Recent study found that pentadecanoic acid may have beneficial impact on metabolic health

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A recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition investigated the impacts of pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) on obese participants. Pentadecanoic acid is a newly discovered odd-chain saturated fatty acid. In the study, 30 participants with a mean age of 20 and a mean BMI of 33.4 kg/m2 were randomized to receive either C:15:0 or placebo for 12 weeks. Twenty of the participants received 200 mg of C:15:0 daily, and 10 received a matching placebo.

The primary outcome of the study was the change in plasma C:15:0 levels in participants between baseline and 12 weeks. Results showed that participants taking C:15:0 saw a 1.88 μg/mL greater mean increase in circulating C:15:0 than the placebo group, and that supplementation was well-tolerated, with no adverse events reported. The study also noted that half of the participants in the treatment group saw an increase in C:15:0 levels of 5 μg/mL. According to the study, these participants saw a significantly greater decrease in the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, as well as a greater increase in hemoglobin compared to those whose post-treatment C:15:0 levels did not grow more than 5 μg/mL.

"This study is an important step in confirming that C15:0 supplementation can effectively raise circulating C15:0 levels, potentially leading to improvements in metabolic health,” said Jeffrey Schwimmer, MD, senior author of the clinical trial and a global leader in pediatric fatty liver disease research, in a press release. “While many questions remain, particularly regarding the optimal dosage and application in conditions like fatty liver disease, our findings indicate that C15:0 may have a role in managing the underlying metabolic dysfunction common among some patients with liver disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease."

“Dr. Schwimmer’s clinical trial is an important milestone for the growing movement to fix C15:0 deficiencies and restore global health,” said Stephanie Venn-Watson, DVM, MPH, Seraphina Therapeutics’ co-founder and CEO. “There is an increasingly urgent need to revisit current nutritional guidelines around saturated fats, especially odd-chain saturated fats, to help people maintain healthy C15:0 levels and protect their long-term health.”