C15:0 levels. Exercise likely taps into C15:0 that is stored in our body and is released into our bloodstream, allowing that C15:0 to go to work throughout our bodies.

Combined, these three parts of Steph’s day help her to achieve and maintain optimal C15:0 levels, which are supporting her overall health (and culinary love of cheese). See? There’s room for all kinds of goodness in our lives.