A REVOLUTIONARY
New Type of Cod Liver Oil
by Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., FACN
During the first half of the 20th century, a parenting trend
emerged that many current senior citizens remember quite
clearly all these decades later: mothers began giving their
children a teaspoon of cod liver oil each day. It was considered a
healthy thing to do and physicians of that era heartily encouraged
it. Why did this daily dose of oil leave such a lasting impression on
generations of people? Perhaps it is because cod liver oil can be a
robust multisensory experience that involves sight, smell, taste,
and texture.
Was the popularity of cod liver oil in the early 1900s cutting-edge
innovation? In truth, it’s more a case of rediscovered ancient
wisdom. The use of fish oil in medicine traces back to the
legendary Greek physician, Hippocrates (born 450 BCE, died 370
BCE). It is believed that oil from the livers of dolphins and other
fish were used as treatments for inflammation of the skin and
joints during that classical period of human history. Later, the oil
of cod liver emerged to become an important therapeutic tool
throughout Europe and Scandinavia. This fact was discussed by
author Mark Kurlansky in his 1998 book, Cod: A Biography of the
Fish that Changed the World.
In the 1970s, two visionary scientists decided there must be more
to cod liver oil than tradition and folklore. They began a quest to
study not only the nutritional composition of the oil, but also its
effects on human physiology. These physicians, Jørn Dyerberg
and HO Bang, set their sights on a very specific study population:
Greenland. The Innuit natives of this remote and rugged region
of the world consumed most of their calories from fish and seal
oils, yet there was a very low incidence of heart disease among
them. The prevailing view at that time was that consuming fat
had a detrimental effect on health. How, then, could this paradox
in Greenland be accounted for? After many years of research,
Dyerberg and Bang were credited with discovering the unique
and health-promoting properties of omega-3 oils.
A 21st Century Makeover for the World’s First
Dietary Supplement
Over time, additional studies revealed that cod liver oil contained
not only omega-3 fatty acids, but also natural sources of both
vitamin A and vitamin D. This key finding nutritionally links cod
liver oil to health benefits like improved immunity and bone
strength. As a product, cod liver oil is produced in three different
forms: fresh and unadulterated cod liver oil, processed cod liver
oil, and fermented cod liver oil. Within natural medicine circles,
fresh cod liver oil has historically been considered to have the
strongest health-promoting benefits. But it’s a good news/bad
news situation, because there are two significant problems with
raw cod liver oil: taste and smell. That multisensory experience
that was previously mentioned? For many people, the outcome is
an involuntary gag reflex.
34 Vol 39 • Extraordinary Health ™