April 5, 2018

The Benefits of Cod Liver Oil (& How to Choose a Good One)

If you’re not familiar with the benefits of cod liver oil, you’ll want to read on to learn more about this ancient super food supplement. Contributor Stefani gives us all the details below.

The benefits of cod liver oil have been known for centuries. Natives in northern Europe used it to protect them from the cold winters. (source) At the beginning of the 20th century, it was discovered that cod liver oil was effective in preventing rickets, a disease linked to a vitamin D deficiency.

Parents started giving it to their children, and studies began to show that it reduced upper respiratory infections. (source) It’s no longer as popular as it once was, mainly due to the strong taste, however, it’s beginning to make a comeback in recent years.

What are the benefits of cod liver oil?

Cod liver oil is just as it sounds: it’s an oil made from the livers of codfish. It’s a good source of vitamins A & D, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Because the Standard American Diet is too high in omega 6 inflammatory fatty acids and too low in omega 3 anti-inflammatory ones, taking a cod liver oil supplementation is wise.

Cod liver oil:

relieves achy joints and muscle pain
provides fatty acids known to improve brain health and may help with depression and other mental illness
is useful in elderly populations for increasing bone density and reducing fractures
may be useful in treating glaucoma due to its ability to reduce intraocular pressure. (source)

Additionally, the benefits of cod liver oil go beyond pain relief and healing glaucoma, to actually boosting and maintaining immune function in the body.

How vitamins A and D improve the immune system

One of the biggest benefits of cod liver oil is its impressive offering of high-quality vitamins A & D. Vitamin A is essential for the immune system, and our bodies don’t produce it so we must get it from an outside source. It’s responsible for the growth of bones and cells, the function of our skin and epithelial tissues, and reproductive functionality. (source)

Vitamin A deficiency causes an increased risk of infection. Additionally, infections increase the body’s need for vitamin A, which creates a downward cycle of health.

Direct sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but our indoor lifestyles, cloudy climates, and increasing air pollution affect the amount we receive. Therefore, researchers believe that half of the world’s population is vitamin D deficient. (source) Our culture’s overuse of sunscreens also decreases the amount of sunlight we receive. Wearing a sunscreen of 30SPF reduces vitamin D absorption by the skin by more than 95%.

Adequate Vitamin D not only prevents rickets, but reduces the risk of common cancers and other diseases. It’s been shown to reduce type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and more. (source)

The superior omega fats in cod liver oil

In addition to vitamins A and D, cod liver oil contains essential fatty acids. (Read more about why you need those and the best way to get them here.)

The beneficial omega 3 fatty acids that are present in cod liver oil are eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA and DHA). These are the same fatty acids that you can find in cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines.

EPA and DHA are far superior to other omega 3 fatty acids such asalpha-linolenic acid (ALA), found in chia seeds and flax seeds. While ALA still has benefits, you’d have to eat a great deal more of these foods than those with EPA and DHA to get the same benefit.

EPA and DHA are extremely beneficial for lowering systemic inflammation levels throughout the body. When studied, they showed the ability to lower the risk of heart disease by minimizing arterial inflammation. (source) Scientists believe that the protective omega 3s in fish oils also reduce triglycerides and increases HDL cholesterol, further supporting the health of the cardiovascular system. (source)

Why you should avoid cheap cod liver oil

Gaining the benefits of cod liver oil is simple, but your top priority should be finding a high-quality source because not all of them are created equal. The biggest concerns to consider when choosing a cod liver oil are the source of the fish, the process of extraction, and whether or not there are any other additives.

Cod liver oil is highly fragile. It oxidizes easily when exposed to light and oxygen, which ruins the product. This is why great care must be taken during the production process to prevent oxidation (spoilage) and protect the nutrients in the cod liver oil.

A to D ratio: an important consideration

It is important to AVOID cod liver oil that contains low levels of vitamin D in relationship to vitamin A. The ideal ratio of A to D is no greater than 10:1 (for every one unit of vitamin D there should be no more than 10 units of vitamin A).

With industrialized processing, these ratios can become imbalanced and the risk for vitamin A toxicity becomes greater.

You will find that the purest, least processed cod liver oils have a ratio near the ideal 10:1, because when the vitamins are naturally occurring, rather than synthetic, they are naturally balanced.

Who needs the benefits of cod liver oil most?

Cod liver oil is a traditional, ancient super food that various cultures have long depended on for health, vitality, and fertility.

Yep- cod liver oil is super important for fertility. Those planning to become pregnant, or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding need cod liver oil the most, as the omega fats in cod liver oil nourish the brains of growing babies and children.

Yep- kids need it too. Growing brains and bodies can benefit greatly from cod liver oil supplementation. Especially in the winter.

Yep- vitamin D is scarce in the winter. Which means we can all benefit from cod liver oil supplementation, particularly during gray and cloudy seasons, in order to bolster the immune system when the sun can’t give us the vitamin D we need.

