As the winter months approach, many of us get out our bottles of cod liver oil and start taking preventive doses to ward off flu viruses and keep the winter blues from setting in. The vitamin D content of cod liver oil tends to get most of the credit for the above benefits (and rightly so), but there are actually a couple of other factors at work to make cod liver oil a fantastic cool-weather supplement:

• Cod liver oil supplies a natural form of activated vitamin A. Vitamin A is necessary for immunity (white blood cells actually require vitamin A in order to mature properly) and a deficiency in vitamin A can be related to fatigue. Most of the negative press surrounding vitamin A has been related to synthetic forms, such as those found in acne medications. However, excessive intake of natural forms that require conversion and activation by the body, such as beta carotene which requires zinc for activation, can cause problems. People with altered vitamin A metabolism (such as alcoholics) should still be careful to watch total vitamin A intake.
• Cod liver oil is a balanced source of highly absorbable omega-3 fatty acids. Some of the signs of inadequate omega-3 intake include depression, lowered immunity, weakness, fatigue, lethargy, dry skin, dry hair, dry eyes, frequent infection, and irritability. Foods that are richest in omega 3 fats include cold-water fish, egg yolks from pastured hens, flax seed and flax oil, and walnuts.

For more detailed information on cod liver oil, see the article Cod Liver Oil: The Number One Superfood which is available on the Weston Price Foundation website, www.westonaprice.org.

On Saturday, August 27, I will be participating in an “Ask the Nutritionist” webinar hosted by Marilyn Farms. In this free one-hour session, participants can send in questions and I will answer as many as I can in the time we have. It will be a nutrition question feeding frenzy! Below are a few examples of questions that I received during our last “Ask the Nutritionist” webinar. To take advantage of this offer, please register here or through our website, www.marilynfarms.com. I look forward to talking with you!

Q: What are the top veggies/fruits that we should buy organically?

A: Each year, the Environmental Working Group sends out a list of the “Dirty Dozen”, which are the top 12 produce items that should be purchased organically. This year, that list includes apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines (imported), grapes (imported), sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries (domestic), lettuce, and kale/collard greens.

Q: Are there nutritional supplements that a child can take after a course of antibiotics to prevent diarrhea and other side effects?

A: The most important thing for recovery is of course going to be a healthy diet that minimizes sugar and maximizes nourishing foods such as green vegetables, meat, poultry, bone broths, and fermented foods such as yogurt or kefir. As far as supplements go, the #1 most important thing to take after (and if possible, during) a course of antibiotics is probiotics (healthy bacteria). There are many different probiotic formulations for children available, just make sure that they contain a blend of bifidus and acidophilus bacteria to re-colonize all areas of the digestive tract. In addition to this, taking cod liver oil (recommended dose for most children is 1 tsp per day) can help to restore levels of nutrients that may have been depleted by antibiotics.

Q: Can diabetics use cod liver oil?

A: Cod liver oil is a wonderful supplement for diabetics because it contains omega-3 fats, natural vitamin D, and natural vitamin A—all three of which help with blood sugar control and nerve health. The one caution with any fish oil is that it can thin the blood, so a person on blood thinners such as aspirin or Coumadin should be sure to check with their doctor to make sure medications are in balance.

When I go to the beach or the pool, it’s easy to remember to protect my skin from too much sun because if I don’t I will sunburn. My eyes are just as susceptible to damage from the sun, but I’m not as acutely aware of them because they don’t show damage as immediately as my skin. While occasional and mild sun exposure can be healthy for the eyes, the more I look into it, the more I am convinced of the importance of eye protection when you will be in intense sun for extended periods of time. Repeated sun damage to eyes can lead to formation of cataracts, macular degeneration, and scarring of eye tissue. Here are a few tips to help protect your eyes from the sun:

