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Many people have dipped into Dr. Weston Price’s book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration without actually making it to chapter 22, “A New Vitamin-Like Activator.” There, he summarizes his findings about “activator X,” a fat-soluble vitamin he discovered in butter (especially butter from cows eating rapidly growing green grass), fish eggs and the organs and fats of animals.
In studies with humans and poultry, he found that giving cod liver oil alone was not as effective in promoting growth and recovery from bone loss or tooth decay as the combination of what he called “high-vitamin natural cod liver oil (a source of vitamins A and D)” and “high-vitamin butter oil (a source of vitamin A and activator X).” He made the butter oil by centrifuging slightly heated butter to separate it into an oil and hard portion; the vitamins concentrated in the oil. Today, we know that activator X is vitamin K2 MK-4, the animal form of vitamin K.
In chapter 22, Price described a Depression-era study involving schoolchildren of mill workers suffering from rampant tooth decay and many other health problems. Their diets usually consisted of “highly sweetened coffee and white bread, vegetable fat, pancakes made of white flour and eaten with syrup and doughnuts fried in vegetable fat.” Price and his researchers provided the children with one meal per day at school. The meal consisted of marrow stew with meat and vegetables, fish stew or organ meats; cooked fruit with very little sweetening; rolls made of freshly ground wheat and spread with high-vitamin butter; and two glasses of fresh whole milk. Most importantly, each child received one teaspoon of a mixture of high-vitamin cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil. Price reported, “The clinical effect was apparent: complete control of dental caries for the entire group, as shown in the x-ray films.” One hundred percent of the cavities in these children filled in! Moreover, the health of the children improved in many other ways, including overall energy and performance at school.
EMERGENCY APPLICATIONS
Price did not describe the way he used the combination of high-vitamin butter oil and high-vitamin cod liver oil in emergency situations. Pat Connolly (Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation) introduced me to “Dr. Price’s Remedy,” namely alternating drops of high-vitamin cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil under the tongue. “This brought many people back from the brink of death,” she told me.
One person brought back from the brink of death was Donald Price, Dr. Price’s nephew. I had the privilege of speaking with Donald by phone in the late 1990s, shortly before he died. Donald had traveled with Dr. Price and operated his lantern slides during lectures—he was probably the last surviving person who had known Dr. Price. When I mentioned the remedy, he told me that his uncle had given him the alternating drops when he was close to death from pneumonia. The remedy quickly revived him and he was out of bed the next day.
I used the remedy on my husband (age ninety-five) after he had a bad fall while working on the farm. I gave him the drops five or six times before he went to bed—followed up by bone broth and a good dinner—and he was up and about the next day.
The remedy seems to work for mental as well as physical ailments. A friend of ours came to visit—normally cheerful and upbeat, she was in a deep depression, unable even to smile. We sat her down and gave her the drops, several times over the hour. Soon she was smiling again, the depression having lifted.
Use only a natural cod liver oil containing natural vitamins A and D (see “Cod Liver Oil Basics and Recommendations” at the Weston A. Price Foundation website.1) High-vitamin (“concentrated”) butter oil is produced by Green Pasture Products.2 Many products claim to be “butter oil” but are actually just ghee (clarified butter); these may be very rich in fat-soluble activators and are good for daily use, but they are not the true butter oil as described by Price. You can also use Australian emu oil,3 which is very rich in vitamin K2.
A BETTER WAY
I was reminded of Dr. Price’s remedy when viewing the film Medicating Normal about the catastrophic addictive effects of psychiatric drugs. The film presents three stories: a soldier who suffers post-traumatic stress disorder after the death of a friend in combat; a naval officer who goes into burnout and depression working long hours; and a waitress who has trouble sleeping. After a psychiatrist prescribes pills, all three become addicted. The film shows their heroic efforts to return to a normal life.
I kept thinking: what about Dr. Price’s remedy? What about good nutrition? After any trauma, stress or accident—any shock that disrupts homeostasis and makes normal life impossible—alternating drops of high-vitamin cod liver and butter oil (or Australian emu oil) should be the go-to remedy, followed by a nutrient-dense diet that includes liver, other organ meats, shellfish, fish eggs, fermented foods, bone broth, butter and raw dairy products. Good nutrition sustains us, but sometimes the body needs a kick-starter. The fat-soluble vitamins can help us snap out of a desperate situation; under the tongue, they are rapidly absorbed, requiring no digestion, which may be compromised in situations of trauma.
