Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil has been used as a health supplement for general health and bone and joint health for centuries, and has now become popular again with the realisation that it is a rich source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, as well as being an excellent source of vitamin A and D. Newer formulations combine cod liver oil with other ingredients as lifestyle and health products for joints, heart and women's health.

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Grandma's Favourite

Cod liver oil is extracted from the liver of the cod fish. and it has a long history as a popular folk medicine among Scottish and Nordic fishermen. In the 18th century, scientific research endorsed its reputation, and it became an established medical treatment for illnesses linked to malnutrition, and by the 20th century it was a recognised cure for rickets due to vitamin D deficiency. The health benefits of its Vitamin A and Vitamin D content were so widely recognised that it was given free to pregnant and nursing mothers, and children up to five years old during the Second World War.

Going Out Of Fashion

Cod liver oil then slowly declined in popularity as newer multivitamin and mineral products offered a more balanced vitamin combination. It gradually became regarded as old-fashioned, but retained it's popularity with older people, who were confident of it's health properties.

Popular Again - The Omega-3 Connection

The discovery of omega-3 fatty acids in the 1970's, and the finding that they are essential for heart, joint and brain health, boosted cod liver oil's popularity. Cod liver oil is one of the few natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids, so It was realised that its health properties were not just limited to its vitamin A and D content.

Unfortunately, the dose of omega-3 was limited by the amount of vitamin A that you could take, because it could be poisonous it you took too much. This limited the amount of cod liver oil your could take, and limited the amount of omega-3 fatty acids you could take to a level that was below what was optimum for it's health benefits.

New ways of processing cod liver oil reduced the amount of vitamin A and allowed a higher dose to be taken, which gave a higher dose of omega-3 fatty acids without the danger of overdosing on vitamin A. Vitamin D was retained at a level that was safe to take. This is the basis of the high strength cod liver oil formulations.

Fish oils naturally contain omega-3 without the vitamin A and D content. Fish oils were made from the flesh of oily fish, rather than the liver, and provided an additional source of omega-3 fatty acids, where the dose you could take was not limited. Fish oils became popular in their own right, and later Krill oil showed some further advantages due to the way omega-3's are better absorbed from it.

Even Better - The Wonders Of Vitamin D

Vitamin D has been shown to have remarkable health benefits, and much recent research has been published on this subject. Vitamin D is produced by the action of ultra-violet light from sunlight on the skin, and so adequate exposure to the sun has great health benefits, provided that you do this in a controlled way so that you don't get sunburn. More specifically vitamin D is produced by the action of UV-B rays on cholesterol in the skin, and so having a low cholesterol level and taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol levels reduce the natural production of vitamin D. The health advice to stay out of the sun and reduce cholesterol levels produces a combined effect on reducing natural vitamin D production.

Col liver oil remains uniquely placed as the only source of significant amounts
of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, both of which are essential,
but sadly lacking in the average diet

Lack of exposure to sunlight during the colder months results in low levels of vitamin D, and this reduces the activity of your immune system, making you more susceptible to infections such as colds and flu, which may explain why these happen more in the winter.

The current recommended dose of vitamin D is far too low at 200 IU a day, based on the dose needed to prevent rickets, however modern research suggests that ten times this dose is needed to provide the health benefits of vitamin D that the body needs. There is a worry that such a high dose may be toxic, but the safety of such high doses has been confirmed in many modern studies. Taking adequate doses of vitamin A at the same time also appears to minimise the chance of toxicity. (See Vitamin D and Sunlight Exposure).

Cod liver oil is the richest natural source of vitamin D, and there are very few other natural food sources of vitamin D to boost this important vitamin during winter months. There are no natural plant sources of vitamin D, and oily fish and eggs are the best animal sources.

Cod liver oil remains uniquely placed as the only source of significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, both of which are essential, but sadly lacking in the average diet.