Page 41 - Spring2009

Dr. John Cannell, head of the Vitamin D liver oil or any brand of cod liver oil that is low
Council, along with fifteen other researchers, in vitamin D.
recently released an article “Cod Liver Oil, Vita- But it is completely inappropriate to con-
min A Toxicity, Frequent Respiratory Infections, clude from this 2004 study that cod liver oil is
and the Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic” in the toxic because of its vitamin A content. Similar
November issue of Annals of Otology, Rhinol- reviews could be put together showing the ben-
ogy and Laryngology. In this paper Dr. Cannell efits of vitamin A and cod liver oil in numerous
raised questions about the efficacy of cod liver oil studies—see page 42 for a list of recent studies
due to its highly variable and frequently exces- showing a wide range of benefits from cod liver
sive amount of vitamin A. Typically modern cod oil. Obviously the solution is to use the type of
liver oil contains far less vitamin D than it used cod liver oil that people took in the 1930s, which
to, due to the deodorization process used today did not have most of the vitamin D removed by
which removes much of this essential nutrient. modern processing techniques.
Most of this paper is a review of studies During the first half of the century, cod liver
showing the benefits of vitamin D in protecting oil was the focus of a worldwide health initiative.
against various illnesses, including respiratory Parents were urged to give cod liver oil to their
infection. This paper does not present any in- children by doctors, by government officials, by
formation whatsoever indicating that cod liver teachers and principals in schools, and even by
oil is toxic and, in fact, admits that vitamin A their ministers in churches. A large portion of
can significantly reduce the incidence of acute adults in America born before the Second World
lower respiratory tract infections in Third World War received cod liver oil as children and this
children. practice contributed to a high level of health,
A portion of the review article is an attempt intelligence and physical development in those
to explain why a 2004 study providing 600 to 700 lucky enough to receive it. In Europe in many
IU of vitamin D and 3,500 IU of vitamin A in the countries, children received a daily ration of cod
form of cod liver oil and a multivitamin failed liver oil, especially during the war years. In the
to meaningfully reduce upper respiratory tract UK, for example, the government issued cod liver
infections when studies from the 1930s found oil to all growing children until the early 1950s.
that cod liver oil could reduce the incidence of The cod liver oil used during this period was
these infections by 30 to 50 percent. The authors obviously not toxic, but contributed to the good
of the recent commentary suggested that the older health of a whole generation of people. Surely the
studies were more effective because cod liver oil answer is to provide the current generation with
in the 1930s contained much more vitamin D. the benefits of the same kind of cod liver oil.
They suggested that modern cod liver oil is low Dr. Cannell and other prominent researchers
in vitamin D because the deodorization process believe the vitamin A contained in most cod liver
removes the vitamin while manufacturers fortify oil is excessive, and can reduce the effectiveness
the oil with only a fraction of the original amount. of vitamin D by inhibiting the binding of its ac-
As an example, they cited cod liver oil made by tive form to your DNA, effectively preventing its
Nordic Naturals, advertised as containing only ability to regulate the expression of your vitamin During the
“naturally occurring vitamins A and D,” which D-responsive genes. first half of
has only 3 to 60 IU of vitamin D per tablespoon According to a comment posted on the In-
but between 150 and 12,000 times as much vita- ternet, Dr. Veith, the second author of the paper the century,
min A. and a prominent vitamin D researcher, does not cod liver oil
This conclusion is essentially the same as agree with Cannell’s outright ban of cod liver was the focus
the conclusion reached by the Weston A. Price oil. Dr. Veith is ultimately concerned with the
Foundation and the research of Chris Masterjohn; possibility of vitamin A toxicity, but he stated of a
we have continually pointed out that vitamins A that one teaspoonful per day of cod liver oil is worldwide
and D work together and that without vitamin D, not of concern (onibasu.com/archives/nn/105447. health
vitamin A can be ineffective or even toxic. We html).
do not recommend Nordic Naturals regular cod While Mercola states earlier that vitamins A initiative.

SPRING 2009 Wise Traditions 39