Cod liver oil has been an age-old remedy for well over a hundred years. It is a nutrient-dense oil derived from cod fish. It is one of the best sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) as well as high level of vitamins A and D. The USDA recommend a teaspoon of cod liver oil or indeed fish oil most days for both children and adults. It contains 41 calories with 4.5 grams of fats split between monounsaturated, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
The benefits outlined are:-
Diabetic Management
Cod Liver Oil may help in the regulation of insulin resistance, inflammation and management of blood glucose levels. The evidence for this began with rat studies where cod liver oil supplements were fed to diabetic rats for 12 weeks which apparently helped in their ‘management’ of diabetes. There is however evidence that there is no benefit in humans however a large scale- study and review of papers is required to understand the full implications of such research.
Maintaining and Regulating Bone Health
Vitamin D is needed for building and maintaining good bone strength and in mineral reabsorption.
Heart Health
A daily intake of the oil is associated with preventing coronary heart disease or atherosclerosis which is a major disease of the heart’s main blood vessels.
Eye Health
The presence of vitamin A helps with eye health. It keeps the surface of eyes, skin and mucous membranes in good health. It helps in reducing eye infections and with warding off bacteria and viruses.
Cholesterol Management
It is associated with lowering LDL (low-density lipoproteins) or the ‘bad cholesterol’ but improves levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) which is the ‘good cholesterol’.
Anxiety Reduction
Associated with reducing depression and anxiety in a populations
Immunity Boosts
Vitamin A is an antioxidant that reduces free-radical damage or oxidative stress.
Reduces The Incidence Of Respiratory Infections
Supplementation reduces the incidence of upper respiratory infections by between 36 to 58 per cent.
Lowering The Cancer Risk
Vitamin D is said to be one of the main cancer battling agents. Although we manufacture it when exposed to the sun, supplementation helps those who are not as exposed.
Treating Arthritis
The high level of vitamin D means calcium uptake in the gut is better which not only helps in bone growth but also reduces inflammation in joints and other extremities.
Generally, cod liver oil is one of the outstanding supplements because it is associated with so alleviating so many medical conditions. It has to be borne in mind that consumption of too much vitamin A is an issue and should be managed. Vitamin A is also found in foods such as sweet potato and carrots, leafy green vegetables especially spinach.
Too much of this vitamin leads to joint pain and headaches. The maximum intake of vitamin A is set at 10,000 IU daily but read the labels carefully as levels can be in excess of this amount. It is recommended by the Harvard School Of Public Health that a supplement of 500mg is ideal if fish and other omega-3 fatty acid rich foods are not consumed regularly. Cod liver oil is an ideal supplement for children.
Cod Liver Oil And Improvements In Pregnancy
Recent evidence clinical evidence suggests that supplementation with n–3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) in pregnancy can prolong pregnancy and thereby increase birth weight. A double-blind randomized controlled trial conducted on 736 pregnant women and their offspring, from the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2010 cohort showed considerable value in improving both gestation and birth weight of new born babies (Vinding et al., 2019).
The suggestion is that supplementation during the third trimester with long chain fatty acids from fish oil can prolong the carriage of foetus and improve birth size.
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References
Vinding, R. K., Stokholm, J., Sevelsted, A., Chawes, B. L., Bønnelykke, K., Barman, M., … & Bisgaard, H. (2019). Fish oil supplementation in pregnancy increases gestational age, size for gestational age, and birth weight in infants: A randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Nutrition, 149(4), pp. 628-634 (Article)
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