Page 38 - Spring2009

For years, I have recommended cod liver westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-
oil as a dietary supplement to support healthy menu.html.
vitamin D levels. However, based on more recent
findings, I am updating my recommendations WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
regarding cod liver oil, as it may not serve you VITAMINS A AND D IN COD LIVER OIL
as well as previously believed. My previous At least 2,000 genes, or nearly 10 percent of
recommendation was based on the fact that cod your genes, have been identified that are directly
liver oil contains vitamins D and A in addition influenced by vitamin D, which in turn impact a
to healthy omega-3 fats. These vitamins are es- wide variety of health issues, from preventing the
sential for most everyone who cannot get regular common cold and flu to inhibiting at least sixteen
sun exposure year-round. different types of cancer. There’s even evidence
It is a true statement that vitamins A and D linking vitamin D to the process of brain detoxi-
are essential for “most everyone” but contrary fication of heavy metals such as mercury.
to the implication that follows, we do not get Widespread vitamin D deficiency has also
vitamin A from sunlight. Mercola is correct in been strongly linked to the childhood epidemics
stating that cod liver oil may not serve us as well of autism, asthma, and diabetes, both type 1 and
as previous believed. That is because most cod 2. Vitamin A, which is essential for your immune
liver oil today has had a large part of the vitamin system just like vitamin D, is also a precursor to
D removed during processing. We warned our active hormones that regulate the expression of
readers about this situation in an article on the your genes, and they work in tandem. For ex-
manufacture of cod liver oil in the Winter 2005 ample, there is evidence that without vitamin D,
issue of Wise Traditions. This is why we rec- vitamin A can be ineffective or even toxic. But if
ommend only those brands of cod liver oil that you’re deficient in vitamin A, vitamin D cannot
contain adequate vitamin D (as well as adequate function properly either.
vitamin A). These statements are all true. The informa-
But more recent research has discovered tion about the importance of balance between
that the ratios of these two vitamins may be of vitamins A and D comes from our website.
paramount importance in order to extract optimal There are many problems with modern cod
health benefits, and unfortunately, modern cod liver oil but one of the primary ones is that there
liver oil does not supply these vitamins in healthy is no standard definition of what constitutes cod
For thousands ratios to each other. liver oil. Manufacturers are free to add or sub-
A detailed explanation of this research was tract as much vitamin A or D as they see fit.
of years, compiled by Chris Masterjohn and published in This is a true statement to which we have
traditional Wise Traditions, Fall, 2005. The Weston A. Price alerted our readers in several places on our web-
peoples from Foundation was the first organization to provide site. When it comes to cod liver oil, it is important
Northern the public with this important information. We to read the labels!
In fact cod liver oil was discovered in the
noted that most—but not all—cod liver oil does
Europe, the not supply vitamins A and D together in the right sewers of England several hundred years ago
Mediterranean, ratio. Mercola avoids telling his readers that we by starving children who drank it and scientists
Russia, North can still obtain cod liver oil that contains adequate noticed they did not get rickets. Cod liver oil is
vitamin D, a fact with which he is surely familiar in fact a highly processed food that was never
America and since he seems familiar with all the other informa- consumed by humans prior to this.
the South Seas tion on cod liver oil posted at westonaprice.org. Reference please?? In fact, for thousands of
Basically, adults need about 1000 IU vitamin years, traditional peoples from Northern Europe,
have valued the D daily to avoid vitamin A toxicity. This can be the Mediterranean, Russia, North America and
oil from cod supplied by a dose of a recommended brand of the South Seas have valued the oil from cod and
and other cod liver oil that provides 10,000 IU vitamin A, other species of fish and shark. Medical research

species of fish which is a completely safe dose of natural vitamin on the benefits of cod liver oil dates back to the
A. Our recommended brands of cod liver oil are 1700s. The notion of cod liver oil running through
and shark. listed in our shopping guide and posted at www. the sewers of England is ludicrous—if cod liver
36 Wise Traditions SPRING 2009