Situations that cry out for Dr. Price’s remedy include accidents; after insect/animal bites; before/after surgery; during recovery from addiction; and before/after injections (in situations where a person feels coerced into getting a vaccine). I recommend six to eight drops of each, with applications spaced about an hour apart, using an eye dropper. After you have recovered with the remedy and a diet of nutrient-dense food, it’s still a good idea to take a combination of high-vitamin cod liver oil and high-vitamin butter oil (or emu oil) on a regular basis. The best way is to put about one teaspoon cod liver oil and one-fourth to one-half teaspoon high-vitamin butter oil (or emu oil) in a small glass. Add a little hot water, stir and then gulp it down the hatch.
SIDEBAR
DANGERS OF VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION
The Weston A. Price Foundation does not recommend vitamin D supplements—only vitamin D from food, such as cod liver oil, egg yolks, animal fats like lard, organ meats, fish eggs and shellfish, where it is balanced by its cofactors vitamin A and K2. Vitamin D taken on its own can rapidly deplete vitamins A and K2 stores. Taking large doses of vitamin D can also induce severe depletion of magnesium, as magnesium is essential to the metabolism of vitamin D.1 Vitamin D enhances mineral absorption and can lead to hypercalcemia (dangerously high levels of calcium in the blood), and higher levels of vitamin D also have been linked to enhanced absorption of toxic elements such as aluminum, cadmium, cobalt and lead.2 Unfortunately, during the Covid pandemic, many were taking very high doses of vitamin D from supplements, even up to 10,000 IU per day or more.
Symptoms of vitamin D overdose include vomiting, nausea, poor appetite, excessive thirst, excessive urine production, loss of weight, abdominal pain, dehydration, constipation, diarrhea, itchy skin, severe headache, irritability and nervousness. Heart rhythm irregularities, increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure as well as renal failure are also symptoms of vitamin D overdose.
Kidney stones are another danger of excess vitamin D. Lifeguards in Israel3 have twenty times the rate of kidney stones as the general population. According to Chris Masterjohn, “Kidney stones may be the most sensitive indicator of vitamin D toxicity and are a symptom of vitamin A and K2 deficiency.”4
In partial recognition of the need to balance high doses of vitamin D with cofactors, many practitioners are now recommending taking vitamin K along with vitamin D. This practicie is likely to deplete vitamin A even faster! Worse, the form of vitamin K in most supplements is not Dr. Price’s X Factor—vitamin K2 MK-4.
One teaspoon of cod liver oil can supply about 1000 IU vitamin D; that plus vitamin D ingested from other foods, such as egg yolks, lard, seafood, poultry liver, poultry fat and organ meats, is plenty. These foods also supply vitamin K2 MK-4. Vitamin D supplements are unnecessary and can put us at risk.
SIDEBAR REFERENCES
- Reddy P, Edwards LR. Magnesium supplementation in vitamin D deficiency. Am J Ther. Jan/Feb 2019;26(1):e124-e132.
- Schwalfenberg GK, Genuis SJ. Vitamin D, essential minerals, and toxic elements: exploring interactions between nutrients and toxicants in clinical medicine. ScientificWorldJournal. 2015;2015:318595.
- Better OS, Shabtai M, Kedar S, et al. Increased incidence of nephrolithiasis (N) in lifeguards (LG) in Israel. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1980;128:467- 472.
- Masterjohn C. Update on vitamins A and D. Weston A. Price Foundation, June 24, 2010. https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/abcs-of-nutrition/update-on-vitamins-a-and-d/
REFERENCES
- https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/cod-liver-oil/cod-liver-oil-basics-and-recommendations/
- https://www.greenpasture.org/product/concentrated-butter-oil-liquid/
- https://walkabouthealthproducts.com/
The one caveat of fish and their eggs intake …. and concurrently, meats …. Is heavy metals and pesticides are added risk of non-health.
There are fish and fish eggs products available that are tested. The cod liver oil and butter oil Sally refers to in this article for example, from one of our recommended manufaturers, Green Pasture Products, are tested and aren’t of concern.
