Norco Herrington

Posts Tagged ‘omega 3 fatty acids’

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For quite some years it has been accepted wisdom that cod liver oil is good for you. Maybe it was your grandmother who first told you about the benefits of cod liver oil.

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?

You grandmother got it right, and science has confirmed that there are benefits to cod liver oil supplementation.

The principle benefits to cod liver oil are from the Omega 3 fats that are found in it. For some time now science has confirmed that you really ought to be getting more Omega 3 fats in your diet, for a wide range of health reasons.

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

But vitamin A is another question, there are now considered to be risks associated with too much vitamin A, and cod liver oil has quite a lot. In the UK it isn’t now recommended to take cod liver oil and pregnant women are warned against it in the US.

So as well as cod liver oil benefits there are risks too. Yes it’s got good Omega 3 fats, but vitamin A is a bit of an issue.

And there is also another risk too. Cod liver oil is sourced, as you might expect from the name, from the livers of cod taken from the North Sea. But in these times there are issues about contamination of fish in the North Sea. They can be contaminated with toxins like mercury, PCBs and heavy metals. Not high levels, but worrying.

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

There is a better way to get cod liver oil benefits without the risks. Taking the best Omega 3 supplements that are clean and don’t have the contaminants of cod liver oil, or the vitamin A. This is because the oil comes from the flesh, not the liver, so no vitamin A.

If you do need vitamin A or D supplementation it is quite possible to achieve this through a good vitamin supplement delivering regulated and lower levels.

And there are excellent Omega 3 supplements that are free of the contaminants that you may get from cod liver oil. Not all are though.

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.

Visit my website to find out which are the best Omega 3 supplements.