Cod Liver Oil: The Number One Superfood-

[Tim Campbe]

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

[Juhana Har]

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.]) 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
5. 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/issue10/images/large-
/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/v58/n1/full/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/issue10/images/large-
/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/

[monty1945]

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).

[Just Ed]

On Sep 23, 10:34 am, Tim Campbell
<timc...@sbcglobal.net> 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 bullshit deleted including spam link>

eat shit and die, spammer.

[Greatcod]

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

[Tc]

On Sep 23, 11:35 am, "Juhana Harju" <n...@mail.fi> 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.]) 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. 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/issue10/images/large/3-
> TT6.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/v58/n1/full/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/issue10/images/large/3-
> TT6.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.

[Mark Thors]

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]

TC <tunderbar@hotmail.com> 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. 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.

"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.

[Juhana Har]

DZ wrote:
> TC <tunderbar@hotmail.com> 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/