Fat Loss 4 Idiots Secret

Friday, July 17, 2009

Are There Cod Liver Oil Benefits?

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.

Are there really cod liver oil benefits, or is it a myth? Has science confirmed that there are indeed good reasons to take cod liver oil? And are there risks?

Yes your grandmother was right, even though science may not have known then that there were good reasons for taking cod liver oil supplements.

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 as well as Omega 3 fatty acids, cod liver oil has a range of vitamins in it. Vitamins D and A for example. Now vitamin D has a role in processing calcium in our body, so that's good and can help combat osteoporosis.

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 whilst cod liver oil has some good Omega 3 fats vitamin A is a bit of an issue. There are risks.

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.

They weren't there when your grandmother took here cod liver oil, but they are now.

A better way to source your Omega3 fatty acids, the major source of cod liver oil benefits, is to take the best Omega 3 supplements that are clean and free from the risk of excess vitamin A. Vitamin A comes from the liver of the fish but not the flesh, so it isnt a problem in Omega 3 supplements taken from the flesh of fish.

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

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.

Yes your grandmother was right, there are cod liver oil benefits. But there are ways to get the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids without the risks. Take the best Omega 3 supplements and you get the benefits without the risks.

Find out which are the best Omega 3 supplements at my website. - 17274

About the Author:

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home