May 07, 2025

How dietary guidelines changed our rate of aging with Stephanie Venn-Watson

30 minutes

This week on Second Opinion, Christina Farr and Ash Zenooz interview Seraphina Therapeutics CEO Steph Venn-Watson, unpacking why men dominate the longevity space, the cellular secrets of aging, and C15:0’s potential to boost health.

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LINKS:
The Longevity Nutrient: https://www.amazon.com/Longevity-Nutrient-Unexpected-Holds-Healthy/dp/1668063549
Subscribe to Second Opinion Newsletter: https://secondopinion.media/

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FOLLOW:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanievennwatson/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinafarr/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashzenooz/

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

Christina Farr, Ash Zenooz and Seraphina Therapeutics CEO Stephanie Venn-Watson explore women's perspectives on longevity versus the male-dominated "influencer" space in this field.

Stephanie explains that traditional "longevity" focused on living forever doesn't resonate with most women, who instead want quality years.

Stephanie reveals concerning data that people born after 1990 are showing aging-related diseases at younger ages than previous generations.

While studying Navy dolphins, Stephanie's team discovered that a molecule called C15:0 (pentadecanoic acid) was linked to healthier aging.

C15:0 is a saturated fat primarily found in dairy fat, which has been significantly reduced in American diets since 1977 dietary guidelines.

The 1977 congressional guidelines recommended decreasing saturated fat intake, leading to widespread adoption of low-fat dairy.

This dietary shift doubled down in the 1990s when pediatricians began recommending switching children from whole milk to low-fat milk at age two.

People born since the 1990s have grown up in what Stephanie calls a "C15:0 deficient world."

The good news is that C15:0 supplementation can help reverse some of these conditions according to clinical trials.

C15:0 levels can also be increased through diet (especially grass-fed dairy), exercise, and consuming fiber.

...more

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By Christina Farr, Luba Greenwood, Ash Zenooz

4.9

1515 ratings