Friday, July 10, 2009

Cod Liver Oil Versus Omega 3 Fish Oil.

By Peter Bertonich

It may have been your grandmother who first told you about cod liver oil benefits. For a long time it has been accepted wisdom that cod liver oil is good for you.

So is it really true that there are benefits to taking cod liver oil or is it just a myth, and are there risks to cod liver oil supplementation?

Yes in fact your grandmother wasn't wrong, there really are benefits to taking cod liver oil, and science has now confirmed it.

The main benefits of cod liver oil are from the Omega 3 fats that are found in it. And you are probably very aware now that there are a wide range of health benefits to taking more Omega 3 fats into your diet.

And there's vitamins too like vitamins D and A. Vitamin D has a role in helping prevent osteoporosis, as it helps process calcium.

However there is now some question over how much Vitamin A should be taken. And as there is quite a lot of vitamin A in cod liver oil there are risks of over consumption of vitamin A. For example in the US pregnant women are now advised to avoid vitamin A and this includes cod liver oil. Cod liver oil is not recommended in the UK.

Thus there are some risks as well as benefits of cod liver oil. Whilst it is a good source of Omega 3 fats it isnt ideal as it is high in Vitamin A.

And there is another risk to taking cod liver oil supplements. It is, as the name suggests, sourced from the livers of cod fish taken from the North Sea. Unfortunately there are issues associated with contamination of fish with various contaminants, including heavy metals, PCBs and mercury. Although levels are not high they are sufficient to be worrying. And the liver accumulates more of these toxins.

Whilst these contaminants werent a problem in your grandmothers time, they are now.

But you can get the benefits of cod liver oil without the risks. Take the best Omega 3 supplements which are free of contaminants and also free of vitamin A.

And you can get your vitamin A from vitamin supplements if you really want it, in controlled amounts.

And the very best Omega 3 supplements are also much cleaner than cod liver oil may be, with levels of contaminants being basically undetectable.

So yes there can be benefits to taking cod liver oil, and risks. But there are ways to get the benefits of the Omega 3 fats without the risks by taking Omega 3 capsules that are clean and free of vitamin A. Your grandmother was right, there's just better ways to get the benefits now.

Find out which are the best Omega 3 supplements at my website.

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