FAQs and Links

Could you explain why I should take cod liver oil or Fish Oil supplements? I need convincing as I eat a healthy diet and feel fit.

If you eat plenty of oily fish (e.g. mackerel, herring, sardine, pilchard, salmon) then you don't need to take a supplement. The reason most people (90% of the population according to the Institute for Optimum Nutrition) are deficient in Omega-3s is that the typical Western diet has changed so much since the turn of the century. Our reliance on processed foods, meat and dairy produce means that most of us eat less fish (particularly the oily fish which made regular appearances in the traditional British diet) and fewer of the nuts and seeds that provide vegetable-source Omega-3 (which although not as good as Fish Oils are certainly better than no Omega-3s at all). The Department of Health, through its Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA), advises increasing oily fish consumption as does the British Nutrition Foundation. You may not notice the deficiency now (skin condition is a good indicator - are you sure your skin is as velvety, plump and blemish-free as it could be?), but as you age your body will feel the lack and you will be less able to fend off diseases associated with growing older. Fish and Fish Oils supply Omega-3 nutrients. Cod Liver Oil also supplies Vitamins A and D.