Cod Liver Oil Vs. Fish Oil Supplements

Public awareness of omega 3 fatty acids has increased with recent years as the list of benefits associated with the healthy oils continues to increase. However, consumers still must decide which form of oil to consume, with both cod liver oil capsules and fish oil products both remaining popular on the shelves of health food stores.

Cod Liver Oil

Like all white fish, cod contains almost zero oil in its flesh, which may make it a strange choice as the source of an omega 3 supplement. However, the fish stores a high concentration of oil in its liver. Manufacturers extract the oil from the liver, and offer the product either as a capsule or as an oil.

Fish Oil

You will find fish oil in the flesh and skin of all oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring or sardines. You will find most fish oil products in the form of capsules but they also exist in oil form; some brands add flavoring such as lemon to disguise the fishy taste fish oil can feature.

EPA and DHA

Udos Erasmus Ph.D., a nutritional researcher and the author of "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill," reports that the primary benefits of omega 3 supplementation center around the EPA and DHA they offer. Known as eicosapentanoic acid and decosahexanoic acid respectively, you will find around 180 mg and 120 mg of these long-chain omega 3s in each gram of fish oil. These two compounds take responsibility for the majority of health benefits, such as reduced inflammation, improved fat burning, enhanced cardiovascular health and optimized brain function.

Vitamins A & D

Whereas fish oil contains small amounts of vitamin A and vitamin D, cod liver oil represents a concentrated source of both. Joseph Mercola, M.D., author of "The No Grain Diet," explains how vitamin A can help improve digestion, protein utilization and immune system function. Vitamin D influences the expression of thousands of different genes and can make a positive difference in mood, the development of cancer and bone health. However, using just cod liver oil to satisfy your omega 3 requirement may result in consuming more of these fat-soluble vitamins than you require.

Using the Oils

Although the Vitamin D Council state that vitamin D toxicity does not occur until you take in 40,000 IU per day, Mercola believes that consuming 5,000 IU of vitamin D per day represents a sensible step to maintain health during the winter months. You will find this in around 2 to 4 tsp. of cod liver oil, depending on the source. With this in mind, you may wish to use fish oils if you plan to consume additional omega 3s; doing so will provide the benefits of these special fats without risk of toxicity.