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The information
listed below is from Dr.
Joseph Mercola, DO
- more information on the
benefits of fish oils can be
found on his site
www.mercola.com
I
am often asked what addition to
the diet, outside of increasing
the intake of water and fresh
green vegetables, I most
recommend to fight and prevent
disease and live longer. My
answer is easy: fish oil, fish
oil, fish oil! More
specifically, as you should read
below, fish oil for those whose
vitamin D levels are adequate,
and cod liver oil for those who
will benefit from its high
vitamin D levels.
Americans consume
a dangerously insufficient
amount of Omega-3, a fat
essential to good health but
only found in fish oil and a few
other foods. Meanwhile, our
intake of Omega-6, another fat
found in corn, soy, sunflower
and other oils, is far too high.
The ideal ratio of Omega-6 to
Omega-3 should be 1:1, but the
typical American's ratio ranges
from 20:1 to 50:1!
I am convinced
-- and even the medical
establishment addicted to
band-aid treatments versus
prevention is conceding -- that
this lack of Omega-3 in our
diets is a primary reason behind
many of the diseases Americans
face, and our shorter lifespan
in relation to many other "first
world" countries such as Japan
or Greece.
Benefits of the Omega-3 Found in
Fish Oil and Cod Liver Oil
-
Helps
fight and prevent heart
disease, cancer, depression,
Alzheimer's, arthritis,
diabetes, ulcers,
hyperactivity and many other
diseases
-
Increases
your energy level and
ability to concentrate
-
Provides
greater resistance to common
illnesses such as flu and
cold
-
Helps
pregnant women avoid
premature births, low birth
weight and other
complications
While a
helpful form of Omega-3 can be
found in flaxseed, walnuts and a
few other foods, the most
beneficial form of Omega-3 --
containing two fatty acids, DHA
and EPA, that are essential to
fighting and preventing both
physical and mental disease --
can only be found in fish.
Unfortunately, however, I now
warn my patients against
consuming fish unless they are
certain it has been lab-tested
and shown to be free of harmful
mercury and other toxins, such
as the
Vital Choice salmon offered
through this site. Fish of
all varieties from all water
sources are now showing
dangerously high levels of the
tasteless but highly toxic
metal, mercury, and so unless
you are certain the fish you are
consuming have been
independently tested and shown
to be free of toxins, I urge you
to consider avoiding the fish.
And so I
recommend, above almost any
other addition to everyone's
diet -- from infant to senior
and every age in between -- fish
oil and cod liver oil. I have
researched and tried many fish
oil brands, and the one I
recommend most highly is the
Carlson's brand of fish oil and
cod liver oil.
Why Fish Oil and Cod Liver Oil
are the Best Available
-
High in
Omega-3 containing the
essential fatty acids DHA
and EPA
-
Purified
to the highest standards to
ensure freedom from
detectable levels of
mercury, cadmium, lead, PCBs
and 28 other contaminants
-
Free from
chemical modification and
processing
In addition,
Carlson's fish and cod liver oil
-- the brand I highly recommend
-- is one of the few that put
the extra vitamin E in it for
you straight from the get go.
With Carlson's you don't have to
take extra vitamin E if you
don't want to.
Choosing Cod Liver Oil or Fish
Oil: An Important Distinction
The main
difference between cod liver oil
and fish oil is that cod liver
oil is high in vitamin D. Many
people, especially those who
don't have adequate sun
exposure, are
deficient in vitamin D and
would therefore receive all the
health benefits from taking cod
liver oil.
As sunshine is
the main source of vitamin D, a
significant number of people
should consider switching from
fish oil in the warm weather
months -- when they tend to have
more sun exposure -- to cod
liver oil in the cool weather
months, when their sun exposure
is minimal. However, many people
don't get enough sun exposure
even in warm weather months,
meaning their vitamin D levels
may still be too low in summer
... they would therefore benefit
from cod liver oil even in warm
weather months.
Finally, while
vitamin D deficiency can
increase the risk for cancer and
other diseases, overdosing on
vitamin D -- having levels that
are too high -- can bring its
own set of problems, including
osteoporosis and hardening of
your arteries. So if your
vitamin D levels are too high,
even in the winter months you
should consider sticking to fish
oil versus cod liver oil.
So how do you
really know where your body's
vitamin D levels are, and
therefore which you should
choose ... fish oil or cod liver
oil? There is only one certain
way:
have your vitamin D levels
tested. Because many people
are so severely deficient in
vitamin D (and because it helps
to determine which to consume
for your omega-3 intake as well,
fish oil or cod liver oil), the
vitamin D test is one of the few
tests I require every single new
patient in my health clinic to
take.