Best (& worst) cod liver oils

Best cod liver oil

Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil- EVCLO is unprocessed, which is superior to other processed cod liver oils. The naturally occurring omega 3 fatty acids and vitamins A and D are already present in the right ratios, which allows this type of cod liver oil to provide far better benefits than other kinds. (source)

Each batch of Rosita EVCLO is carefully handcrafted without heat, chemicals or exposure to metal in Rosita’s dimly lit, cool facility.

How is it processed?

First, after removing the livers from the fish, they gently expose them to near-winter conditions (like the cold waters where the fish swim). They then gently allow the livers to warm up to just a bit above freezing. This gradual shift in temperature and pressure breaks down the liver cells. Within an hour or two, they release the oil with all its nutritional goodness.

The oil is then gently filtered using a natural marine material that absorbs contaminants like a magnet for easy removal. Next, the oil goes through a series of paper filters. Each batch is tested twice to meet strict EU standards for export and to ensure it’s free of heavy metals and contaminants.

In addition, tiny amounts of a carefully selected organic rosemary extract and full spectrum vitamin E is added to ensure freshness.

Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil is truly an artisan product and gives you the nutritional benefits of a whole, nourishing food. The truth is that I would rather give myself and my children smaller doses of this high quality oil and ration it than use a cheaper oil.

Extra virgin cod liver oil is the highest quality cod liver oil available. You can purchase the liquid here and the capsules here.

Worst

Please note that we do not recommend fermented cod liver oil at The Family That Heals Together.

We’ve written extensively about why we don’t recommend fermented cod liver oil. You can read about that here, here, and here. All signs point to fermented cod liver oil being rancid and causing health issues. In addition, the product appears to contain vitamin D2, not the desirable and absorbable D3, and the A to D ratios are way off.

In addition, testing found that the oil used in fermented cod liver was not even true cod!

As far as processing, fermented cod liver remains shrined in secrecy, so it’s unclear how the oil is actually fermented, lending to the uncertainty of safety and possibility of rancidity.

What about cheaper oils available online and at health stores?

While the benefits of cod liver oil are many, they are dampened by chemical processing and added ingredients. While some lesser quality oils may provide some beneficial omega fatty acids, they should not be depended on for quality vitamin D supplementation.

The cod liver oil industry has huge differences in the quality of oils from the various companies that produce it. The best way to ensure that you are getting the incredible benefits of cod liver oil is to thoroughly research the product, practices, and source prior to making a purchase.

August 4, 2016

The Weston A. Price Foundation Vindicated Kaayla Daniel in the Fermented Cod Liver Oil Controversy

Last year brought us cod liver oil-gate: we learned that fermented cod liver oil, the gold standard of healthy supplementation for families everywhere, was a fraud. I told you about why our family stopped taking it and what we take instead.

After Dr. Kaayla Daniel, then vice president of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF), conducted independent studies of Green Pasture fermented cod liver oil, she published a report, detailing that not only was the fermented cod liver oil rancid, but it lacked the vitamin content that was being promoted.

The ensuing controversy left die-hard fermented cod liver oil fans grasping for the truth, and wondering what they should do next. Dr. Daniel was accused of lying and profiteering, and was, ultimately, fired from the foundation.

So why was Dr. Daniel willing to put her reputation on the line, losing her job, and creating enemies everywhere? I spoke with Dr. Daniel soon after she published her report “Hook, Line, and Stinker” and she told me, “I’m a mom, and that’s why I did this.”

Daniel had received complaints from many parents stating their children were having poor reactions to the fermented cod liver oil, which prompted her to investigate the health claims of the product. When she brought her concerns to WAPF, however, she was stonewalled, and the foundation refused to listen to her concerns or conduct independent testing on the fermented cod liver oil, instead relying on the reports from the company who manufactured the oil (Green Pasture).

In fact, WAPF had never independently tested any cod liver oils prior to 2015. Sally Fallon, president of WAPF says, “We have never tested products for endorsement, only looked at the ingredient list to see whether they fit into our guidelines. However, for the important product of cod liver oil, because of this controversy, I will now be recommending to the board that we develop a protocol for testing all brands for vitamin levels and markers of rancidity before we approve them.” (source, emphasis mine)

The only test results WAPF used to proclaim fermented cod liver oil contained high vitamin levels were the results posted on the Green Pasture website. These results showed that, in addition to very high vitamin levels, the bulk of the vitamin D was in the form of D2, a plant-based vitamin D found in mushrooms, and it contained very low levels of D3. Fish oils and cod liver oil do not contain plant-based vitamin D2, but animal-based D3.

Following the WAPF’s refusal to test fermented cod liver oil, Dr. Daniel decided to take matters into her own hands. That’s when things got interesting.

