Newly Discovered Cause of Insulin Resistance is Not Sugar or Saturated Fat - Dr. Venn Watson

Intro (0s)

• Iron overload and lipid peroxidation in the liver can lead to insulin resistance.
• Iron deposition in the pancreas can cause beta cells to stop producing insulin.
• The combination of liver and pancreas dysfunction can lead to metabolic syndrome, increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

First Nutritional Deficiency Syndrome Discovered in 75 Years (1m0s)

• A new nutritional deficiency syndrome called cellular fragility syndrome has been discovered.
• Cellular fragility syndrome is caused by a deficiency of C15 fatty acid in the cell membrane.
• C15 deficiency makes cell membranes weak, leading to faster aging and an increased risk of age-associated diseases.

Cellular Fragility (1m57s)

• Cell membranes are made of lipids and can become weak depending on the type of fatty acids present.
• Weak cell membranes cause cells to age faster, leading to faster aging of the individual.
• C15 deficiency syndrome may explain the increasing incidence of age-associated diseases in younger people.

Link Between Cellular Fragility & Insulin Resistance (ferroptosis) (3m20s)

• Ferroptosis, a newly discovered form of cell death, is characterized by fragile fatty acids in the cell membrane leading to lipid peroxidation and iron accumulation, ultimately causing cell death.
• C15 deficiency, found in Navy dolphins with a liver disease characterized by iron overload and fatty liver, is the cause of ferroptosis.
• C15 deficiency has been linked to insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, and other health issues in both dolphins and humans.
• The decline in C15, a fatty acid found in fish and dairy fat, is associated with the warming of waters, which affects the fat content of fish.
• C15 supplementation has been shown to stabilize cell membranes, decrease lipid peroxidation, stop iron deposition, reduce reactive oxygen species, and repair mitochondria, effectively fixing all components of ferroptosis.

15% off Fatty15 (9m47s)

• Fatty15 is offering a 15% discount.
• Insulin resistance is not primarily caused by sugar or saturated fat.
• Low levels of C15 in cells, including red blood cells, leads to insulin resistance.
• Weak red blood cells are engulfed by macrophages in the liver.
• The corpses of the red blood cells accumulate over time, leading to iron deposition in the liver and insulin resistance.

How Low C15 Levels Lead to Health Issues (11m48s)

• Iron overload in the liver can cause damage to various organs, including the brain, heart, and pancreas, and can lead to metabolic syndrome, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
• C15 deficiency is associated with metabolic dysfunction and could potentially contribute to cardiovascular disease, but more research is needed to establish a direct link.
• Ferroptosis is a process that increases the risk and speeds up the onset of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease, and may be the root cause of accelerated aging and increased risk of diseases in younger people.
• A deficiency in C15:0, a type of fatty acid, is the root cause of insulin resistance and associated diseases such as fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and mental health problems.
• Unlike humans, dolphins do not suffer from obesity, ultra-processed foods, or trans fatty acids, yet they still develop insulin resistance due to a deficiency in C15:0.
• C15:0 is essential for maintaining the integrity of cell membranes, and a deficiency leads to cellular fragility syndrome.
• Restoring C15:0 levels can reverse the deficiency syndrome and improve overall health.

Clinical Deficiency Explained (26m13s)

• C15 deficiency is well-defined and caused by deficiencies in C15.
• C15 deficiency can be fixed by C15.
• C15 deficiency has been shown to be linked to aging.
• C15 has been removed from diets unintentionally over the last 50 years.
• The experiment of removing C15 from diets has tested the hypothesis that C15 is an essential fatty acid.
• Sardinia is a longevity blue zone with unique aspects compared to other blue zones.
• Protein consumption is a bit higher in Sardinia than in many other blue zones.
• Sardinia is known as the island of centenarians, with the largest population of long-lived centenarian men in the world.
• Sardinia has the largest population or relative population of Long lived centenarian men of anywhere in the world.
• C15 levels were studied in Sardinia to help define nutritional deficiency and optimal C15 levels.