Hey there! I was checking out the Green Pasture products and it looks like they have a combo of the cod liver oil AND butter oil. Would you remcomend that, or would it be more beneficial to take them separately?
I take Green Pastures cod liver oil/butter oil blend. I think it’s a very good way to get both.
I used to take Green Pastures but I switched to Rosita about 6-7 years ago. I’m sure GP is good quality, I just prefer a Norwegian company because that is my genetics, along with French Canadian.
Hello! If you take Rosita cod liver oil, do you use the Green Pastures butter oil?
What should you do if you have a vitamin D deficiency and need to supplement daily to keep levels high enough?
Yes, I would like to hear the recommendation as well.
Thanks Sally. I was just thinking about how all I’ve done for years is take CLO and get out in the sun shirtless whenever it’s not cloudy. Though some around are taking low quality synthetic D pills… Been following you and WAP for years and your information and wisdom is always very much appreciated.
can use organic unrefined coconut oil for my dry eyes
I’m temporarily on the carnivore diet to fix some inflammation issues. I’ll stop after 90 days. Some people have reported that the additional fat and cholesterol intake has cured their dry eyes. Dr. Ken Berry, Dr. Shawn Baker on Youtube and No Carb Life. You may find solutions regarding dry eye condition.
I have a question about GP butter oil. I know WAPF recommends it because of its concentrations of the nutrients it provides; however, should it taste rancid? This is not a complaint, just trying to find answers.
I was trying to decide between GP and Nutrapro butter oil. Nutrapro was more expensive per serving and you had to take a whole tablespoon to get a serving. Whereas GP was cheaper per serving and you only have to take a half teaspoon. The only problem I was seeing with GP was complaints by others that it tasted gross. I don’t mind gross. I figured that the reason GP was probably tasting not so nice was because of its high concentration. You can have a good flavor in moderation, but if you concentrate that flavor down it’s eventually not going to taste so good. That was my reasoning. So I purchased GP based off of WAPF’s recommendation.
Well, I got the oil in and had my first tsp. I wouldn’t describe the flavor as gross. I’ve had gross food, I know what it tastes like. This flavor was a flavor I’ve had before in other oils…..that have gone rancid. It wasn’t just the taste that was rancid, you can even smell the rancid perfume. It’s edible as far as being able to handle flavor goes. However, knowing that other oils become quite bad for your health when they go rancid, is this going to be the case with the butter oil?
I want the benefits that GP is supposed to have over other brands, but are those benefits even going to be there if the oil is rancid?
If the benefits are there, do they make up for the harm the rancid components of the oil cause the body?
Is it rancid or is that just the bad taste and smell of a concentrated butter oil, and is the fact the flavor is rancid flavor and smell just a coincidence?
I know WAPF did an analysis on GP cod liver oil and several other brands regarding stabilization at room temperature and fridge temperatures for various days each. Have they don’t one for the high vitamin butter oil?
I don’t want to take or buy a rancid oil if its going to cause harm when I’m trying to heal damage, even if it is more concentrated in nutrients. It would be better in my opinion to have to take more per serving of an oil that is still “fresh,” though that turns out to be more expensive.
I will be reaching out to the company I purchased GP butter oil from and see if they will remedy this situation, but I’m interested in WAPF’s take on it.
Interested in hearing about a follow up about this!
Green Pastures contacted me after I reached out. But didnt have anything to contribute. They just asked for the lot number and I haven’t heard from them since.
Nourishing world just figured I and my families taste buds aren’t used to strong scents and flavors (Oh trust me, we are. It doesn’t get worse than male goat liver). This wasn’t strong flavor and scent, it was rancid flavor and scent, which I am familiar with.
In hopes I was still wrong or the benefit might outweight the risk of rancid oil damage, we continued to take it…..until that is after day 4 or 5 the oil left the back of my tongue and throat with a mild burning tingling sensation for about half an hour. That’s not normal. I told Dh, and he told me if thats what happened then the oil had to be rancid. I stopped giving it to the family.
Nourishing world was willing to take it back though we had used it, but I didnt appreciate being shrugged off as just not knowing the difference between strong flavor and rancid as I’ve had both before.
