The US Navy in San Diego has cared for a population of around 100 bottle-nosed dolphins for the past 60+years. The dolphins live in San Diego Bay, are allowed to swim freely out into the open ocean and they choose to return to the naval base every day, (probably for the food they are given). These “captive” dolphins live at least 50% longer than dolphins in the wild: Wild dolphins have a lifespan of 20 years but the Navy dolphins routinely live to 40 and even 50 years old.
Over the past two decades, It’s been discovered that dolphins age a lot like humans do. Dolphins are large-brained, long-lived animals with many of the same age-related problems as humans, such as fatty liver disease, chronic inflammation, arthritis and even the full suite of changes consistent with Alzheimer’s disease. The most interesting observation was that wild dolphins in Florida waters were aging more rapidly than the US navy dolphins in San Diego.
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To find out why some dolphins were aging more slowly than others, scientist Dr. Venn-Watson and her Navy physician husband used an advanced technology called “metabolomics” to look at thousands of small molecules present in the dolphins blood to determine what the top predictors of healthy aging in dolphins were. They identified about 100 molecules, the most effective of which was C15:0, also known as pentadecanoic acid. The longer-lived dolphins were eating a type of fish food that contained more C15:0 because it contained fish heads and bones.
C15:0 was discovered in 1942 but it was not recognized for what it was: An essential fatty acid 3-5 times more powerful than omega 3’s. “Essential” means we have to eat it or supplement with it because our bodies need it but we can’t make it by ourselves. C15:0 activates AMPK and inhibits mTOR, both of which are core components of the human longevity pathway. In other words, C15:0 slows down and even reverses aging at the cellular level. C15:0 also reduces inflammation and inflammation is the root cause of disease including Alzheimer’s, Heart Disease, Cancer and many others.
Now here is the REALLY good news! You don’t need to eat fish heads. You can find this essential fatty acid in foods you were told to avoid because they were supposed to be bad for you: Butter, cream and full fat cheeses like cheddar and colby. Grass fed, full fat dairy seems to contain more C15:0 compared to regular butter. These dairy items are all saturated fats that have been demonized for the past few decades by the medical/pharmaceutical establishment in order to sell statin drugs.
High cholesterol has long been believed to cause heart disease. More recently, cholesterol has been discovered to protect cell membranes which are made from cholesterol. There are actually 3 types of cholesterol: HDL or “High Density Lipid” which is good for your heart and your brain, LDL or “Low Density Lipid” which is now believed to also protect against disease and VLDL which stands for “Very Low Density Lipid”. Here in Mexico we are given all 3 numbers on a lipids test but in the US, you are usually given only two numbers for HDL and LDL. This is incorrect, as the VLDL is the lipid to worry about, not LDL. Unless you are diabetic. Then you will convert LDL to VLDL.
VLDL is the type of cholesterol that causes nicks in your arteries where blood fats can collect and clog an artery. If you only look at the total LDL, that is not useful information. Unless you are trying to sell statin drugs. Statins are still one of the most prescribed drugs in the world.
While saturated fats from full fat dairy or red meat can raise your total LDL cholesterol, it turns out that VLDL, (the worst cholesterol), is created by eating sugar, highly processed foods and high fructose corn syrup NOT saturated fats. Other contributors to high VLDL are smoking and a sedentary lifestyle. Eggs, butter, cheese and cream are not the culprits. Anger and stress also contribute to high VLDL but your steak fried in butter is not going to give you a heart attack.
If you go to your doctor and your total cholesterol number is above 200, it is very likely you will be told you need a statin drug. Here is the problem with that: My total cholesterol number is 247. I have been pestered for a decade to go on a statin drug, which I steadfastly refused to do. Ten years later, I am glad I refused because my HDL is 128, my LDL is 113, my VLDL is 5 and my triglycerides are 28.
My HDL is super high and my triglycerides super low so that means I am insulin-sensitive. If I were a diabetic then the high LDL would be a problem. Since I am metabolically healthy, I am glad to have high LDL to make new cell membranes with and to protect my brain.
The huge problem with statin drugs are the side effects that include muscle cramping, weakness and tiredness. One of the main things you MUST do if you want to age successfully is to exercise, preferably strength-training to build skeletal muscle. If you feel tired, weak and your muscles are sore, it’s rather unlikely you will feel like going to the gym to hit the stacks. Statins are the enemy of healthy aging unless you absolutely need them. If you don’t know your numbers, (HDL, LDL, VLDL and triglycerides), you can not make an informed decision.
My advice would be to educate yourself on any drugs you have been prescribed and any conditions you have been diagnosed with. At the very least, you will have intelligent questions for your doctor. A good doctor will appreciate that you have smart questions! If they take umbrage, get a new doctor.
If you have any specific questions regarding this article or others I have written, please contact me at robynlittlewood@yahoo.com or shoot a Whatsapp to +526242119435 and I will be happy to help if I can.
