Cod Liver Oil: The Number One Superfood-

Cod Liver Oil: The Number One Superfood-
from natural-health-forum"at"yahoogroups.com-
By Krispin Sullivan, CN-

Doctor Price was right, as usual. Cod liver oil is very good for you,
more
than you ever knew. Research studies ranging from 1918-2001 give cod
liver
oil an A+ rating. This marvelous golden oil contains large amounts of
elongated omega-3 fatty acids, preformed vitamin A and the sunlight
vitamin
D, essential nutrients that are hard to obtain in sufficient amounts
in the
modern diet. Samples may also naturally contain small amounts of the
important bone- and blood-maintainer vitamin K.


There is hardly a disease in the books that does not respond well to
treatment that includes cod liver oil, and not just infectious
diseases but
also chronic modern diseases like heart disease and cancer. Cod liver
oil
provides vitamin D that helps build strong bones in children and
helps
prevent osteoporosis in adults. The fatty acids in cod liver oil are
also
very important for the development of the brain and nervous system.
"If you
want to prevent learning disabilities in your children," said David
Horrobin, distinguished medical and biochemical researcher, "feed
them
cod
liver oil."


Cod liver oil contains more vitamin A and more vitamin D per unit
weight
than any other common food. One hundred grams of regular cod liver
oil
provides 100,000 IU of vitamin A, almost three times more than beef
liver,
the next richest source; and 10,000 IU vitamin D, almost four times
more
than lard, the next richest source. Of course, cod liver oil is only
consumed in small amounts, but even a tablespoon (about 15 grams)
provides
well over the recommended daily allowance for both nutrients.


In addition, cod liveroil contains 7 percent each of the elongated
omega-3
fatty acids EPA and DHA. EPA is the precursor of important
prostaglandins,
localized tissue hormones that help the body deal with inflammation;
and DHA
is extremely important for the development and function of the brain
and
nervous system. So it's no surprise that in numerous studies cod
liver
oil
has proven to be a powerhouse in fighting disease.
GOOD FOR WHAT AILS YOU


Cod liver oil greatly improves heart function to prevent heart
disease
and
to treat it even in advanced stages, after a heart attack and after
heart
surgery. Cod liver oil alters the linings of the arteries in such a
way as
to improve healing after damage. This is attributed to the omega-3
fatty
acids but vitamin A, D and K all have important roles to play in
facilitating mineral absorption, improving muscle function and
supporting
elasticity of the blood vessels. The inflammation- reducing
prostaglandins
made from EPA help mediate the inflammatory response in the arteries.
In
other studies the heart-protective effect was associated with changes
in the
muscle response to serotonin, increasing the heart's ability to
"relax."1-15
In a study with rats, treatment with cod liver oil actually caused
artery-blocking atheromas to become smaller and blood vessel diameter
to
enlarge.55 Weston Price noted that heart attack deaths increased
during
periods when the vitamin A content of the diet was low. Cod liver oil
can
provide vitamin A on a continuous basis throughout the year.


Many of the conditions addressed by cod liver oil are considered
related
under the title Syndrome X. These include obesity, hypertension,
insulin
resistance, adult onset diabetes and stroke. Evidence is accumulating
that
these diseases of civilization are the result of high levels of
omega-6
fatty acids and low levels of omega-3 fatty acids along with
deficiencies of
fat-soluble vitamins. We may be paying a very high price for our
rejection
of parental wisdom to take our cod liver oil.


http://www.healthychild.com/ cod-liver- oil.htm

Tim Campbell wrote:
Cod Liver Oil: The Number One Superfood-
from natural-health-forum"at"yahoogroups.com-
By Krispin Sullivan, CN- - -

Cod liver oil contains more vitamin A and more vitamin D per unit
weight than any other common food. One hundred grams of regular cod liver
oil provides 100,000 IU of vitamin A, almost three times more than beef
liver

And that is a problem. High intake of retinol (vitamin A) is associated with
reduced bone mineral density, increased fracture risk and osteoporosis. The
fact that cod liver oil is also a good source of vitamin D does not mitigate
the harmful effects of vitamin A. It has been confirmed in animal studies
that vitamin A reduces bone mineral density even when vitamin D intake is
sufficient. Serum retinol levels are also strongly associated with higher
fracture risk.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/348/4/287

Here is a full study of a population where the use of cod liver oil is quite
common.

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/129/10/770

Couple of excerpts:

"We found a doubled risk for hip fracture (odds ratio, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.1 to
4.0]) with dietary intake of retinol greater than 1.5 mg/d compared with
intake less than 0.5 mg/d."

"In Norway, which has some of the highest incidence rates of hip fracture
ever reported, mean intake in the adult population is even higher: 1.5 to
2.0 mg of retinol equivalents per day. Why is the consumption of retinol
excessive in northern Europe? A possible explanation is a high consumption
of cod liver oil"

http://www.annals.org/content/vol129...arge/3TT6.jpeg

According to the study by Melhus et al I mentioned above the mean intake of
vitamin A in the Norwegean adult population was 1.5 to 2.0 mg of retinol
equivalents per day in 1997. (I guess this includes betacarotene as well.)

