Frequently Asked Questions about C60
C60 is a recently discovered carbon molecule which has amazing and almost magical properties. This has meant an increasing number of people have been asking questions. We deal with some of those questions to help people make a more informed decision about whether to take C60 and experiencing its potential benefits.
What is C60?
C60 is the chemical symbol for the carbon 60 molecule. It is 60 carbon atoms joined together to make a football shaped structure, which you can see in our logo. This structure gives the molecule extraordinary properties which it is gradually revealing. There have been clues as to how special carbon 60 really is. In parts of Russia, carbon 60 is found in natural deposits of a black mineral called shungite. The native people noticed health benefits from shungite and so for centuries they have added it to their water, used it as ornaments and worn it as jewellery. C60 is also found in soot and charcoal. This may explain some of the beneficial effects people have found by including activated charcoal in their diet.
In 2012 researchers in Paris were investigating whether prolonged ingestion of C60 had toxic effects. They dissolved C60 in extra virgin olive oil and gave it to rats over a number of years. Rather than harming the rats, those given C60 lived almost twice as long as the rats not given it. The strain of rats being studied normally develop tumours as they get older but none of those given C60 developed cancer. As part of the experiments they also gave the rats the toxic solvent carbon tetrachloride. This is extremely poisonous and damages the liver. In those rats given C60, the carbon tetrachloride's harmful effects on the liver were much reduced and they recovered much faster. The rats were protected by the C60. They found the C60 rats were physically much more youthful and free of tumours. Not surprisingly when the results of this study were published there was great interest in the potential benefits to humans.
Why is the C60 in olive oil?
C60 is not absorbed into the body unless it is dissolved in something. C60 is virtually insoluble in water but with a lot of effort it will dissolve in olive oil. From the Paris study extra virgin olive oil was used as it was deemed to be harmless. Olive oil indeed contains substances such as polyphenols which are health giving. C60 is a strong antioxidant, much more potent than vitamin C and E. The antioxidant properties are thought to be the main way it achieves it beneficial effects. However this may not be the only way, C60 and olive oil may work together to achieve the observed benefits. This is a subject for further research.
What effects may I experience taking C60?
The effects from taking C60 in olive oil are anecdotal as no controlled trials in humans have been performed, however enough people have taken C60 for us to know the range of effects you might expect. A poll was conducted on the longecity forum involving over 100 of its members.
Click on the image of the poll to find out their experiences.
We think the most notable findings were that more than 75% of the poll participants had positive experiences on taking C60 in olive oil and over 90% would continue using it.
Are there any side effects of taking C60?
There have been no formal controlled trials on taking C60 in olive oil in humans, however many people around the world have taken C60 for several years and to our knowledge no significant ill effects have been reported. In the RevGenetics interview with Professor Moussa of Paris University, who has over 20 years of experience with C60, he said there was no problem with C60 (without modification or polar solvents). "Pure C60 is not toxic, this is absolutely sure..." For a fuller list of effects please see What effects may I experience?
We must impress on novices to taking C60 in olive oil that they slowly build up to the full dose they decide to take. We know that those who start taking a full dose of C60 in olive oil straightaway can experience increased bowel frequency and diarrhoea. This may simply be a response to the olive oil but whatever the exact cause we strongly recommend a gradual increase in dose. We want you to benefit from taking our product without 'teething problems' so if for example your aim is to take 5ml of C60 in olive oil per day then start off with 0.5ml. See how you fair with that and if you have no issues, increase your dose by 0.5ml so that over a couple of weeks you gradually build up to a full dose. This may seem over cautious to some but we would rather you have a positive experience throughout.
Is it safe to take C60 in olive oil if I am pregnant or planning to have a baby?
There have been no controlled trials of C60 in olive oil in humans. There is experimental evidence that C60 will cross the placenta and is found in the breast milk in mice injected with C60, so we can be reasonably sure the same would occur in humans. With the current state of knowledge it would not be advisable for women to take C60 in olive oil if they are pregnant or breast feeding.
Should I take C60 in olive oil with food?
Some people take the oil on its own whilst others take it with food. We know of some who take their C60 in dairy products (especially kefir) and others who claim it is beneficial to take with apple. We are researching the basis of these claims but we have certainly found a smoothie based on kefir including an apple is a palatable way to take our daily dose.
What oil do you use and how do you know the quality?
We currently use an extra virgin olive oil from Spain. Before it is packed each batch is tested by the supplier who uses an accredited laboratory to test for authenticity. The lab is accredited by the European Olive Oil Council that calibrates and checks their work each year. The company we buy the olive oil from carries out their own testing, as a minimum annually and has never had an out of specification result.
What quality of C60 do you use?
We have started to use 99.99% pure C60. This is the purest form of C60 out there. The remaining 0.01% is primarily other fullerenes, particularly C70. There are lower purities of C60 commercially available down to 99.5% pure. These are all biocompatible forms but we prefer to give our customers the purest form of C60.
Do you centrifuge and filter your C60 in olive oil?
No we do not. We know that in the Baati et al study, the olive oil solutions of C60 were filtered and centrifuged. However it is important to note that in a video interview published by RevGenetics on YouTube in March 2015, Professor Fathi Moussa, a coauthor in the original study, was asked whether it was critical to centrifuge and filter the C60 in olive oil solution. He stated that "For scientific reasons we need to filter it to know the exact dose we administered...but [otherwise it] is not necessary to filter it because the C60 crystals will be eliminated [from the body] and what will be absorbed is only the soluble part."
We believe centrifuging and filtering the C60 solution creates unnecessarily handling of the oil and potential exposure to light and oxygen. Both of which should be avoided wherever possible.
What colour is your C60 oil?
This depends on which oil you dissolve the C60 in. Olive oils have different concentrations of chlorophylls and as the oil ages it changes colour too. Harry Kroto, who originally discovered C60, described the colour of pure C60 solution as magenta, which is a reddish purple. Looking through a glass flask of our C60 oil it is definitely magenta but the shade will vary depending on the oil used.
How do you mix your oil and for how long?
We cool stir the oil using a magnetic stirrer for 14 days as in the original Paris study. We keep the oil in the dark throughout. We keep the glass flasks sealed to reduce exposure to oxygen. We are working on analysis of the oil throughout this 14 day period to determine the optimum stirring time. We are looking for the minimum time needed to dissolve the C60 and so reduce exposure of the oil to unnecessary stirring. We do not believe vigorous stirring is good for the oil as it will heat it up and introduce oxygen to the mixture.
How should I keep my C60 in olive oil?
We recommend you keep the oil in a cool dark place and always with the bottle cap on.
If I make a bulk order will the oil go off?
Olive oil oxidises over time. The process of oxidation is accelerated by heat, light and oxygen. We recommend if you are not going to use the C60 in olive oil straightaway you put the bottle in a sealed light proof container and deep freeze the oil. This excludes the oil from the factors which would deteriorate it. When you come to use the oil you can take it out and let it thaw at room temperature. We believe this way you keep your oil fresh.
What are the optimum conditions for producing C60 in olive oil?
There are three things to avoid when producing, handling and storing C60 in olive oil.
Light, oxygen and heat. Our production processes aim to minimise all three. All three accelerate the oxidation of olive oil and the C60. C60 will produce epoxides which may or may not be detrimental but they will reduce the C60's antioxidant capacity. The polyphenol levels in the olive oil decline from the moment it is produced but exposure to oxygen, heat and light all accelerate this. We therefore minimise the exposure to light, heat and oxygen by stirring the C60 olive oil mixtures in sealed flasks maintained in cool dark conditions as well as streamlining our process to reduce handling.
