13/11/2019 Cod Liver Oil: Setting the Record Straight - The Weston A.

Price Foundation

The Weston A. Price Foundation

Cod Liver Oil: Setting the Record

Straight
MAY 1, 2009 BY THE WESTON A PRICE FOUNDATION
(HTTPS://WWW.WESTONAPRICE.ORG/AUTHOR/WAPFADMIN2/)

Debate on the merits of cod liver oil has been ricocheting around the internet of late,
sparked by a recent posting from Dr. Joseph Mercola, in which he withdrew his
recommendation to take cod liver oil. Mercola’s remarks dovetail with establishment bias
against this old-fashioned superfood. Cod liver oil has come under attack as a “dangerous”
source of vitamin A. And while vitamin A has fallen to the bottom of the Vitamin Hit
Parade, vitamin D has risen to the top, with many voices calling for extensive
supplementation and an increase in the RDA for the sunshine vitamin.

The establishment view is as follows: the animal form of vitamin A is toxic and also
interferes with vitamin D metabolism, so we should avoid foods rich in vitamin A, like liver,
organ meats and cod liver oil; we can get all the vitamin A we need from the conversion of
carotenes in plants; it is impossible to obtain adequate vitamin D from food, so we need to
take vitamin D supplements.

In recent articles, we have put these mistaken notions to rest by showing the extensive
scienti c literature on the bene ts of cod liver oil and vitamin A, as well as on the
synergistic-rather than antagonistic-relationship of vitamins A and D. To bolster our
premise that vitamin A is not toxic and that vitamin D can be obtained from food sources,
we have published many articles on traditional diets, showing the high levels of vitamins A
and D in traditional foods. For example, the traditional Scottish diet, described in a recent
article, was rich in sh liver oils, organ meats, shell sh and fats, thus corroborating the
discoveries of Dr. Weston A. Price, who found that emphasis on foods rich in vitamins A
and D was universal among primitive populations.

However, care must be taken in the choice of cod liver oil. Most brands contain synthetic
vitamins A and D and many have the wrong ratio of A to D. Please visit the following links
for information on cod liver oil, the number one superfood:

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Cod Liver Oil

Cod Liver Oil Basics and Brand Recommendations (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=238&catid=37&Itemid=128)
Cod Liver Oil, the Number One Superfood (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=182&catid=37&Itemid=128)
The Yin and Yang of Cod Liver Oil (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=565&catid=37&Itemid=128)
The Cod Liver Oil Debate (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=1601&catid=37&Itemid=128)
Response to Dr. Joseph Mercola (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=1603&catid=37&Itemid=128)
Cod Liver Oil Manufacturing (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=183&catid=37&Itemid=128)
Update on Cod Liver Oil Manufacturing (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=1602&catid=37&Itemid=128)
Vitamin A Bene ts and Toxicity
Vitamin A for Fetal Development (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=309&catid=35&Itemid=127)
Vitamin A On Trial: Does Vitamin A Cause Osteoporosis? (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=172&catid=24&Itemid=122)
Vitamin A Saga (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=167&catid=24&Itemid=122) (Discusses
the myth of carotenes as an adequate source of Vitamin A)
Vitamin D Bene ts and Toxicity
From Seafood to Sunshine: A New Understanding of Vitamin D Safety
(index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=173&catid=24&Itemid=122)
The Good Scots Diet (index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=1605&catid=26&Itemid=146) (Traditional Diet
in Scotland)

Recent Studies on Cod Liver Oil

The following are references to recent articles published since 2000 in the scienti c
literature showing the myriad bene ts of cod liver oil. Because modern diets are de cient
in vitamins A and D, we recommend a daily dose of good quality cod liver oil for young and
old.

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Vitamin D Status: In Norway, three mølje meals (consisting of cod liver and fresh cod-liver
oil) provided an amount of vitamin D equal to 54 times the recommended daily dose.
Subjects with food consumption habits that included frequent mølje meals during the
winter sustained satisfactory vitamin D levels in their blood, in spite of the long “vitamin D
winter” (Public Health Nutr. 2004 Sep;7(6):783-9).

Vitamin D Status and Bone Loss: Inclusion of cod liver oil in the diet appears to attenuate
the seasonal variation of vitamin D status in early postmenopausal women at northerly
latitudes where quality of sunlight for production of vitamin D is diminished. Cod liver oil
can thus protect against greater bone turnover, bone loss and obesity (Bone. 2008
May;42(5):996-1003).