Norway where the cod liver oil is used frequently has the highest rate of
hip fractures in the world. "Recent dietary surveys have shown that
cod-liver oil supplements were used by around 35% of the population in
Norway and more than half of the eldest age group of the population surveyed
(Johansson et al, 1997; Johansson & Solvoll, 1999)."

http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v.../1601759a.html

If we try to figure out the optimal intake of retinol from the point of bone
health I think that the optimal retinol intake might be somewhere around 0.5
to 1.0 mg (although the confidence intervals are quite wide). One easily
exceeds that by cod liver oil use.

http://www.annals.org/content/vol129...arge/3TT6.jpeg

Finally, this meta-analysis finds a slight _increase in mortality_ with
vitamin A supplementation, not very encouraging:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/297/8/842

For these reasons I think that the safest policy is to supplement with fish
oil capsules and vitamin D3. Not cod liver oil.

--
Juhana

http://ruohikolla.blogspot.com/

Nothing you or anyone else claims is going to change the fact that
oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids are highly unstable,
biochemically. Some are worse than others (that is, more unstable),
and certain antioxidants will ameliorate some of the worst effects of
large dose PUFA consumption, in the short term at least. If you
watched the CNN "Fed Up" special this weekend, you would have seen
that omega 6 PUFA consumption shot up nearly vertically (on. a basic
graph), starting in the early 1960s and continuing to the present.
Before that, omega 6 and 3 consumption was very low. In fact, a great
grandfather of mine lived to be over 100 with no source of omega 3s
(he didn't eat oily fish, rarely ate fish, never used canola oil,
etc.); he was born in the late 1800s.

And this brings up a point that if you don't understand will lead you
to false conclusions. Arachidonic acid is made if you are on a diet
reflective of that chart, and this means you will be much more
susceptible to all kinds of "inflammatory" disorders (heart disease,
cancer, diabetes, AD, along with the "diseases" already considered
"inflammatory"). Omega 3 PUFAs do inhibit the dangerous molecules
made from arachidonic acid, but the arachidonic acid is still there,
now along with other very unstable molecules (from the fish oil or cod
liver oil). It's not clear what situation is worse, but researchers
in the early to mid twentieth century found that native Greenlanders
rarely lived well past the age of 40, often dying of various
complications from bleeding (internally). Now you can play some sort
of nutritional Russian roulette game if you like, but the chart
presented in that CNN show made clear that there is one way to eat
that will be more like your ancestors (assuming you are not of native
Greenland descent or of a people with a similar, dangerous diet).
Your ancestors had to worry about all kinds of things we don't
normally fear any more, but if you want to go off and do something
that is undeniably risky, now understood down to the molecular level,
then at least keep it in the back of your mind so that when the
horrible "diseases" begin to afflict you, at least you will know what
to do, once you overcome your stubborn adherence to a dogma that is
not consistent with the scientific evidence, beyond the things I've
already pointed out (such as omega 3s inhibiting arachidonic acid
metabolization).

Just go to pubmed.com and do searches for arachidonic, along with the
metabolites (such as LTB4 or PGE2), and the names of various
"diseases." You will find many molecular-level studies, but less
statistical ones that may indeed result in what appears to be a
"benefit" (in the short term). Anyone can find "associations."
Think about how many criminals eat a diet rich in sugar, or a diet
rich in bread, or a diet rich in soft drinks, and on and on. This
does not mean that bread causes crime. Put your preconceptions aside,
and just do a little critical thinking. Beginning with that chart in
the CNN show is a good place - the sharp rise in omega 6 PUFA
consumption and the rise of certain kinds of "diseases" is an
undeniable fact, and is also consistent with the molecular-level
evidence, unlike many other claims. One person on this newsgroup
often cites studies about how dangerous iron is, for example, but that
is only true if there is too much of it, and if it is reacting with
PUFAs. This is clear if you read the evidence, and in fact I cited a
study from 1951 (in another post) that showed that only if unsaturated
fatty acids were present did the iron pose a problem, resulting in
"disease" (from the Rockefeller Institute).

On Sep 23, 10:34 am, Tim Campbell wrote:
Cod Liver Oil: The Number One Superfood-
from natural-health-forum"at"yahoogroups.com-
By Krispin Sullivan, CN-

Doctor Price was right, as usual. Cod liver oil is very good for you,

rest of spam bull**** deleted including spam link

eat **** and die, spammer.

Eat your mother's liver, you sadistic *******s. Cod like me need their
livers.

On Sep 23, 11:35 am, "Juhana Harju" wrote:
Tim Campbell wrote:
Cod Liver Oil: The Number One Superfood-
from natural-health-forum"at"yahoogroups.com-
By Krispin Sullivan, CN- - -

Cod liver oil contains more vitamin A and more vitamin D per unit
weight than any other common food. One hundred grams of regular cod liver
oil provides 100,000 IU of vitamin A, almost three times more than beef
liver

And that is a problem. High intake of retinol (vitamin A) is associated with
reduced bone mineral density, increased fracture risk and osteoporosis. The
fact that cod liver oil is also a good source of vitamin D does not mitigate
the harmful effects of vitamin A. It has been confirmed in animal studies
that vitamin A reduces bone mineral density even when vitamin D intake is
sufficient. Serum retinol levels are also strongly associated with higher
fracture risk.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/348/4/287

Here is a full study of a population where the use of cod liver oil is quite
common.