Dr. Daniel tests fermented cod liver oil

Dr. Daniel went underground, securing independent funding and paying an independent lab to test the oil. Though she was concerned about the oil, the results were worse than she anticipated: the oil had markers indicating rancidity, and the vitamin content was nowhere near what had been previously reported. (source)

Back in 2009, Green Pasture reported the vitamin content of their fermented cod liver oil was as follows: 9,500 IU vitamin A/ tsp and 1,950 IU vitamin D/ tsp. More recent testing has shown these numbers may be grossly inflated. These numbers are more than double the vitamin A and triple the vitamin D levels found in raw, extra virgin cod liver oil, another top-rated cod liver oil promoted by WAPF, which contains 3,500 to 4,500 IU/tsp of vitamin A and 350 to 450 IU/tsp of vitamin D.

Even if the fermentation process somehow increases the vitamin levels in fermented cod liver oil, research points to a lack of bioavailable vitamins in appropriate ratios.

WAPF tests fermented cod liver oil

In November of 2015, WAPF finally tested fermented cod liver oil. They used two different labs, Covance and UBE Labs. The Covance test results were in the same ball park as Dr. Daniel’s test results (only lower). According to Covance, fermented cod liver oil contained 3,125 IU/teaspoon of vitamin A and only 59 IU/teaspoon of vitamin D3. (source)

This figure is nowhere near the vitamin D2value shown by UBE, which fits with Green Pasture’s original claim of a range of 1,500-5,000 IU/tsp.

The Weston A. Price Foundation’s own testing vindicated Dr. Kaayla Daniel and no one noticed. We heard crickets.

The test results from UBE Labs show that total vitamin A was still in the same range at 3,445 IU/teaspoon but the vitamin D was 1,645 IU/teaspoon, and all in the form of D2. (Note that UBE is the lab Green Pasture relied on for their original testing and subsequent vitamin content claims).

Interestingly, a report on vitamin D levels showing testing done on cod liver oil that has been “molecularly distilled with no added vitamins” (think refined, grocery-store cod liver oil), “unheated” cod liver oil (think extra virgin cod liver oil), and “fermented” cod liver oil (Green Pasture) displayed on the WAPF’s Web site is missing the values for vitamin D3 for the fermented cod liver oil. (Figure 4.) However, if you view the results of the testing done by Covance Lab, you will see that it actually shows a value of 59 IU/tsp. (source)

While WAPF continues to promote fermented cod liver oil as the best type of cod liver oil available, Sally Fallon says, “In general, results from UBE were considerably higher than those for Covance… it is likely that the form of vitamin D identified as D2 by UBE labs is another, as yet unidentified, form of vitamin D. UBE Labs says that they do a very thorough job of releasing or extracting the vitamin D, and that is why they get high results. Unfortunately, they will not share their methodology with us, so we (WAPF) have not published any of their results in our journal.” (source 1, 2)

WAPF will not publish UBE’s results in their journal, yet these are still the results they use to promote exorbitantly high vitamin levels in fermented cod liver oil. Note that Green Pasture pulled the test results from their website a year ago and post no vitamin A and D levels on their bottle labels.

Mystery D

Additionally, while the foundation no longer believes that fermented cod liver oil contains D2, they continue to rely on these high vitamin D levels based on the idea that there is a “mystery” vitamin D that is being detected. If this “mystery” D is really the vitamin D we should be after, why all the charades? Why not just come clean and be up front about the fact that fermented cod liver oil has no appreciable levels of vitamin D3, the type of vitamin D one would expect to find in cod liver oil?

To date, Fallon states “…the forms of D in cod liver oil are not D2 but other metabolites. We hope to solve this mystery with further research.” She goes on to say that there are “hundreds of vitamin D metabolites” so we are to accept that it isn’t important which type of vitamin D is present, just that it’s there. (source)

The reason most of us take cod liver oil is to obtain vitamin D3, the same form of vitamin D that our bodies make when our skin is exposed to sunlight. I’m not interested in a mystery vitamin D, just vitamin D3, which is strangely absent in fermented cod liver oil.

A to D ratio

The problem with assuming that fermented cod liver oil is chock-full of vitamin D, is that it is also chock-full of vitamin A, which can easily become toxic in the wrong ratio. To keep vitamin A in check, it needs to be combined with vitamin D3 at a ratio of approximately 10:1 (ten times more vitamin A than vitamin D3). According to the Covance lab test of fermented cod liver oil, the ratio of A:D is approximately 53:1 which is much higher than the 5:1 ratio for fermented cod liver oil stated on the foundation website (and much higher than the 10:1 ratio that is expected in cod liver oil).

The foundation states, “It is important to AVOID cod liver oil that contains low levels of vitamin D in relationship to vitamin A. The ratio of D to A should be AT LEAST 1 to 10.” The foundation recommends that the ratio of A to D should not be greater than 10:1 (for every one unit of vitamin D there should be no more than 10 units of vitamin A). (source)

Fermented cod liver oil and vitamin D deficiency

If fermented cod liver oil really does contain all this fabulous vitamin D (whatever type it may be), why are so many users (myself included) still vitamin D deficient?

