Cod Fish Oil - 2 Reasons Why You Should Avoid This

The most familiar example of cod fish oil would be in liquid form, which is usually with strong and foul aftertaste. Some have even come out with a brilliant way to mask the fishy smell using citrus flavoring (e.g. orange). It can also be found in soft-gel form, and again flavorings are added to make it more palatable.

Either being consumed with a spoon full of the liquid or a capsule, it is proven to lower the risk of rickets among children due to high content of vitamin D. It is also able to help in easing the pain and joint stiffness related to arthritis. But, it can be harmful to your health by considering the following reasons:

1. High Level of Contaminant

Cod fish oil is very rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA. But at the same time, the level of contaminants, such as mercury, heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (or PCBs in short) and dioxins, can be very high too. The main contributor to this issue is the increased seawater pollution.

The source of cod fish is mainly supplied from North Atlantic Ocean. Heavy industrial development and higher traffic of ships cause the pollution to escalate. Most of the pollutants are fat-soluble especially dioxins, and these can be biomagnified (accumulation of pollutants) from prey to predatory fish like cod.

The contaminants like mercury can risk your health. Removal of mercury from our own body would take more than a year. The rate of excretion cannot cope up with the rate of mercury intake, which results to accumulation of mercury inside our body. Mercury poisoning can cause edema, paresthesia and desquamation.

2. Hypervitaminosis A

The oil is extracted from liver, which contains high level of Vitamin A. Vitamin A has health benefits of improving eye vision, immune system, reproduction, bone metabolism, and skin health. However, excessive amount of Vitamin A intake or hypervitaminosis A will result to adverse effects to your overall health.

Increased level of Vitamin A in our body would cause birth defects, problems to liver, reduction of bone density that leads to osteoporosis, skin discoloration, and severe hair loss. Chronic effects are like bone pain and swelling of bones, due to rising of calcium concentration in blood. It can also lead to high cholesterol.

The symptoms of hypervitaminosis A for adults may not be specific and obvious at early stage. Nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness and blurry vision are the common symptoms. To prevent this before it becomes chronic, 300 micrograms or 1000 IU (International Unit) of Vitamin A daily limit should not be exceeded.

Cod fish oil is well known for its health benefits, due to high content of Omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA. But it is also infamous for higher concentration of contaminants and Vitamin A. To avoid these, hoki fish from unpolluted Southern Ocean of New Zealand is a better source of Omega-3 to maximize its benefits.