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/129/10/770

Couple of excerpts:

"We found a doubled risk for hip fracture (odds ratio, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.1 to
4.0]) with dietary intake of retinol greater than 1.5 mg/d compared with
intake less than 0.5 mg/d."

"In Norway, which has some of the highest incidence rates of hip fracture
ever reported, mean intake in the adult population is even higher: 1.5 to
2.0 mg of retinol equivalents per day. Why is the consumption of retinol
excessive in northern Europe? A possible explanation is a high consumption
of cod liver oil"

http://www.annals.org/content/vol129...arge/3TT6.jpeg

According to the study by Melhus et al I mentioned above the mean intake of
vitamin A in the Norwegean adult population was 1.5 to 2.0 mg of retinol
equivalents per day in 1997. (I guess this includes betacarotene as well.)

Norway where the cod liver oil is used frequently has the highest rate of
hip fractures in the world. "Recent dietary surveys have shown that
cod-liver oil supplements were used by around 35% of the population in
Norway and more than half of the eldest age group of the population surveyed
(Johansson et al, 1997; Johansson & Solvoll, 1999)."

http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v.../1601759a.html

If we try to figure out the optimal intake of retinol from the point of bone
health I think that the optimal retinol intake might be somewhere around 0.5
to 1.0 mg (although the confidence intervals are quite wide). One easily
exceeds that by cod liver oil use.

http://www.annals.org/content/vol129...arge/3TT6.jpeg

Finally, this meta-analysis finds a slight _increase in mortality_ with
vitamin A supplementation, not very encouraging:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/297/8/842

For these reasons I think that the safest policy is to supplement with fish
oil capsules and vitamin D3. Not cod liver oil.

--
Juhana

http://ruohikolla.blogspot.com/

Any adverse effects ascribed to any of the oil soluble vitamins were
found only when using the refined and highly processed single
vitamins. NOT VITAMINS FROM FOOD SOURCES like fish liver oil.

You are not being accurate when you say that these vitamins have
adverse effects at higher levels of intake when they are gotten from
fish liver oils.

Only the highly processed single vitamin vitamins caused the adverse
effects. Vitamins gotten from whole food sources like cod liver can be
ingested in very large amounts without adverse effects.

Please stop confusing the issues with your lack of knowledge of the
topic. You are perptuating a FRAUD.

TC wrote:

Any adverse effects ascribed to any of the oil soluble vitamins
were found only when using the refined and highly processed single
vitamins. NOT VITAMINS FROM FOOD SOURCES like fish liver oil.

You have evidence for this? Like a study?
Or are you making an unsupported assertion
in the hopes nobody will shoot it down?

You are not being accurate when you say that these vitamins have
adverse effects at higher levels of intake when they are gotten
from fish liver oils.

What about the Norwegian study? Those people
were getting vitamin A from fish oils?
As a child, I lived in Denmark, and I remember
that in school at lunch time one of the teachers
would come around and put a few drops of cod liver
oil on our sandwiches.

Only the highly processed single vitamin vitamins caused the
adverse effects. Vitamins gotten from whole food sources like
cod liver can be ingested in very large amounts without adverse
effects.

How is that possible? The fish oil contains
the same molecules used in the pure vitamin A
studies. If you're suggesting that fish oil
contains a protective factor, what is it?
It isn't vitamin D.

Please stop confusing the issues with your lack of knowledge
of the topic. You are perptuating a FRAUD.

And your evidence is? A clinical study which
shows no harm from a level of fish oil intake
that should cause harm (based on the pure
vitamin A studies) will do nicely. Got one?

DZ wrote:
TC wrote:
"Juhana Harju" wrote:
High intake of retinol (vitamin A) is associated with reduced bone
mineral density, increased fracture risk and osteoporosis. The fact
that cod liver oil is also a good source of vitamin D does not
mitigate the harmful effects of vitamin A.

Any adverse effects ascribed to any of the oil soluble vitamins were
found only when using the refined and highly processed single
vitamins. NOT VITAMINS FROM FOOD SOURCES like fish liver oil.

Commercial cod liver oils are not natural. The vitamin A content is
stabilized by adding even more vitamin A.

"As early as 1857 acute illness had been described by arctic explorers
following the ingestion of polar bear liver. Elisha Kane mentioned
'vertigo, diarrhea, and their concomitants' as the aftermath of eating
this food. Jackson in 1899 mentioned that many arctic explorers of
that period knew of the poisonous qualities of polar bear liver. It
was not until 1942, however, that the toxic substance in polar bear
liver was identified by Rodahl and Moore as being vitamin A."

(Gerber et al 1954 Vitamin A poisoning in adults. The American Journal
of Medicine 16: 729-745)

The paper goes on describing vitamin A cases of poisoning from eating
shark liver, and from ingesting cod liver oil.

Exactly.

--
Juhana

http://ruohikolla.blogspot.com/