Change your oil - goodnews - fish oil vs cod liver oil - Brief Article

Better Nutrition, June, 2003

What's the difference between supplemental fish oil and cod liver oil? Both furnish heart-healthy omega-3 polyunsaturated essential fatty acids.

But cod liver oil also packs a vitamin A wallop--the sunshine vitamin so important during darker winter months.

Now that summer has arrived, those who live in the northern United States or in Canada should switch from cod liver oil to fish oil. Otherwise, there's a risk of toxicity from excess accumulation of vitamin A from the sun, dietary sources, vitamin supplements and cod liver oil. Those living in southern states should avoid cod liver oil year-round.

Many vitamins are water soluable and aren't stored in the body, but vitamin A is fat soluable and can be stored in the liver for a long time. The signs of vitamin A toxicity are bone and joint pain; hair loss, skin dryness, itching and flaking; weakness and fatigue; and in some cases, headache and vision problems. Fortunately, these symptoms reverse themselves when excess vitamin A intake is stopped. Beta-carotene is the precursor to vitamin A--meaning the body uses it to make its own vitamin A. But unlike vitamin A, beta-carotene poses no known toxicity risks.