Are you hooked on fish oil yet? It is said to be a natural wonder drug proven to treat a range of conditions! Allow me to give you the 411 on this superfood. 

BACKGROUND
For centuries, fishing communities all over the world have used fish oil for various purposes. In the 16th century England, it was commonplace for fishermen to treat a plethora of health issues as varied as wounds, body aches, common colds and even skin diseases with fish liver oil.

In the early 20th century, it was discovered that cod liver oil naturally contains Vitamin A (good for eyesight and healthy skin) and Vitamin D (for the growth and maintenance of strong bones and teeth). Thus, during the Second World War, Cod Liver Oil Liquid was produced under a free distribution scheme; the Welfare Food program. 

But the current rise in its popularity is all thanks to an early 1970s Danish study on Greenland Inuit and Japanese fishing populations. The researchers saw that even though the Inuit lived on an extremely high-fat diet, incidence of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases was very low among them. They concluded that the real reason for this was the high-fat fish diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. As a rich natural source of this type of Omega-3, Cod Liver Oil suddenly moved to becoming the cutting edge of nutritional science.

DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE? 
Fish oil is extracted from the flesh of deep-sea oily fish species such as tuna, herring and cod. It's rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA but does not have much vitamin A or D.

While cod liver oil comes from the liver of the cod fish. It has less omega-3s but is chockfull of vitamins A and D. In the 1960s, it was regularly spooned out to children in northern Europe – where sunlight is scarce during long winters - as a source of vitamin D. 

If you are on a budget, cod liver oil or the standard omega-3s are the ones to go for. Also, cod liver oil is more widely available in Bangladesh. 

WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT IT?
OMEGA-3
An ideal diet should contain a healthy ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3. These are polyunsaturated fatty acids and are called 'essential' because the body needs them but cannot make them i.e. they must be obtained from food. Omega-3 contains the nutrients EPA and DHA which are essential to good health.

However over the last 50 years, our diets have changed to contain far more Omega-6 than Omega-3. This is mainly because Omega-6 is available in everyday cooking oils and fast food whereas Omega-3 is found in more limited sources such as oily fish.

It is suggested by the UK government that we aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week; one of which is oily in order to increase Omega-3 intake. Thus, for those who do not particularly like the taste of oily fish, a cod liver oil supplement is a good alternative. 

Vitamin D
This vitamin is also known as the 'sunshine vitamin' as it forms under the skin in reaction to sunlight. It is also present in certain foods e.g. animal livers and egg yolk. It has several important functions. Vitamin D helps maintain a healthy immune system and strong bones, muscles and teeth.

Many of us would want to avoid the sun in such sizzling heat and it is difficult to keep track of how much vitamin D we are taking in daily through diet. Thus, for those who do not get enough vitamin D, a cod liver oil supplement is a good alternative. The Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for vitamin D is 5 mcg, which is difficult to obtain through diet alone.

Vitamin A
Also known as retinol, vitamin A has several important functions including:

Helping your immune system to work efficiently against infections.

Helping vision in dim light. 

Keeping skin and the linings of some parts of the body – e.g. nose – healthy.

Vitamin A is present in food such as cheese, eggs and oily fish. However, liver is a particularly rich source of vitamin A which makes cod liver oil an excellent and convenient source of vitamin A. 

SOME LOVE FOR YOUR HEART
Heart diseases are becoming increasingly commonplace in today's society. However, cod liver oil may help prevent this! The anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil benefit the heart greatly. They reduce the blood-vessel inflammation that can lead to heart disease. There are large studies dating back 30 years which show fish oils play a part in preventative cardiology.

Fish oils also lower blood fats called triglycerides which help alleviate cardiac issues. Taking cod liver oil by mouth can reduce triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent in people with high triglyceride levels. Furthermore, taking cod liver oil by mouth seems to lower blood pressure (both numbers) a small, but important, amount in people with mild high blood pressure.

Beat arthritis! 
Fight that joint pain with fish oil as studies have shown benefits from fish oils for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. This is because fish oils have an anti-inflammatory effect which targets the cause of joint pain and helps the body deal with it.  Fish oils work together with mono unsaturated fats reducing cell inflammation which reduces pain and maintains health.

However, this effect is irrelevant if you are eating a diet full of omega-6 unsaturated and saturated fats. Such food counteracts and lessens the effects of the beneficial oils. So take your supplements and watch your diet if you really want that pain to subside!

See better
Worried about your eyesight? There are studies showing that omega-3 can help stave off the deterioration of sight, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which damages the centre of the eye and can lead to blindness. A Harvard University study of 38,000 women found that those who ate the most fish oils had a 38 percent lower risk of developing AMD compared with those who ate the least. This may be because the highest concentration of DHA in the body is found in the eye. Fish oils also contain vitamin A which is essential for a healthy eyesight.

A HEALTHY MIND
Cod liver oil can help you fight depression as well! It has been shown that low dietary intake of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids, is linked to depressed mood, hostility and impulsive behaviour. Whereas high intake of these fatty acids is associated with increased gray matter volume in brain regions associated with depression and mood. So take your fish oils to fight those blues! 

Not only that, cod liver can help improve your cognitive performance as well. Cod liver oil contains a high amount of vitamin D. A link between vitamin D and cognitive performance was identified in a study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. The authors concluded that Vitamin D may play a key role in maintaining good brain function in old age.

Warning! 
Though fish oils have numerous benefits, never take a supplement without consulting your doctor especially if you are on medication. 

At high doses they are possibly unsafe and might keep blood from clotting, increasing the chance of bleeding with urine, or nose-bleeds. Vitamin A and Vitamin D levels might also become too high with high doses of cod liver oils causing hypervitaminosis. 

Especially if you are pregnant, too much vitamin A can potentially cause birth defects. Also, cod liver oil contains substantial levels of Omega-3 EPA, which can cause numerous health problems, such as haemorrhaging during the birth process, if not balanced by certain Omega-6 fatty acids found in liver, egg yolks and meat fats. To be safe, stick to the safe upper limit of 10,000 IU per day but consult your doctor even before doing that. 

Remember: just because something is good for you does not mean that having more is better. 

Finally, to avoid that unpleasant fishy aftertaste or those distasteful fish flavoured burps remember to take fish oil supplements with food!

By Maisha Rumelia Rahman
For recipes on fish see page 12 and 13
Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Food prepared by: Mermaid Beach Resort