Have you seen the ads for a new anti-aging supplement called Fatty 15? It is apparently not just

beneficial, but essential to your health, specifically combating something called cellular

fragility syndrome. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Hello, this is Monica Rineagle, 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, Fatty 15 supplies a saturated fatty acid called pentadecinoic 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.

Pentaecanoic acid is the common name for a saturated fatty acid containing 15 carbon atoms,

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