Take Your Cod Liver Oil!!!!

My parents never made me take cod liver oil, probably because of the traumatic stories they told about their childhood experience with having to take it. It certainly did not sound like a good time!  Well, my Grandmothers may not have known all the benefits of giving fish oil but they knew it was important in keeping their children healthy.  We know so much more about fish oil and the many benefits of regular consumption. I will discuss some of these benefits right now.
First… what is fish oil or Cod liver oil (CLO)?  This oil is made from the livers of fish and CLO is specifically from cod fish liver.  When fish eat certain algae they end up having those nutrients in their bodies and their liver. The nutrient that will be the focus of this article is Omega 3 fatty acids… Omega 3s.  There are different Omega 3s. Two of the more popular and studied are DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid). DHA and EPA have a wide array of benefits for just about every part of the body. These fatty acids are critical for growth and development of babies and children, especially for brain development. Many parents are turning to Omega 3s to help with speech delays and even behavior. 
Omega 3s also help with improving vision.  They can help with combating dry eye, aid in treating Macular Degeneration, and reducing risk of Glaucoma.  Also, Omega 3s have anti inflammatory benefits that assist with improvement of many age related ailments that are linked to inflammation such as heart disease, arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Omega 3s also help to reduce occurrence of cardiac events.
People with ADHD have lower blood levels of DHA, so supplementation helps with Improved focus. Some people even have great benefits with improving behavior.  DHA can also help reduce risk of developing Alzheimer’s, dementia, as well as other mental abnormalities. Even, blood pressure and circulation can be supported by Omega 3s.
 
So what else can Omega 3s do?  It was before mentioned that Omega 3s help reduce inflammation. Chronic inflammation gives rise to cancer, gum disease, and auto immune conditions. Omega 3s can even help lower the inflammation from exercise and support muscle recovery.
 
So Omega 3s are providing benefits to people of all ages. Even pregnant women benefit from taking DHA for their fetal development namely brain and nerve development. Many Prenatal vitamins contain omega 3s, DHA and EPA.  These fatty acids are not i=only available in cod liver oil and vitamins. With enough consumption of cold water fish in the diet, someone could get enough Omega 3s from diet alone. Many people do not eat that much fish, so other options are CLO, fish oil, Omega 3 supplements and DHA/EPA supplements. Sources of Omega 3s are Cod fish, salmon, tuna, sardines, herring and algae.  Some other sources are flaxseed, walnuts and flaxseed oil.  There are some foods that are fortified with Omegas like milk and yogurt. As far as supplements there are fish oil supplements in liquid and capsule form as well as algae oil that are liquid and capsule formulations. Krill oil is also another option. Also of note, some people do take Vitamin E along with Omega 3s to maximize the benefits. Doses do vary. Children do not need as much how ever adults do need higher doses to see benefits. However, diabetics should be mindful when dosing Omega 3s as very high doses can cause a spike in blood sugars. Also, Omega 3s can lower blood pressure so very high doses many cause low blood pressure. Some European studies have shown that up to 5000mg of DHA, for adults, was tolerated with not adverse effects, but only you an make a sound decision on how much to use. Other studies have be conducted using 2000 to 3000 mg successfully. There are so many more benefits from Omega 3s. It would be great to explore the possibilities.