Cod Liver Oil?

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[ross_l]

I found this interesting article about the benefits of cod liver oils and joints.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1817974.stm

Could this be a new way to help treat or prevent knee problems in Aikido?

[p00kiethebear]

I think i'm going to try it.

I'll get back to you in a few months.

[happysod]

Doesn't prevent it, but it does help a lot. I suggest getting the tablet form, the "real deal" proved hard to swallow.

[aikidoc]

My only problem with the study is it was used on aliven tissue after it was discarded. Does this have the same effect in the body after going through the digestive process or will it require cod liver oil injections into the knee/arthritic joint?

[Janet Rosen]

My only problem with the study is it was used on aliven tissue after it was discarded. Does this have the same effect in the body after going through the digestive process or will it require cod liver oil injections into the knee/arthritic joint?good questions. Putting on my seldom used nowadays nurses thinking cap...

"first pass" through digestive tract and liver does indeed alter many substances and render them untherapeutic. However this study notes "Omega-3 fatty acids (the main component of cod liver oil)" is what they were looking at. These are basic building blocks, like vitamins and enzymes, and so the effect SHOULD come through ok.

This also means one need not take that nasty cod liver oil, but any of the fish or vegetable sources of omega-3 fatty acids....of course you have to watch out for too much mercury in some of the fishes too...this website has info on the issues

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632

[aikidoc]

I agree Janet, there has to be a better way to take Omega 3s-cod liver oil in the old days I think was used as a punishment due its unpleasant taste.

[Janet Rosen]

I agree Janet, there has to be a better way to take Omega 3s-cod liver oil in the old days I think was used as a punishment due its unpleasant taste.I never tried it, but I recall very clearly from childhood reading of either Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn a scene with a kid being dosed with it.

Now, in an era of little out-of-season fresh foods, no refridgeration for transporting seafood, etc, it made sense to have a concentrated, storable source of essential vitamins...but...bleagh!

[philipsmith]

As a Physiotherapist who used to work in rheumatoloigy I have long been convinced of the benefits of cod liver oil (if not the taste)

Capsules are fine but be aware commercial doses may not be therapeutic. One of the best ways to get Omega-3 oils is simply to eat more oily fish (mackerel etc)

If you're trying to help painful joints glucosamine combined with chondritin is a useful supplement. Therepaeutically the best dose is around 500 - 1000 mg daily.

[aikidoc]

You can get Omega 3s from vegetable sources. I for one can't handle the fish oils-gives me an upset stomach.

[Dyusan]

John, I tried the capsules and the only draw back was if you burped you got the taste. I don't know if it really helps but it seems to reduce some of my problems in the knees.

[Larry John]

Based on some research done in the early 90's my doctor's had me on a regimen of 12,000 mg of fish oil daily for the last few years due to a chronic kidney problem. It's made a huge difference in my overall health, and basically stopped the damage in its tracks.

You can buy fish oil at many grocery stores, pharmacies and such.

It's usually considered best to avoid the oil from predators like salmon because they tend to get a higher concentration of accumulative toxins like mercury into their systems. If you're really worried about this sort of thing, you can get what's called "pharmaceutical grade" fish oil from a few sources. It's been filtered at the molecular level (anyone else recall using gelatinous column filters in organic chemistry?). Tends to be expensive, though.

The guy who came up with the Zone diet is a big believer in fish oil, too. Can't recall his name right now.

[Anders Bjonback]

My mom's a doctor and she recently said, in between telling me to clean up my room and drink milk, to take cod-liver oil. I wonder if that's the one piece of advice I'll actually follow.