As I wrote about last year, blood tests showed that both my son and I were vitamin D deficient, after years of faithfully taking fermented cod liver oil. I was flabbergasted. Not only had I spent a small fortune on this oil that was supposed to bolster my immune system and keep me healthy, but I was suffering from the very ailments it was supposed to alleviate and prevent: vitamin D deficiency and poor immune function. My son had the same problems.

It turns out, I wasn’t alone, and Sally Fallon admits that others have reported similar problems. She says, “Obviously the product does not have the same effect on all people. Again, this is an interesting question and one that we hope to look into.” (source)

Fallon also notes, “This does not mean we do not recommend that some individuals have their vitamin D levels tested. Such testing can be very useful in determining vitamin D status and the effectiveness of cod liver oil or vitamin D supplements.” (source)

If we’re taking cod liver oil that contains 1,645 IU/tsp of vitamin D, how the heck are we deficient?

The simple answer: fermented cod liver oil cannot possibly contain such high levels of vitamin D. Whether or not it contains vitamin D2 or some other, unnamed D vitamin, it is clear that fermented cod liver oil is lacking vitamin D3, the accepted form of vitamin D that strengthens the immune system and raises blood levels of vitamin D.

Indeed, one study concludes, “In humans, vitamin D3 is more effective than vitamin D2 at raising serum 25(OH)D concentrations.” (source)

Did you buy into fermented cod liver oil, hook, line, and stinker?

I did. And, once I learned the truth, our family stopped taking it. We now rely on extra-virgin cod liver oil, a choice I feel good about, and another that the WAPF endorses.

I’m not sure why the WAPF has not been more transparent about this matter, but as a mom who has worked hard to heal a very sensitive child, I am very careful about what I give my family, and when there is this much misinformation and controversy surrounding a product, I simply cannot trust it.

Please share to help clear up some of the misinformation surrounding fermented cod liver oil.

December 8, 2015

Ultimate Healing Pack Giveaway from Corganic

I have used Corganic products for the past few years, and have never been disappointed in a single one that I’ve tried. The company’s integrity and high-quality products continue to impress me and I trust their products for my family, even as we are going through intensive healing on the GAPS diet. In fact, Corganic products are recommended specifically for those on the GAPS diet! Today, I am launching the biggest giveaway this site has seen: an Ultimate Healing Pack from Corganic, worth over $200! Let me tell you what it includes:

GutPro

The only probiotic our family has used on a continual basis, GutPro is a gentle yet therapeutic probiotic, which is strong enough to promote healthy gut flora, but formulated for those with even severe food intolerances and allgeries. GutPro contains absolutely no fillers, nor does it contain any allergens like gluten, corn, dairy or soy. I wrote in detail here about why this probiotic is the only one we’ll use.

GutPro has healed so many issues in our family, including eczema (literally, within two weeks of using it for the first time, my son’s eczema disappeared, without changing anything else!) and chronic constipation. I cannot say enough good things about this amazing probiotic. The best part is that one small, concentrated bottle lasts our family of 6 4-6 months, as only tiny doses are needed for therapeutic benefits. Check it out here. The giveaway will include one bottle of GutPro, with the option of choosing GutPro Infant, formulated for children under one year of age ($99.95 value).

Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil

Rosita’s Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil: a fresh, clean cod liver oil you can trust for your family

I’ve written pretty extensively about our switch to Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil. I won’t hash it all out here, but if you want to read more about that, you can here and here.

That being said, I am so impressed with the manufacturing and production of Rosita’s Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil. It has a fresh, fishy flavor and is easy to wash down with a drink of water, even if you don’t particularly care for fish (like me). Watch the following video to see how it’s produced:

This giveaway includes one bottle of Rosita’s Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil too ($49 value)! But that’s not all…

Extra Virgin Butter Oil

Organic3 Extra Virgin Butter Oil: an excellent source of vitamins A, E, K2, & much more!

Last but not least is the Extra Virgin Butter Oil, a perfect and potent combination with the extra virgin cod liver oil. From the Corganic Web site:

“Unlike many brands of ghee and clarified butter that use high heat to extract the oil from the milk solids, destroying the lower fatty acid chains, EVBO is processed minimally to preserve all of the nutrients, freshness, aroma and color. Many lactose-intolerant people find no difficulty digesting EVBO which is also the perfect complement to our Extra-Virgin Cod Liver Oil, further accentuating the bio-available nutrients.

A natural source of vitamin A, E, K2 (MK-4), Butyric Acid, Wultzen Factor and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), Extra-Virgin Butter Oil is small batch produced seasonally in the late spring and early fall. No grain, no corn, no GMO feed – just 100% pure untreated lush green grass!”

Because of Corganic’s special proprietary methods of separating the oil from the milk solids and moisture, this butter oil retains more nutrients and greater digestibility than others that use heat or centrifuge processes of separation, setting extra virgin butter oil apart as a supplement-quality food rather than something to eat and cook with like ghee, though the rich, buttery taste is no less delicious. This giveaway includes one jar of Extra Virgin Butter Oil ($39 value).

