Cod liver oil was once a popular nutritional supplement for children, but it is used more today by older adults to help relieve symptoms from inflammation-associated diseases, such as osteoarthritis. Cod liver oil is a rich source of vitamins A and D and omega-3 fatty acids. Consult your doctor about the benefits of consuming cod liver oil.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents blindness and stimulates your immune system to fights infections. Yet consuming high amounts of vitamin A can be toxic and cause birth defects. One teaspoon of cod liver oil may contain 4,500 IU of vitamin A. and the safe tolerable upper limit for vitamin A is 10,000 IU. Consuming 6,000 IU or more of vitamin A per day can increase your risk of bone fractures. Research by scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway, and published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" in February 2008 found women reporting they did not consume cod liver oil in childhood have a significantly higher bone mineral density compared with women reporting cod liver consumption in childhood.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin you need for healthy bones and immune function, and reducing cancer cell growth. A deficiency of vitamin D can result in rickets, a type of bone disease. Vitamin D is found in few foods. Nonetheless, cod liver oil is among the best food sources of vitamin D. Consuming cod liver oil can improve your vitamin D levels and reduce your risk of rickets. Research by scientists at Columbia University in New York City and published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" in December 2010 reports cod liver oil has been a traditional source of vitamin D to prevent and treat rickets and that consumption of the oil in children today decreases the number of office visits to the doctor for upper respiratory illness.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that can improve your cardiovascular health and reduce inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and other inflammatory conditions. Research by scientists at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundee, England and published in "Rheumatology" in May 2008 found that cod liver oil supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids can be used instead of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The results demonstrate that 39 percent of patients taking cod liver oil supplements compared to only 10 percent on placebo were able to reduce the required dose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication by more than 30 percent.
Considerations
Although cod liver oil has nutritional and medical benefits, there are risks in addition to potential vitamin A toxicity. Cod liver oil may contain contaminants or toxins, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, that were stored in the liver of fish that traveled through polluted waters. Risks from polychlorinated biphenyls include birth defects, neurological damage, immune suppression and cancer.
References
- University of California Berkeley; Cod Liver Oil; 2011
- World Health Organization; Vitamin a Deficiency; 2011
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Vitamin A; Victoria Drake; November 2007
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; Childhood Cod Liver Oil Consumption and Bone Mineral Density in a Population-Based Cohort of Peri- and Postmenopausal Women: The Nord-Trondelag Health Study; Siri Forsmo, et al.; Feb 15 2008
- Harvard School of Public Health; Vitamin D and Health; July 7 2011
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Cod Liver Oil, Young Children, and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections; Linda Linday; Dec 2010
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