What is cod liver oil?
Cod liver oil is obtained from livers of cod, a species of fish.
This is used as a supplement to treat a variety of medical conditions.
Cod liver oil, like other fish
Cod liver oil supplements are available in liquid as well as in capsules and have been in growing demands for decades because of their various health benefits like:
Boosting immunity, heart health, mitigating pregnancy risks, bone strength etc.
Following are top health benefits of cod liver oil with findings.
1. Cod liver oil lowers your total cholesterol and triglycerides in blood
A research study on
The study also finds that the LDL values are however unchanged.
2. Cod liver oil and Acne
Cod liver oil has a very good effect in treating your acne if taken in a limited quantity.
According to Acne.org, just 15 ml or 3 teaspoons of cod liver
Also Read: 15 Most Effective And Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Acne
3. Fights with joint inflammations and relieves from arthritis
Cod liver oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and vitamin D.
Vitamin D keeps your bones healthy and omega-3 fatty acids relieve from joints’ pain and inflammation.
A study suggests that using cod liver oil is effective in controlling symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Also Read: Rheumatoid Arthritis : A Case Study Leslie Vandever
4. Reduces mortality rates in patients with measles
Cod liver oil has vitamin A in abundance that fight with measles.
According to this finding, mortality rates of patients suffering from measles were significantly reduced when they were supplemented with cod liver oil.
5. Good effects on allergies and asthma
Studies suggest that the cod liver oil has positive effects in decreasing the symptoms of asthma and allergic reactions in adults because of omega-3 fatty acids.
However, the studies have not concluded to prove it.
6. Improves your look, and removes wrinkles
The fish oil is a rich source of vitamin A, D as well as fatty acids (Omega 3) that keep the skin hydrated, soften or erase lines from your face and make you looking younger.
The main ingredients of almost all of the anti-aging products are derivatives of Vitamin A because they stimulate the growth of skin cells and moisturize your skin.
For better results, you may try high potential cod liver oil capsules e.g. 1000 mg over 400 mg.
Also Read: Is Rose Hip Oil Good For Your Skin?
7. A great home remedy for cold and flu
Cold and flu seem like the same thing in terms of some symptoms but they are caused by different viruses.
Flu is a serious health condition and many people die when infected by the flu each year.
According NHS, there are over 200 viruses that cause colds, but only three that cause the flu.
Here CLO or Cod Liver Oil can do the wonder. It is a rich source of immunity boosting fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D). It's fatty acids EPA& DHA
8. Cod liver and weight loss
DHA is capable of suppressing accumulation of triglycerides in fat stored which prevents expansion of fat cells, a reason responsible for metabolic diseases.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a key for lower levels of leptin (An energy regulating hormone) and reduced abdominal mass.
Also Read: Top 15 Easy Ways to Lose Weight Fast
9. Good to relive from depression
In a study done on women in 2009, researchers had concluded that consumption of omega-3 fatty acids in good amount lowers symptoms of depression.
They also found that lower content of omega-3 acids in blood serum has higher depression symptoms.
However, more studies are yet to be done to justify that consumption of cod liver oil helps reduce symptoms of depression.
According to Andrew L. Stoll, MD, a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School, who has done significant researches on omega-3s on various diseases, found that omega-3s are capable of treating depression.
10. A great pregnancy and fertility food
The deficiency of vitamin D in women lowers their pregnancy rates and studies suggest that around 50% of women are deficient in vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps to grow fetal skeleton especially from 27th week when it starts growing fast.
Here, cod liver oil helps to maintain required vitamin D (1 tbsp of cod liver oil contains 450 IU of vitamin D)
11. Is it good to prevent hair loss?
There are various reasons for hair loss e.g. Inflammation, Alopecia (scarring as well as non-scarring),
However, using cod liver oil helps to relieve from inflammation that improves your hair loss and promotes hair growth.
Also Read: Benefits of Jojoba Oil for Hair: Top 11
12. Helps to control your blood pressure
High blood pressure or hypertension has no visible symptoms and that makes it very dangerous.
And if it is not treated, it can harm vital organs of the body including kidney, eyes, heart as well as blood vessels that may
Omega-3 fatty acids available in CLO are found to be beneficial in reducing systolic blood pressure.
13. Improves your heart health
Consumption of essential fatty acids (Omega-3s) improves heart health that prevents the risk of heart failure and sudden death.
It is also helpful to keep your heart healthy even after a heart attack or surgery because of its amazing properties of altering arteries lining in such a way to promote faster healing after the damage.
14. Improves your brain function
Essential fatty acids are helpful to maintain proper functioning of our brain, and also help in the fast recovery of any damage caused due to external or internal injuries.
To be noted that our brain is made of sixty percent of fat, and in that DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) alone accounts for 15 to 20 %.