Longevity of People From Sardinia (C15 levels) (29m0s)

• People in Sardinia have higher levels of C15 (pentadecanoic acid) in their cell membranes, which contributes to their exceptional longevity and lower rates of heart disease.
• Sardinians primarily consume dairy products, with meat only eaten occasionally.
• The dairy products in Sardinia, particularly goat and sheep milk, are rich in C15 due to the animals grazing on mountainous grass.
• Peino cheese and a soft goat cheese aged for 30 days are two dairy products commonly consumed in Sardinia that are particularly high in bioavailable C15.
• CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid), specifically C15, is an essential fat that the body cannot create and must be obtained from the diet.
• Consuming enough CLA from dietary sources is necessary for optimal health.

Endogenous Production of C15 (36m29s)

• C15 is a fatty acid that is important for insulin sensitivity.
• Sardinia has a high concentration of C15 in their diet, which may contribute to their lower rates of insulin resistance and other chronic diseases.
• The US has a lower consumption of C15, which may be due to factors such as pasteurization and the preference for cow's milk over goat's milk.
• The decline in C15 consumption may be a contributing factor to the increase in insulin resistance and other chronic diseases in the US since 1990.

Do We Consume Enough C15 Through Food? (39m2s)

• A high intake of pro-inflammatory fats can reduce the effectiveness of C15 in combating these fats.
• Whole dairy fat does not reliably improve metabolic heart and liver health, although individual nutrients within dairy fat can have beneficial effects if extracted from the milk matrix.
• The Sardinians' high saturated fat consumption is balanced by a consistent calorie deficit and other positive factors, making it difficult to apply their diet to the US population.
• C15 supplementation may be a better option for obtaining specific C15 benefits.
• Insulin resistance is not caused by sugar or saturated fat, but can be addressed by increasing C15 levels in the body.
• A pure C15 ingredient has been developed that is more potent, bioavailable, and vegan-friendly.
• The discovery was made through research funded by the Office of Naval Research to investigate a syndrome observed in Navy dolphins, with the goal of finding a solution within a specific timeframe rather than focusing on publishing papers.
• The research has now expanded from Navy dolphins to global health applications.

Bringing C15 Back Into our Lives (46m8s)

• C15 is a pure form of vitamin B15, and the average person needs between 100 to 2 milligrams of it per day.
• C15 deficiency is a global problem, especially in developed countries.
• There is a need to increase accessibility to C15 globally.
• Pediatricians in the 1990s recommended that young children and infants should not consume whole fat milk, leading to a dramatic decrease in C15 levels in children.
• C15 deficiency in mothers during pregnancy and breastfeeding can result in cognitive impairment in their children.

The Exact Amount of C15 That We Need (48m13s)

• A recent study in France found that mothers with lower C15 levels in their red blood cell membranes during pregnancy and in their milk resulted in their children having lower cognitive performance at ages 2, 3, 5, and 6 years old.

Decrease in Whole Fat Milk Consumption in Kids (49m20s)

• Infant formulas do not contain C15, and there is a call to action to fortify infant formulas with C15.
• Fortification of foods with C15 is being considered as a potential solution to address C15 deficiency.

How C15 Levels During Pregnancy Affects Children (50m55s)

• C15 is a stable nutrient that can be fortified in foods to improve global health.
• C15 plays a crucial role in stabilizing cells and does not easily go bad at room temperature.
• Fortification with C15 is a promising approach to address nutrient deficiencies.

Fortifying Foods with C15 (52m29s)

• Fatty acid panels, including C15, have been used by functional medicine practitioners for at least the past five years.
• Functional medicine practitioners have observed significant differences in C15 levels among their patients.
• Atome spot test for C15 levels is now available through a partnership with Gova Diagnostics, making it easier for individuals to measure their C15 levels.

Checking Your C15 Levels (54m16s)

• There is now a way to test C15 levels by measuring the amount of C15 in red blood cell membranes.
• This method is more stable and reliable compared to serum and plasma tests, similar to how HbA1c is a more stable measurement of glucose levels compared to glucose itself.
• The test results can be used as a basis for making informed decisions about C15 levels.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of bringing attention to the study and its findings, as it provides valuable information that people need to know.
• The speaker clarifies that the purpose of the video is to raise awareness about the study, not to promote a supplement company that sells C15.
• The speaker expresses gratitude to the guest for sharing their knowledge and to the workout partner for the morning workout.