Ben Greenfield argues that the odd-chain fatty acid C15:0 should be classified as essential. Worm studies show that C15 alone restores normal growth in nutrient-stripped larvae. An essential fatty acid is one your body cannot make enough of and must get from food, and deficiency causes measurable health problems.
Another study was done in worms showing that you could remove every nutrient, not just fatty acids, but every nutrient from a baby worm. And if you give it just C15, its normal growth will restore. So really important follow up from independent teams that have nothing to do with us all concluding that yes, C15 meets the criteria of an essential fatty acid. So lots of exciting work on that frontier. An essential fatty acid is a nutrient that our bodies must have in order to maintain our baseline physiological health. If we don't have enough of it, we will see a deficiency syndrome. So our health will fall apart. Importantly, our bodies can't make enough of this nutrient of this fatty acid. Therefore, we have to get certain amounts routinely from our diet.
The Solution to Aging Might Be Closer Than Anyone Realizes - With Ben Goertzel