In addition, Corganic will include the measuring spoons needed for the GutPro, and, of course, shipping is free ($20.45 value).

Wait! Corganic also has some very special offers for the holiday season!

Primal Gut, a probiotic developed by Organic3, is a newer probiotic that I’ve been using for a few months with great success. It is more aggressive than GutPro, so is ideal for those with stubborn gut bacteria problems like SIBO. Right now, Corganic is offering buy one get one FREE on Primal Gut- you seriously can’t beat that! AND- they are also offering 25% off GutPro infant, so if you are in need of this perfect first supplement for baby, now is the time to try it out. No coupon codes necessary. Buy those items here.

Now, get to entering below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 28, 2015

Extra Virgin vs Fermented Cod Liver Oil – What’s The Best For Use?

It’s been a little while now since Dr. Kaayla Daniel’s controversial report of Green Pasture fermented cod liver oil was released and chaos consequently ensued. I was thankful that my family had already stopped taking fermented cod liver oil before that study was made public, but even after having my suspicions that the fermented cod liver oil was not all it was cracked up to be, I didn’t fully understand what problems might be contained in the oil, and our family took it longer than we should have. The simple fact was I had learned to trust that fermented cod liver oil is the gold standard of healthful supplements, so I had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that it was, in fact, rather toxic for some people. Please read more in detail here about why our family stopped taking it.

I was given a bottle of Rosita Real Foods extra virgin cod liver oil to try a while back, but for this post, I purchased both oils with my own money.

Cost

Let’s just get this out of the way first! This was a main point of interest for me when I was considering making the switch from fermented (fclo) to extra virgin cod liver oil (evclo). Corganic’s Rosita Real Foods Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil is $49 for 150 ml, while Green Pasture is $44 for 237 ml. Green Pasture’s group buy discount does save a significant amount when you buy 12 bottles. The cost comparison is what initially caused me to choose to stick with fclo. However, I have since determined that we can get by on taking lesser amounts of the evclo because of the higher vitamin content (more on that later). Furthermore, as this article by Dr. Ron Schmid concludes, too much of a good thing, is not a good thing. So, I focus on cod liver oil in the winter months, when we are unable to soak up much sunshine, and give it to my family occasionally in the warmer months, particularly if someone is fighting off sickness. I recently discovered that my oldest doesn’t tolerate cod liver oil at all at this point, though I’m hopeful that will change soon, as the omega 3 fats are essential for brain health.

Extra Virgin Cod Liver oil is a precious commodity and should be treated as such, rationed out as needed and savored for the healing benefits. I only give my children about 1/4 tsp at a time and my husband and I only take about 1/2 tsp. I will reevaluate these dosages when sunshine is more scarce. Because we are battling vitamin D deficiency (I was under the impression that taking fclo would prevent vitamin D deficiency, but after taking it for years, my son and I were both found to be lacking this past spring), we take an additional extra strength vitamin d3 supplement. Our practitioner informed me that for deficiencies, cod liver oil does not contain significant enough amounts of vitamin D to raise levels as much as concentrated supplementation. Most importantly, however, is that we can take less of the evclo because it has higher vitamin concentrations than the fclo.

Taste

Another extremely important factor is taste! If you can’t bear the flavor of a supplement, you are not going to take it and it will be a waste of money. After taking cinnamon flavored fermented cod liver oil for years, we became accustomed to masking the fishy flavor. However, after learning that Green Pasture uses essential oils to flavor their cod liver oil, I was alarmed that we had been taking it internally for so long! Not only that, but the type of cinnamon oil used (cassia) is known to cause skin irritations and allergic reactions. No wonder when I would give it my littlest guys their skin would always break out in red splotches around their mouths.

So, all flavoring aside, when testing the flavor of both the evclo and the plain fclo, the evclo had a cleaner, smoother taste. The fclo has a bit of a burn in the back of the throat when going down, while the evlco, though strongly fish-flavored, does not. It just tastes clean. None of my kids complain about taking the evclo (though, admittedly, they did get used to the fclo as well), and no one’s skin breaks out following a dose. I chase my dose with some water because I don’t like fish, but my kids, who all enjoy eating fish, don’t need a drink with their evclo.

Color / Texture / Appearance

There has been significant focus on the color of fermented cod liver oil since Dr. Daniel’s study was released, and for good reason! Since learning a little more about the process Green Pasture uses to ferment their cod liver oil (who am I kidding? The process is shrouded in secrecy!), we now know that the reason for the dark color of fclo is because it “ferments” in large vats for long periods of time, and this darkened color is likely due to rancidity. Look at the picture below to compare colors of the two:

You can see the fclo on the left has a darker color (note that I dripped a small drop on the circle on the right by accident!), while the evclo on the right is almost unnoticeable on the white background. But what do these color variations really mean?

