Cod liver oil products can contain large amounts of vitamin A. If you take this oil, you run a potential risk of getting too much vitamin A and developing a condition called hypervitaminosis A. You can take cod liver oil in reduced doses, however, that lower your risks for any vitamin A-related problems.
Vitamin A Intake
For optimum health, adolescent and adult males need about 3,000 IU of vitamin per day, according to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements. Adolescent and adult females who aren't pregnant or breast-feeding need about 2,310 IU per day. Pregnant women need about 2,565 IU, while lactating women need about 4,300 IU. To avoid any potential harmful effects, all men and women need to limit their daily vitamin A intake to 10,000 IU. Teenagers need to limit their intake to 9,240 IU.
Cod Liver Oil Intake
You can purchase cod liver oil in bottles or capsules. A single teaspoon of bottled cod liver oil can contain as much as 4,500 IU of vitamin A, the University of California Berkeley reports. Depending on the product you use, indicated doses may range anywhere from 1 to 3 tsp. If you follow these dosing instructions, you could consume as much as 13,500 IU of vitamin A and exceed established guidelines for the vitamin. You can diminish your risks by taking cod liver oil with reduced vitamin A content or by taking capsules, which contain considerably less oil. You may still need to monitor your intake, however, to avoid increasing your overall daily vitamin A intake past safe levels.
Hypervitaminosis
If you take too much vitamin A in a relatively short period of time, you can develop acute hypervitaminosis A, PubMed Health explains. If you take too much vitamin A for an extended period of time, you can develop chronic hypervitaminosis. Potential symptoms of both disorders include bone pain, loss of appetite, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, alterations in your consciousness, nausea, vomiting, irritability, hair loss, skin peeling or itching, liver damage and changes in your normal vision. If you take too much vitamin A during pregnancy, you can also harm your baby's normal development.
Considerations
You can typically relieve hypervitaminosis by reducing your intake of vitamin A. You may, however, develop ongoing complications from liver damage or develop abnormally high calcium levels that lead to kidney damage. UC Berkeley notes that some people have developed vitamin A-related bone problems when consuming as little as 6,000 IU of the vitamin per day. In addition to use of cod liver oil or other supplements, you can develop hypervitaminosis A if you consume large quantities of beef or chicken liver. To safeguard your health, review your cod liver oil and vitamin A intake with your doctor.
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