The Benefits of Cod Liver Oil as a Supplement
Nutritional Supplement Soft Gels Provides Omega-3, Many Vitamins
Oct 15, 2008
Cod liver oil is a nutritional supplement that is derived from the liver of cod fish. The cod itself is a tasty fish that provides a mild flavor with a low level of fat. Using the liver from these cod fish, cod liver oil supplements are created, often sold in small gelatin capsules for consumption.
What Cod Liver Oil Provides
Cod liver oil consists of high levels of omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) as well as high levels of both vitamin A and vitamin D. This combination of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids makes it an extremely useful tool for people who are looking to take advantage of its health benefits.
Differences between Cod Liver Oil and Typical Fish Oils
Fish oils are normally extracted from the cooked "whole body" of the fish while the manufacturing process of creating "fish meal" is taking place. This comes from fatty fish most of the time, rather than from a regular fish. When it comes to cod liver oil, this is harvested by cooking the livers of cod fish with steam, and then pressing or decanting the cooked livers to extract the healthy oils. The main difference (other than the harvesting) is that the cod liver oil is much healthier to the human body because of what it can provide.
The Benefits of Taking Cod Liver Oil
Omega-3 fatty acids are utilized by many of the bodies’ tissues, including your eyes, brain, and heart, thus making sure that your diet is rich in omega-3s helps all of these components of our bodies. They also assist in helping out our joints, the digestive system, and many other systems within the body. The importance of the omega-3s is really immeasurable, as the human body cannot produce its own, and must gain it through consumption of healthy foods and supplements.
The additional benefits of cod liver oil come from its composition of vitamins A & D, which the body also needs on a daily basis. The vitamin A assists in bone and tooth formation as well as nerve and eye functions, while the Vitamin D regulates our calcium and phosphorus levels to help us maintain healthy bones.
The Risks of Taking Cod Liver Oil
There are risks associated with taking any vitamin or supplement, but the risks of taking cod liver oil are probably minor in the scale of things. The component that could potentially be a risk is the Vitamin A content of the supplement, as having too much Vitamin A in your system can be unhealthy.
The recommended high end limit of Vitamin A in a day is 25,000 IU, so you want to be careful if you are taking supplements along with your cod liver oil pills. A typical cod liver oil soft gel has only 1250 I.U., or 25% of your recommended daily intake, so as long as you are careful with your overall vitamin A consumption, you will be fine.
A Suggested Product for Cod Liver Oil Consumption
Nature Made sells cod liver oil supplements that are recommended by pharmacists, and which come in a nice and easy to take soft-gel. They provide 25% of recommended daily value of vitamin A as well as 32% of the daily vitamin D that is needed. They are sold in 100 count bottles that make it easy to take the supplement.
It is very beneficial for the body to receive the omega-3 fatty acids and the vitamins that cod liver oil provide, and that makes it a very valuable tool in remaining healthy.