Let’s take a look at the manufacturing processes of both oils in order to better understand why the differences in colors occur. (By the way, as you can see, there is not a big difference in the texture profiles of the oils. The evclo is slightly less viscous, and so is a little lighter and more palatable, but there is not a big difference.)

Manufacturing

And now we arrive at both the greatest source of controversy and the most important point in determining which oil I choose to give my family: the manufacturing processes of both oils. Because Green Pasture is notoriously tight-lipped about their process, I am summing it up the best I can, according to my understanding.

Green Pasture

On their blog, Green Pasture briefly describes their fermenting process, saying “A word on our process: our simple process uses salt, fish broth starter, and livers. We do not dilute our oil, add anything, or use molasses, other sugars, or algae. I know it sounds too simple but it is exactly as we describe. No different than fermented fish sauce or pickled fish products….” Unfortunately, this explanation leaves a lot of questions unanswered. If they do not use a sugar of some kind, we are left wondering what is in the “fish broth starter.” Here, Green Pasture details how other seafoods are fermented, citing the health benefits of foods like pickled herring, and applying them to fermented cod liver oil. There are a few problems with this. For one, traditionally fermented foods, whether herring or vegetables like sauerkraut and pickles, often use water-submerging techniques (though not always). Sometimes a starter culture is added to assist the fermentation process, but because vegetables and whole fish contain carbohydrates, the naturally-occurring bacteria have a food source to grow and preserve the food being fermented.

Oil does not contain carbohydrates and can therefore not be fermented. Because Green Pasture does not reveal what is in the fish broth starter they use, we cannot know what the food source of the bacteria may be, and are left to draw the conclusion that perhaps Dr. Daniel’s study was accurate: fclo is not fermented after all, but is, in fact, rancid. Lending to this conclusion is the fact that Green Pasture says that their products are shelf stable for up to four years, but just to be safe, they label them as shelf stable for two years. Live foods cannot be left out for advanced periods of time without rotting, which leads me to believe that the product has already gone bad once it’s bottled. We have no idea how long these livers are left to “ferment” or what is used to “ferment” them. And, if one attempts to look up “fish broth starter,” one will be inundated with results for fish soup and broth recipes. I personally know that I can’t leave broth or soup out on my counter for more than a day before it starts becoming rancid. How is it that a “fish broth starter” is used to ferment cod livers? If Green Pasture would like to clear up these questions once and for all, I (and countless others!) would love some answers.

Rosita Real Foods evclo, in contrast, depends on speedy processing to avoid loss of nutrients. According to Rosita’s Web site, “Ideally, the rendering process should begin immediately following the removal of the fresh livers and at least before putrefaction has commenced. This results in the lightest coloured oil.” As shown in a video posted to the site, the cod are caught, killed, and the livers extracted, all in a short period of time. The livers are immediately allowed to sit, undisturbed, until the oil has drained from them, and this raw oil is then bottled quickly to preserve nutrients and freshness. As stated in the video, they then add “a tiny bit of antioxidants [vitamin e and rosemary] to the oil to preserve freshness.”

The two companies have opposite processes and goals in mind in manufacturing their oils. Green Pasture goals to allow the oil to sit for extended periods of time, while Rosita places the highest importance on quick processing and bottling. You can draw your own coclusions, I’m sure, about the colors of the oils. But how do these different manufacturing processes contribute to nutrient content?

Vitamin Content

Finally, we approach the vitamin content of the oils, most notably vitamins A and D. Because cod liver oils generally don’t state how much of each vitamin is contained in their product on the label (due to naturally varying amounts), we have to do a little detective work.

The main vitamins found in cod liver oil are vitamins A and D. The important thing to note, however, is the ratio of vitamin A to vitamin D, as an imbalance of too much vitamin A can be toxic without sufficient vitamin D to accompany it. While both oils contain 3000-5000 iu/tsp of vitamin A, evclo contains 400-500 iu/tsp of vitamin D, while fclo was found to contain only 78-211 iu/tsp. [sources 1 and 2] For this reason, I can justify the higher price and lower dosage of the evclo.

Conclusion

Clearly, you can see which oil I have chosen for my family, after having extensive experience with both brands. Obviously, there are other cod liver oils on the market, but most others are cheaply processed and priced, and are not something I would spend money on as an important supplement for my family. As I learn more about these products, I make changes and do the best I can for my own family, as you do for yours. Be sure to read more in depth about why we made the switch to evclo here.

Have you taken either of these oils? What has been your experience?

August 31, 2015

Why We Stopped Taking the Butter Oil Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend

As a mom fighting for my family’s health, I want to share what I’ve learned over the past weeks about fermented cod liver oil, and why we will never take it again. Dr. Kaayla Daniel’s study was much needed, so I am thankful she went through the trouble. And let’s be clear, it was a lot of trouble.