Hip Fracture: Multivitamin or cod liver oil supplementation was associated with a
signi cantly lower risk of any fracture. “We found no evidence to support any skeletal
harm associated with increased serum indices of retinol exposure or modest retinol
supplementation in this population” (J Bone Miner Res. 2005 Jun;20(6):913-20).

Multiple Sclerosis: In Arctic climates, supplemental cod-liver oil during childhood may be
protective against multiple sclerosis later in life (J Neurol. 2007 Apr;254(4):471-7).

Breast Cancer: Reduced breast cancer risks were associated with increasing sun exposure
and cod liver oil use from ages ten to nineteen. “We found strong evidence to support the
hypothesis that vitamin D could help prevent breast cancer. However, our results suggest
that exposure earlier in life, particularly during breast development, maybe most relevant”
(Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Mar;16(3):422-9).

Depression: Regular use of cod liver oil is negatively associated with high levels of
depressive symptoms in the general population (J A ect Disord. 2007 Aug;101(1-3):245-9).

Wound Healing: The combination of zinc oxide and cod liver oil was found to be superior
to the formulations containing only one active ingredient. This combination was also found
to be most e cient in accelerating wound healing when it is retarded by repeated
dexamethasone treatment (Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr. 2006 Sep;113(9):331-4).

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Arthritis and Joint Sti ness

Pain and Joint Sti ness: Cod liver oil application allows reduction of the dose of
nonsteroidal anti-in ammatory drugs, and improves chief clinical symptoms,
reducing pain and morning joint sti ness (Klin Med Mosk 2005;83(10):51-7).
Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Cod liver oil supplements were better than controls
in relieving pain and can be used as NSAID-sparing agents in rheumatoid arthritis
patients (Rheumatology (Oxford). 2008 May;47(5):665-9).
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Use of cod liver oil decreased occurrence of morning
sti ness, swollen joints and pain intensity in patients su ering from rheumatoid
arthritis (Adv Ther. 2002 Mar-Apr;19(2):101-7).

Diabetes and Circulation

Diabetes: Use of cod liver oil in the rst year of life was associated with a signi cantly
lower risk of type 1 diabetes. Use of other vitamin D supplements during the rst
year of life and maternal use of cod liver oil or other vitamin D supplements during
pregnancy were not associated with lower risk of type 1 diabete (Am J Clin Nutr. 2003
Dec;78(6):1128-34).
Diabetes-Related Cardiovascular Disorders: Cod liver oil treatment in diabetic rats
completely prevented endothelial de ciency and partly corrected several biochemical
markers for cardiovascular disorders (J Pharm Pharmacol. 2007 Dec;59(12):1629-41).
Diabetic Nephropathy: Substitution of cod liver oil for soybean oil in mice reduced
oxidative stress and nephropathy induced by daunomycin, an anti-cancer
agent (Lipids. 2002 Apr;37(4):359-66).

Birth Weight, Breast Milk, and Children’s Health

Higher Birth Weight: Women who used liquid cod liver oil in early pregnancy gave
birth to heavier babies, even after adjusting for the length of gestation and other
confounding factors. “Higher birth weight has been associated with a lower risk of

diseases later in life and maternal cod liver oil intake might be one of the means for
achieving higher birthweight” (BJOG. 2005 Apr;112(4):424-9).
Breast Milk: Women using cod liver oil had a signi cantly higher levels of
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in their breast milk. “As

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p
this may have an impact on the health and development of breast-fed infants in later
life, regular maternal cod liver oil intake could be relevant for the infant as well as for
the nutritional adequacy of the maternal diet” (Ann Nutr Metab. 2006;50(3):270-6).
Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Breast Milk: Maternal use of cod liver oil resulted in higher
levels of fat-soluble vitamins in breast milk, especially vitamins E and A. (Ann Nutr
Metab. 2001;45(6):265-72).
Intelligence in Children: Children who were born to mothers who had taken cod
liver oil during pregnancy and lactation scored higher on intelligence tests at age four
compared with children whose mothers had taken corn oil (Pediatrics. 2003
Jan;111(1):e39-44).
Ear Aches in Children: Children prone to ear aches (otitis media) receiving cod liver
oil plus selenium needed lower amounts of antibiotics during supplementation
compared to before supplementation (Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2002 Jul;111(7 Pt
1):642-52).
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Children: Children supplemented with cod
liver oil had a decrease in upper respiratory tract infections and pediatric visits over
time (Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2004 Nov;113(11):891-901).

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