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Information Update on Cod Liver Oil
Dear Members,
We have recently received enquiries about several internet newsletters
that have made disparaging remarks about cod liver oil. As the Weston
A. Price Foundation recommends the use of cod liver oil as a nutrient-dense
food, we thought it would be good to address the concerns that have
been expressed, clarify our position and point out the science-based
research that we have compiled on this subject.
Critics of cod liver oil have focused on three concerns:
1. Cod liver oil contains dangerous amounts of mercury and dioxins.
2. Cod liver oil contains dangerous amounts of vitamin A.
3. The vitamin A in cod liver oil interferes with the body's assimilation
of
vitamin D.
MERCURY AND DIOXINS IN COD LIVER OIL
Cod liver oil is probably one of the cleanest foods in the food supply.
All cod
liver oil goes through a complete filtering process, and repeated testing
has shown that the amounts of mercury and PCBs in cod liver oil are
undetectable. See the following link for an article on cod liver oil
processing:
http://westonaprice.org/modernfood/codliver-manufacture.html.
Even without modern processing, mercury in cod liver oil is not a concern
because mercury accumulates in the protein portion of fish, not in the
oil.
In addition, the vitamin A in cod liver oil is our best protection
against dioxins.
See our article on this subject at
http://www.westonaprice.org/envtoxins/dioxins.html.
To quote from the article,
". . . vitamin A appears to play a unique role in protecting against
the toxicity of
dioxins, and has some protective effects that other antioxidants do
not have. A
large part of vitamin A's protective role is attributable to its antioxidant
effect."
VITAMIN A IN COD LIVER OIL
The claim that vitamin A in cod liver oil is toxic just doesn't make
sense in the
context of traditional diets, which were very rich in vitamin A from
liver, organ
meats, seafood and the fats of grass-fed animals. The crux of Dr. Price's
research is that the diets of healthy primitive peoples contain about
ten times more vitamin A than modern diets. That is why we recommend
cod liver oil as an excellent food source of vitamin A.
Over the years, the Weston A. Price Foundation has compiled extensive
evidence
showing that natural vitamin A in foods such as cod liver oil is not
toxic EXCEPT in cases where vitamin D is deficient. That is why we recommend
only certain brands of cod liver oil. It is important to AVOID cod liver
oil that contains low levels of vitamin D in relationship to vitamin
A; the ratio of A to D in cod liver oil should be at least 10 to 1 -
unfortunately, in some commercial brands of cod liver oil the ratio
is as low as 100 to 1.
For general information on cod liver oil and recommended brands, see
http://westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-menu.html
For the latest research on vitamin A see:
http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitamina-osteo.html.
For the latest research on vitamin D see:
http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitamin-d-safety.html.
For an article on vitamin A for pregnant women, see:
http://westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/vitamin-a-fetal.html.
The US Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamin A is far too low and
has led to
widespread suffering from vitamin A deficiency. It is ironic that one
of the main
critics of cod liver oil, who refers to the US RDA when he claims that
vitamin A is
toxic, has been working for years to dispel the notion that vitamin
D is toxic and
to convince the US government to raise the RDA for vitamin D.
VITAMIN A AND VITAMIN D INTERACTIONS
The articles cited above show that vitamins A and D work synergistically,
not
antagonistically; if you take large amounts of vitamin A without vitamin
D, you are likely to develop symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. Likewise,
if you take large
amounts of vitamin D without vitamin A, you are likely to develop symptoms
of
vitamin A deficiency.
The critics of cod liver oil seem to have very little understanding
of how these
vitamins work together. In fairness, very little study has been done
on the
interaction of A and D, although there is enough to show that A and
D work
synergystically. Recent research from Spain indicates that vitamin A
is necessary
for both vitamin D binding and vitamin D release to receptor sites.
We will be
reporting on this work in an upcoming article in Wise Traditions.
Once again, it is important to realize that traditional diets were
rich in both A
and D and that A and D have a myriad of uses in the body. Traditional
peoples
always had plentiful amounts of both A and D in their diets.
THE COD LIVER OIL PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE
During the first half of the century, cod liver oil was the focus of
a worldwide
health initiative. Parents were urged to give cod liver oil to their
children by
doctors, by government officials, by teachers and principals in schools,
and even by their ministers in churches. A large portion of adults in
America born before the Second World War received cod liver oil as children
and this practice contributed to a high level of health, intelligence
and physical development in those lucky enough to receive it. In Europe
in many countries, children received a daily ration of cod liver oil,
especially during the war years. In the UK, for example, the government
issued cod liver oil to all growing children until the early 1950s.
What has led to the demise of this obviously beneficial practice? Cod
liver oil is
a food; it can't be patented, it can't be created in a laboratory; it
can't create
millions for the drug companies. So interest in this wonderful superfood
has
naturally waned. But if you are basing your dietary habits on the principles
of
healthy nutritional diets, don't hesitate to include cod liver oil-our
recommended
brands of cod liver oil--as a healthy and natural food source of critical
vitamins
so lacking in modern diets.
We will be publishing more on cod liver oil in an upcoming issue of
Wise Traditions, so stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Sally Fallon
President
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