In Hot Water

So, if this report caused so much trouble, why would Dr. Daniel put her reputation and career on the line in order to make her findings public? When I spoke with her recently, she simply said “I’m a mom, too, and that’s why I did this.” This doesn’t sound like someone who is in it for greed or fame. No, let’s consider who has something to gain… and something to lose in this situation:

Dr. Daniel, currently VP of the Weston A. Price Foundation (as of August 2015), became concerned when hundreds of moms contacted her with doubts about the fermented cod liver oil. Their kids were breaking out in hives and having other reactions. When Daniel took these concerns to the WAPF, as she detailed in her report, she was told to leave the science to the scientists and drop it. But, thankfully, she continued digging. Using a number of different labs, she confirmed what many feared: fermented cod liver oil was not only NOT fermented, but it was just plain rancid.

Dr. Daniel herself does not have monetary connections to any cod liver oil companies. However, the WAPF, and those heading it, do. The foundation has praised and pushed Green Pasture products for years, even going so far as to tell users to take copious amounts, which we now understand would never have been recommended by Dr. Price himself. I, like other self-respecting “crunchy,” natural moms bought in and have spent hundreds, if not thousands, on this fermented cod liver oil. After all, Dr. Daniel told me, “Everybody has been told to give it to their kids; that’s what you do if you’re a good mom.”

Why We Stopped Taking It

It was a little while back that I began to hear about the problems with fermented cod liver oil… was it rancid? Oxidized? Did it cause inflammation? Because I lacked an understanding of these concerns, and because I had believed for so long that this was a good product, necessary for my family’s health, I ignored the questions and placed another order. After all, thousands of people take this cod liver oil, it is promoted by the Weston A. Price Foundation, and many, many holistic health care professionals recommend it.

I increased my son’s dosage, as directed by our practitioner, to 2 tsp a day (it should be noted that our practitioner does not push a certain brand of cod liver oil). I experimented for a while, giving it to him a few days in a row, then backing the dosage down, as well as skipping it for a few days at a time. I was having a hard time figuring out whether it was helping or hurting, based on his behavior. Finally, I was able to put two and two together and realized that the days he took it, my son had rather crazy behavior. I decided to stop giving it to him for the time being.

Soon, I learned more about it and gained an understanding of its high histamine content, which was confirmed by Dr. Daniel’s study. Because we take GutPro probiotic, which actively reduces histamines, taking the two combined was counterproductive. Another reason to forgo taking the fermented cod liver oil.

Finally, I learned that the fermented cod liver oil is flavored with essential oils. The label merely reads “natural cinnamon flavor,” without revealing where the cinnamon comes from. I am not a fan of internal essential oil usage, so that was strike three. I was not going to give my family a product internally every day that contained essential oils.

The Report

About a week or two after I stopped giving my family the fermented cod liver oil, Dr. Daniel’s report was made public and I, for one, was glad to be ahead of the curve. Now that it was more than just a hunch, I had to let my family and friends, whom I had encouraged to take the fclo, know that it was unsafe and that they should throw it away. Talk about eating crow. I felt (and feel!) terrible that we had all been wasting our money and taking something that wasn’t good for us. Do I feel foolish for giving my kids fermented cod liver oil? No, I feel foolish for feeding my kids sugar and food dye before I knew better. When I gave my kids fclo, I was following the advice of a well-respected health foundation.

Now that the report is out, we know that fermented cod liver oil is:

not really fermented (duh, oil can’t ferment)
not really cod
rancid, putrid, and rotten
bad, stinky stuff (oh wait, your kids already told you that? Mine too.)

I don’t want to rehash the entire report here, because you can read it yourself, but it does confirm what I didn’t want to believe to be true: fermented cod liver oil, the gold standard of healthy supplementation, not only lacks the benefits it’s been purported to carry, but causes damage to health. Indeed, it effected my son’s behavior, and once I took him off of it, persistent symptoms I had been unable to rid him of (tics) began to subside.

The Green Pasture Rebuttal

I still receive emails from Green Pasture, so when I received one a few days after Dr. Daniel’s report came out, detailing their own reports that would serve as a rebuttal, I, of course, read it right away. These two documents show lab testing which proved that rats fed the fclo had higher vitamin A and D levels than those fed other supplements. First of all, this doesn’t tell us much. It is noted that the fermentation method uses “salt, fish broth starter, and livers.” I have no idea what a fish broth starter is, but I’ve definitely never used broth as a starter. If broth sits out too long at my house, you know what happens to it? It spoils.

As for the vitamin levels, I have two notes on that. 1. I was under the impression, because it had been pounded into me for so long, that fclo was a good source of vitamin D, and that I shouldn’t need additional supplementation. Our practitioner told us last spring that this is not the case, and when one is suffering from vitamin D deficiency, additional supplementation is needed. Which brings me to point 2. My son and I, who had been faithfully taking fclo for years, were both very deficient in Vitamin D. Now, we can argue about gut health and absorption, which we are surely working on in our bodies, but if fclo is as good of a source of these vitamins as we’ve been led to believe, how were we still lacking?