While many
people who believe they get
sufficient sun exposure in the
warm weather months choose to
follow the guideline of fish oil
in summer and cod liver oil in
winter, it is my strong
recommendation to you to have
your vitamin D levels tested
before making a firm and ongoing
commitment when choosing between
fish oil and cod liver oil. Once
you know your vitamin D levels,
you can then choose based on
knowing that cod liver oil is
significantly higher in vitamin
D.
Get Essential Omega 3 & Vitamin
D -- plus Vitamin A -- in
Convenient Cod Liver Oil
Softgels!
Now that we
have officially entered into the
fall season, with winter just
around the corner -- if you
haven't already made the switch
from fish oil to cod liver oil
-- I strongly urge you to
consider doing so.
If you have
difficulty digesting the cod
liver oil or just cannot
tolerate the taste, there's no
need to worry because I now
offer the perfect solution.
Carlson Cod Liver Oil Softgels
with Low Vitamin A are the most
convenient, easily digested, and
best-tasting cod liver oil
softgels available.
These softgels
contain approximately 300% more
cod liver oil than other soft
gel brands. Preservative free,
natural vitamin E (10 IU) has
been added to each 1000 mg soft
gel to protect the freshness of
the oil. As I mentioned earlier,
cod liver oil is one of the best
sources of vitamin D (other than
the sun), but what you may not
know is that it is also one of
the best sources of vitamin A --
and each Carlson Cod Liver Oil
Softgel contains 250 IU of
Vitamin A.
Vitamin A is
an important nutrient yet there
is much confusion surrounding
its appropriate form, dosage and
source. I always cringe when I
hear people who think they
understand nutrition describing
how vegetables like carrots are
excellent sources of vitamin A.
There are no plant sources of
vitamin A -- it is only present
in animal products.
Due to the
commonly heard warnings that too
much vitamin A is toxic and can
result in birth defects, liver
abnormalities, and reduced bone
mineral density -- many people
are afraid of taking too much of
this nutrient.
What is rarely
addressed, and must be
considered along with these
warnings, is the TYPE of vitamin
A. There is a big difference
between synthetic vitamin A and
vitamin A from natural sources.
Most cases of vitamin A toxicity
result from an excess intake of
synthetic vitamin A in
supplements, NOT the natural
form of retinol (vitamin A)
found in cod liver oil.
Because cod
liver oil contains vitamin D
there's no need to worry about
vitamin A toxicity if you take
it in cod liver oil. It is
virtually impossible to become
toxic on vitamin A if you take
it along with vitamin D. As
evidenced in a study published
in the December 2003 American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
vitamin D is associated with
reduced vitamin A toxicity, and
the vitamin D appears to protect
against retinal toxicity.
An
anti-infective vitamin, vitamin
A is useful for many conditions
including vision problems, poor
thyroid function, a weakened
immune system, and fighting off
infections, especially those
that involve mucous membranes as
vitamin A is used to form the
cells lining the digestive,
respiratory, reproductive and
urinary tracts and all tissue
linings of the body. Night
blindness, dry eyes, eye
infections and skin problems are
just some of the conditions
associated with Vitamin A
deficiency.
The best way
to ensure that you are getting
enough of both natural vitamin A
and vitamin D during the many
sunless days of fall and winter
is to take your cod liver oil,
and the best brand available is
Carlson Cod Liver Oil Softgels
with Low Vitamin A.
Dosage & Other Recommendations
Take one
teaspoon of Carlson's liquid oil
for every 50 pounds of body
weight daily.
For Carlson's
Cod Liver Oil Softgels with Low
Vitamin A, I highly recommend
taking one softgel for every ten
pounds of body weight. However,
do not exceed more than15 pills
per day -- unless you have had
your fatty acid levels tested.
You can also
use a wine saver to create a
vacuum to better preserve your
fish oil. Simply transfer your
fish oil to a bottle that fits
the wine saver cap (many
conventional containers).
The Vacu Vin Wine Saver,
available at Amazon.com, is
an exceptional choice (and a
great gift for anyone who enjoys
wine, too), as it allows you to
pump out the air inside the
bottle prior to sealing, it is
very durable, and costs under
$15.00.
For other
questions regarding the use and
benefits of fish oil/cod liver
oil, please visit our
frequently asked questions area
on this topic.
Original article can be found
here:
http://www.mercola.com/forms/carlsons.htm
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