Fish oil is a natural source of essential fatty acids required by the body in order to fight against many diseases. Usually these fatty acids are not present in most people's diet because of the absence of fish and vegetable oils.
It's not difficult to replace these foods by nutritional supplements made from fish oil. Particularly important in the category of fish oil is the cod liver oil. Supplements made from cod liver oil are termed as omega 3 cod liver oil supplements because of their connection with omega 3 essential fatty acids - DHA and EPA. These fatty acids cannot be made by the body itself. Most people are deficient of these, especially those who haven't eaten fish their entire life.
Vegetable oils like canola, soybean and sunflower also contain some percentage of omega 3 fatty acids. But these oils are not generally recommended by doctors because they also contain some harmful omega 6 fatty acids. The alternative is to buy supplements made from fish oil. Omega 3 cod liver oil not only provides just the right amounts of DHA and EPA but is also rich in vitamin A and D. Cod liver oil is therefore somewhat different than other fish oils. It is helpful in fighting against cardiovascular disease. The risk of having sudden cardiac arrest is also reduced if your diet contains cod liver oil in appropriate amount.
Omega 3 cod liver oil is known for the treatment of high cholesterol and obesity. A healthy individual needs about 1.5 grams of essential fatty acids (DHA and EPA) daily. Eating fish twice a week can also be enough but doctors and health professionals these days do not recommend eating too much fish, especially farm-raised fish because of high levels of mercury found in them.
Consuming omega 3 cod liver oil supplements on a daily basis (2-3 times a day) can provide a healthy alternative to eating fish. Make sure the product you are about to buy is made by a reputed manufacturer. High-quality fish oil supplements are made from a process called molecular distillation. This serves to remove any impurities, in the form of mercury or dioxins.
Other nutritional benefits of omega 3 cod liver oil include treatment of depression and other problems related with it like insomnia and panic attacks. Instead of taking heavy depression medication and sleeping pills, the patients can be fed with cod liver oil or capsules made from cod liver oil to overcome anxiety.
Normally doctors recommend 1 teaspoon full of oil daily for children and 2-3 teaspoons for adults. Patients with high blood pressure and diabetes should consult their doctor before consuming cod liver oil supplements. Overdose of vitamin A and D could be detrimental to overall health, so supplements should be used with caution.
The problem with cod liver oil is that although they do provide vitamin D, they provide far to much. One of the most popular cod liver oil supplements being sold contains 4000 to 5000 units, which is way over the amount a person needs daily. Cod liver also comes with vitamin A, again this is a problem. A better way of consuming vitamin A is from beta carotene and other carotenoids, which are present in quality vitamin supplements and natural organic food sources.
Because we obtain these vitamins in daily vitamins and food sources, one would be overdosing on these vitamins by using cod liver oil. Ifone has to much of vitamin A, it may contribute to osteoporosis
Other options
Fish oil taken from the flesh of the fish is your best choice for fish oil; however they do not contain vitamin A or vitamin D. To be honest, these vitamins are available in our daily food intake and by using a quality multi vitamin. We don't need to add extra to our daily diets, not in the amounts that are in cod liver oil. Although there is a vast array of health benefits from cod liver oil, the same benefits and more can be obtained from other sources. You can get omega 3 cod liver oil benefits from a fish known as the Hoki fish.
Author Resource:
Jeff Patterson has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Nutrition, you can also check out his latest website about
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