What About the “Blacked Out” Lab Names, Hidden Sources of Funding, and Refusal of Facility Tour?

There have been many who want to claim that Dr. Daniel’s report is untrustworthy because she does not disclose the labs she used for the testing. As she details here, this is common practice, as labs charge a great deal more to use their name for publication. Daniel goes on to explain why the funding sources haven’t been clearly identified, stating that many who helped fund the research are associated with the WAPF and don’t want to jeopardize their positions within the foundation. They, like her, wanted the truth, and many thought the research would prove that WAPF’s position on the matter was right all along: that fclo was, in fact, a healthy, fermented product. Many of them were just as shocked as the rest of us. Finally, Daniel says, she refused an all-expense-paid trip to the Green Pasture facility because “Doctors are frequently criticized for ‘educational’ trips paid for by Big Pharma — and for good reason! They learn exactly what the manufacturer wants them to learn, and there is a strong likelihood that their objectivity will be swayed by the hospitality.”

She goes on to say, “Last winter, I told Wetzel [owner of Green Pasture] I could not accept his all-expense paid visit, but would be willing to visit at my own expense. He then informed me that I could come but his lawyer would be present at all times. At that point, I decided not to travel because it would have cost me more than $2000 — $3000 if I brought a needed witness. I needed that money for lab testing. It was also totally obvious that I would see nothing that he did not want me to see. In terms of my ‘education’ about the Green Pasture process, I had already talked to Wetzel in depth on many occasions. And every time, without fail, my specific questions were met with evasive and vague answers, plus a lot of mumbo jumbo along the lines of ‘We know there are thousands of healing molecules in there that science struggles to find.'” [source]

WAPF’s Response

On August 28th, 2015, Sally Fallon Morell posted a response on the Weston A. Price Foundation website entitled “Questions and Answers About Fermented Cod Liver Oil.” The post details why the WAPF did not choose to do the testing that Daniel requested (“the Board felt that the funds were better spent on vitamin testing…”), as well as plenty of scientific jargon detailing testing methods and the validity of the various methods.

As someone who is not a scientist or doctor, I don’t know a lot about the testing methods. This is clearly a hot topic and there are two distinct opinions on the matter, both of which have some scientific data to back up their position. Sounds an awful lot like another science/medicine battle that is popular these days. You believe the science you are inclined to believe. According to Fallon Morell, the testing methods detailed in Daniel’s report are a poor way to test for rancidity, and testing done at her request, and tests published by Green Pasture, show that the oil is not rancid. She goes on to say “…a lot of the discussion on rancidity is a question of semantics.”

She also notes her own consumption of the oil, crediting it with her increased vitamin A, which she attributes better night vision to. She says that her three grandsons, born to mothers who took fclo through their pregnancies, are “in wonderful health,” which she says is proof of the health benefits of the oil. I cannot make any claims or assumptions of her own experience with the Green Pasture products. I do know that fclo, the main supplement I took during my most recent pregnancy, was not sufficient supplementation for my pregnancy, and I found by the end of pregnancy that I needed to add a prenatal multivitamin.

Fallon Morell also claims she can leave her fclo out on her counter, rather than storing it in the refrigerator, and it does not change appearance, taste or smell. This is reminescent of what I have read about pasteurized milk: that it can sit out on the counter indefinitely without going bad because it is a dead food. It is, essentially, already “bad.” If fclo is a living, fermented food, I don’t understand how it can stay fresh on the counter indefinitely (Wetzel says it is shelf stable for four years!). When I ferment food at home, I place it in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process. If the fclo is, in fact, fermented, I wonder why it can sit at room temperature with no change.

Why Would You?

The fact that Daniel’s testing did show rancidity in the oil, whether Fallon Morell or others think it was an appropriate way to test, is enough to cast doubt on my own faith in the product. I don’t want to depend on “semantics,” I want to be certain about every product and supplement my family uses, and if there is enough reasonable doubt about a product, I’m not going to take any chances because I have other options. Not only are there other cod liver oils on the market, but there are ways to obtain vitamins A and D through diet. Grassfed, raw milk and milk products, liver and other organ meats, green veggies… these are all appropriate ways of obtaining these vitamins.

I know there are still die-hard Green Pasture Supporters. I get it. It’s hard to accept that something you believed for a long time to be true is, in fact, untrue. But, presented with the facts, I beg the question: why would you continue giving this to your family? When there are other options out there? When there are better options out there? It’s just not a risk I’m willing to take. Our families deserve the best, and as I learn and grow, I will always strive to give that to mine.

Make sure you’re signed up for the newsletter so you don’t miss upcoming posts about this topic, including a side by side comparison of cod liver oils!

If you would like to share your story about fermented cod liver oil and how it has affected your family or your children, you can email Dr. Daniel at wholenutritionist@earthlink.net.

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