Therefore, it is clear that high dosages of omega-3s fatty acids have a good impact on the normal brain functions and faster healing due to any damage.
15. Controls your blood glucose levels
Normally, a person with increased blood glucose levels has low HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and increased triglycerides levels.
However, omega-3 fatty acids in cod liver oil have a good impact in controlling triglycerides and maintaining a healthy HDL level.
16. A good source of Vitamin D for children
Daily recommended intake of vitamin D for children aged up to 12 months is 400 IU or 10
And the best source of getting vitamin D is our skin through sunlight. However, children are not supposed to be in sunlight due to their sensitive skin for a long time due to burns caused by it.
Therefore, it is recommended to get vitamin D drops to feed required vitamin D in the body. And this can be supplemented by cod liver oil.
17. Immunity Booster
With a good concentration of vitamin A, it helps to fight infections and makes our immune system stronger.
Nutrition in Cod liver oil: (for one tbsp. or 4g of cod liver oil)
Omega 3s -888 mg
Omega 6s-41mg
Vitamin A-4500 IU (1.35 mg retinol or 2.7 mg beta-carotene)
Vitamin C-450 IU (0.01125 mg cholecalciferol)
Calories: 40.6
Cholesterol: 25.7 mg
(Approximate values are taken for a single serving)
Retinol, beta-carotene are the two forms of vitamin A, and cholecalciferol relates to vitamin D.
Are there any cod liver oil side effects?
Till now, we have just discussed one side of the coin, and that is the positive aspects of cod liver oil.
However, taking it in a limited amount is not concerned with side effects, but high dosages may cause heartburn, nose bleeding and nausea.
And it is due to the fact that it is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D.
High dosage of vitamin A (also referred as vitamin A toxicity or hypervitaminosis A) can lead to abdominal pain, drowsiness, pressure on brain, skin irritation etc., and chronic intakes of vitamin A may even lead to death.
Therefore, to reap the benefits of cod liver oil, keep your vitamin A, D intakes in required amount. Therefore, if you are taking cod liver oil supplements then read the labels to get the better idea of vitamin contents or consult your pharmacist or doctor.
Which one is better, fermented cod liver oil or normal cod liver oil?
Fermentation is a type of food processing with the main purpose of eliminating anti-nutrients, getting the food into good flavors, and preserving essential vitamins and minerals.
Fermented cod liver oil is obtained by the fermentation of livers of cod fish.
And after fermentation, the essential nutrients (omega-3 fatty acids, water soluble vitamins) are preserved in good proportion, also it smells good.
Additionally, fermentation has added advantages over other ways of food processing including heating and synthetic food processing because it keeps the molecular structure intact even after processing.
Therefore, the benefits of fermented cod liver oil supersede the benefits of standard cod liver oil.
Some of the frequently asked questions about cod liver oil:
1. Should pregnant or breastfeeding women avoid it?
Definitely, a breastfeeding woman needs the recommended daily intake of vitamins to bring up a healthy child.
However, our daily required vitamin A is fulfilled by a variety of foods and vegetables we eat every day, and vitamin A deficiency is rare in the United States and other developed nations.
But, it is common in third world countries (developing countries) where many people don't have enough eatables to get their daily required vitamins especially breastfeeding and pregnant women.
However, increased numbers of minerals and vitamins are required for a breastfeeding woman to provide proper milk supply to the infant.
Therefore, a breastfeeding woman needs multivitamin supplements along with fruits and vegetables to cope with the increased demand of nutrients.
Also omega-3s (DHA&EPA or referred as marine omega-3s or n-3 fat) which are found in cod liver oil are good for fetal neurodevelopment and timing of
Therefore, if you are not getting enough omega-3s from your diet, taking them as supplements is a good idea.
Cod liver oil also provides enough vitamin D, and can fulfil the deficiency of it in breastfeeding and pregnant women.
2. Is it effective to treat osteoporosis?
In Osteoporosis, the bones become porous and fragile that results to loss of bone strength.
However, there is a widespread misconception that calcium and vitamin D deficiency is the main cause of weak bones, but it is not true, a healthy diet which is rich in all types of minerals and vitamins keeps the bones rigid and provide them
Also, exposure to sunlight provides us approx. 90% of our required vitamin D and rest of the amount can be absorbed by our daily diet.
Therefore, if we say that cod liver oil alone helps in relieving from osteoporosis it is not correct, however, it is a good source and can provide you enough vitamin D if you are a vitamin D deficient (a 100 gram serving of CLO provides you 210 mcg of vitamin D).
Conclusion:
Really Cod liver oil is a good source of omega-3s, vitamin D, and vitamin A and helps to fight with many severe medical conditions.
However, it is necessary to see the labels on supplements before using and consult your doctor before taking any supplement.
Have you ever used cod liver oil supplements and cured your diseases or you’re using it and have something to share or ask? Please leave us your comment below.