• Wear UV-blocking sunglasses (most professionals recommend at least UV400 sunglasses) and/or a wide brimmed hat when you will be in direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
• Drink a glass of green tea (iced or hot) before you go out into intense sun. Green tea contains compounds called catechins which have been found to protect the retina from UV damage. I like to take unsweetened iced green tea with me in a cooler when I go to the beach!
• Eat a diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables to protect your eyes from the inside out. Fresh produce that is dark green, orange, yellow, or red tends to have higher levels of phytonutrients that are specifically protective to the eyes. If this is a challenge, include a whole foods supplement such as PureNutrition Red in your daily routine.
• Regularly eat fatty, cold-water fish such as wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, or cod. These types of fish are richest in DHA, a fatty acid that protects and restores eye tissue. If deemed appropriate by your healthcare practitioner, you may also want to take a DHA-rich supplement such as cod liver oil or a fish oil blend that is protective for the eyes such as Ultimate DHA Eye.

While all beneficial oils are important to health, if there’s one that is a superstar for eye health it would have to be DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Here are more facts about this amazing fat!

• Foods that are richest in DHA include fatty fish such as wild salmon or herring, sardines, and cod liver oil. A good vegetarian source is algae that has been grown under clean conditions in a lab.
• The body can synthesize DHA from ALA—the omega-3 fat found in flaxseed—but this requires several biochemical steps, each of which requires nutrients. Conversion may be impaired in people deficient in certain nutrients (particularly B vitamins and zinc).
• Very high levels of DHA are found in the retina—in fact, in a higher proportion than is found in any other tissue in the body.
• If dietary intake of DHA is low, the retina will actually conserve and recycle DHA.
• DHA has been indicated as a protective factor in eye strain associated with computer use.
• DHA has been found to slow the progression of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration.
• DHA has the ability to reverse the symptoms of dry eye syndrome.
• The last trimester of pregnancy is a critical time for the accumulation of DHA in the brain and eyes. DHA continues to be important in the months following birth all the way through adolescence, since the brain and eyes continue to mature.

The Adequate Intake for Omega-3 fats including DHA as set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine is 4.5 g/day in infancy, 7-10 g/day for children (ranges given depend on age and gender), 12-16 g/day for adolescents, 12-17 g/day for adults, and 13 g/day for pregnant and lactating women. To see the specific breakdown by age and gender, go to the Linus Pauling Institute’s entry on Omega-3 fats. To put the Adequate Intake into perspective, a pregnant woman could obtain her daily need for Omega-3 fat by eating 8 ounces wild salmon, 2 tablespoons freshly ground whole flaxseed, and 1 tablespoon cod liver oil.

This month we are running a special on Vitamin D in the form of Arctic-D Cod Liver oil or Essential D3.  Vitamin D is now commonly recognized to be vital to healthy mood and proper formation of bone tissue, but there is so much more to this amazing vitamin!  Below is a link to an excellent article on the subject, complete with a list of food sources of vitamin D.  Enjoy!

http://www.westonaprice.org/The-Miracle-of-Vitamin-D.html

You can feel Fall coming just around the corner here in Iowa.  It’s warmer today but there’s something in the air that makes me want to stay inside and cook beef stew and apple pie.  In fact, I made a gluten free apple pie last night (Why gluten free?  Because I was out of regular flour and wanted to bake a pie!), but that recipe will have to come in a later blog.

The purpose of this blog is to point you toward two articles I found about cod liver oil and its benefits.  I think cod liver oil should be a staple during the cooler months, especially for those people who are prone to seasonal affective disorder.  Both of these articles do a great job of outlining the importance of cod liver oil, and also the benefits of larger amounts of Vitamin D, such as are found in the Arctic D cod liver oil that Marilyn Farms offers.  I promise the taste isn’t bad either!  If you really can’t stand even the slightest hint of fish flavor then try finding an encapsulated cod liver oil supplement, and take it with or before meals instead of on an empty stomach to prevent any fishy aftertaste.

http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-menu.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/codliveroil.html