There were and still are many stories about cod liver oil. Fishermen used to take it to prevent Rickets and other illnesses men encountered while at sea.
For those in the pre / post baby-boomer generation some may have even been pressured by mom or grandma to take a spoonful of this mysterious gooey liquid because their elders swore that it was “good for you.”
Was there any truth or benefit to taking this cod liver oil?
As it turns out, fish oil, like the oil derived from codfish, can provide the body with tremendous health benefits. So moms and grandmas of yesterday may have been right after all.
What exactly is fish oil?
Fish oil comes from fatty and oil-rich fish. Good sources of fish oil include cod, salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, mackerel, sardines and many other types of fish. Fish oil contains a type of polyunsaturated fat (a type of fat that the body needs but cannot produce on its own) called Omega 3 fatty acids. These fatty acids must be obtained from food sources. There are three main types of Omega 3 fatty acids that are important to the body’s metabolism. These are a-Linolenic Acid (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic Acid (ELA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA).
In the past, fish oil (in particular cod liver oil), was commonly taken because it was known to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis and prevent rickets.
Today experts from around the world agree that including fish oil supplements as part of your regular diet can offer a whole host of other health benefits.
What does fish oil do?
Fish oil can help:
- Regulate the body’s cholesterol levels
- Protect the heart and combat heart disease
- Thwart off certain types of cancer
- Help with cognitive function and brain development
- Reduce depression symptoms
- Protect the brain from issues associated with Alzheimer’s
- Promote healing from injury or illness
- Reduce likelihood / occurrence of ADD and or ADHD in children
Why has fish oil become so important?
In the past, the Omega 3s contained in fish oil were a regular part of yesterday’s diet. So regular in fact, that its importance was negligible.
Prior to the evolution of technology to maximize food production, our meat contained enough Omega 3s. Our cows’ diets consisted of plain untouched grass grown in Omega 3-rich soil (without pesticides) and farmers would allow some time for the cows to grow (years) before they were used for beef.
Today, a lot of cattle and poultry are fed with grain instead of grass as this makes for “meatier” meat. Let’s also not forget that many of these animals are often packed together before going to slaughter; whereas yesterday’s animals roamed the farms before they were slaughtered. In effect, the quality of our meat has changed. Our dependence on this type of meat, in addition to processed food has eliminated Omega 3 from our diets.
Research from around the world concludes that cultures with diets rich in fish had lower rates of heart disease, arthritis and infections; therefore, the need to include fish oil in our diets is more important now than it ever was before.
Click here to read more information on fish oil.