Green Pastures might generally be a high quality brand, but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be outliers of rancid products. Nature dictates it’s bound to happen. And I just don’t like that I was brushed aside as a dummy who just doesn’t know better between strong flavor and rancid.
I really believe if Green Pastures wants to vindicate itself, they really need to start sending the accused batches off for rancidity testing, not an unrelated batch. It doesnt do any good to test batch #3625, jar 36 and claim “see our product isn’t rancid.” When it was batch #4173, jar 28 that was accused of being rancid. Numbers made up of course, just as an example.
I kept the jar refridgerated and sent it back as soon as possible; therefore, there is no reason for them to not get it tested to validate its stability. If its good, it won’t have gone rancid in the short time it was opened in refridgerated conditions or in the short transit time to get back to them.
Even if they want to test taste the jar themselves to see if the rancid flavor is the flavor it always is, fine. Do so. Tell me its supposed to taste rancid like…..but they didnt. I described the flavor as rancid and asked if thats its normal flavor. They didnt care to respond to that question, and Nourishing world just said it was supposed to be a strong flavor.
Based off their response, it would appear the flavor is not supposed to taste rancid, just strong. That means there’s a difference. And judging by my tongue and throats reaction to it after multiple days of taking it, I’d say my body also decided it was more than just a strong flavor.
I’m not saying Green Pastures is being underhanded deliberately selling rancid products. And I’m not saying there product isnt high quality. I’m saying they should always be aware of possible outliers and take their customers feedback seriously by investigating the particular jars in question and not just shove the complaints aside as coming from people who just don’t have a palate suited to the flavor.
Anyways, I decided to start using ghee. According to the tests done on WAPF, we’d only have to take 4x as much ghee as concentrated butter oil for the same punch. That’s 2 tsp. Not 8 tbls. I’d really like to know where WAPF gets 8 tbsp from. The data they got back for the k2 number between ghee and concentrated butter oil shows only a 4x difference at most. That means if 1/2 tsp. of butter oil is sufficient for a day, you’d only need two tsp. of ghee for the same benefit.
But then again, maybe I’m really bad at math. I’m just going according to their own test results. Anyone else can feel free to do their own calculations based on the data the WAPF gives.
Congratulations to anyone who didnt get an outlier product and is receiving wonderful benefits from the concentrated butter oil. I’ll be sticking to ghee, even if I did have to take 8 tbsp instead of 2 tsp.
Another update. Green Pasture has since gotten back with me. They tested the batch and said it wasn’t rancid.
I’m glad they follwed up with me. I will still be sticking with ghee however as there are still issues with testing a batch sample vs testing the actual accused jar. I can’t blame them for this as they don’t have my jar, nourishing world does. But at least they tried to make sure of their product. I also can’t ignore how my body responded to it after days of taking it.
It was probably just that jar that was rancid due to some compromise in packaging or storage or whatever. I know rancid flavor when I taste it. Ever eaten rancid beef tallow? I have. How do I know the beef tallow was rancid? because it was fine when I first started using it and went rancid over time from my improperly storing it. The scent and taste of that rancid beef tallow was the same scent and taste of the jar of butter oil I got. So based on that experience and others and how my body eventually responded to it, I can’t trust the test sample they took.
Again. The sample wasnt from my jar, so it cannot be assured to be accurate though I understand a test batch sample is all they can do at this point. Btw, I did properly store the butter oil and it had the rancid smell and taste from the first day, so it didn’t go rancid due to me like my beef tallow did.
Anyhoo, that’s the update. Im thankful green pastures tried their best the only way they could under the circumstances. Even if rancid flavor and smell is how its supposed to smell and taste, I’ll still not be able to use it as apparently the back of my tongue and throat reacted in an allergic way, even though I’m not allergic to dairy.
Thank you gif this thread. I too have been trying to decide between NutraPro and GP. I have been buying NutraPro for a couple years but I just saw dose on GP is1/2 tsp. I was trying to see why the dosage was different when I found your post. Are you certain the products are different in concentrations? I was hoping I could use half tsp with NutraPro. But it’s so difficult to find out differences between products. Can you tell me if you or anyone sees this if there truly is a difference? Thanks! Rachel