Cod liver oil, fish oil and Omega 3
Other than drinking more water and eating more fresh raw green vegetables, the most important addition to the diet to fight and prevent disease and live longer is fish oil. More specifically, fish oil in the summer months and cod liver oil in the winter months when we can't spend as much time outdoors.
People in the U.S. consume a dangerously inadequate amount of Omega-3, a fat which is essential to good health but is only found in fish oil and a few other foods. Meanwhile, our intake of Omega-6 fats, another fat found in soy, corn, sunflower and other oils, is much too high.
Generally our diet contains far too much omega 6 fats. For most of us, this means greatly reducing the omega-6 fatty acids we consume and increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega 3 helps prevent and fight heart disease, cancer, depression, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, ulcers, diabetes, hyperactivity and other diseases. Omega 3 increases your ability to concentrate as well as your energy level.
While a helpful form of Omega-3 can be found in flaxseed, walnuts and a few other foods, the most beneficial form of Omega-3 - containing 2 fatty acids, EPA and DHA which are essential in preventing and fighting both physical and mental illness - can be found only in fish. Unfortunately, however, I would advise you against consuming a lot of fish, whether naturally-caught or farm-raised, because fish of all varieties from any waters are now showing dangerously high levels of the highly toxic, tasteless metal, mercury.
I recommend the following addition to everyone's diet - children, seniors and everyone in between - cod liver oil and fish oil.
The main difference between fish oil and cod liver oil is that cod liver oil is high in vitamin D. The cod liver oil has the advantage of providing vitamin D, which is necessary for most of us in the United States in the cold months of winter, when we don't get very much sun exposure on our skin in order to make vitamin D.
Many people get confused about the difference between fish oil liquid and cod liver oil. You can consider cod liver oil as fish oil. The 2 are the same except that cod liver oil contains natural vitamin D and A.
Limit your fish consumption and consider replacing it with cod liver oil. This is NOT the cod liver oil which typically comes to mind, from many decades ago. Most cod liver oil from the past was rancid and tasted terrible because it was improperly processed. It is now easy to find flavored cod liver oil and fish oil which have a much more pleasant taste.
Several studies and trials in humans have shown a favorable effect of dietary cod liver oil and fish oil on various risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Supplementation of the diet with omega-3 fish oil and cod liver oil concentrates has shown the potential to reduce both the progression of cardiovascular disease and related mortality, including sudden cardiac death.
If you just listen to the 'experts', you would think that cholesterol is an evil substance and that most of us would benefit from lowering our cholesterol as low as possible. But it's not so. Cholesterol is a vitally important substance which is used for building our cell membranes and producing several of our hormones. If our cholesterol level drops too low, we are actually at increased risk for depression.
A European study of the effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acids - such as cod liver oil and fish oil - on coronary atherosclerosis (measured with coronary angiography) in people with cardiovascular disease using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial showed improved health from the omega 3.(9)
The study revealed that people with coronary artery disease given omega-3 (DHA and EPA) therapy (at levels of about 1.5 g/day) over a 2-year period had less progression and more regression of coronary disease, than did patients taking a placebo. Fewer cardiovascular events (fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, strokes) were noted in the omega-3 group. The omega-3 supplementation was considered safe and well tolerated.
Cod liver oil and depression
Research has found that people who suffer from depression who received a daily dose of 1 gram of an omega-3 fatty acid such as cod liver oil for 12 weeks experienced a decrease in their symptoms, such as anxiety, sadness and sleeping problems (10).
cod liver oil and fish oil for depression
Previous studies have suggested that the balance of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain may be skewed in people with depression, and earlier studies have shown that cod liver oil and fish oil supplements can help alleviate the symptoms of depression and schizophrenia.
If you take your omega 3 in liquid form, as opposed to capsules, the dose for both the cod liver oil or fish oil liquid should be about 1-2 teaspoons per day. This is a good initial dose for most people but if you notice any belching, it is likely that your gallbladder is not digesting the oil properly and you may need to take a high potency enzyme with plenty of the fat digesting enzyme lipase.
Ideally, you would want to measure your vitamin D levels. Unfortunately very few doctors do this. But if you overdose on vitamin D you can actually cause hardening of your arteries and osteoporosis as it causes a reverse effect. In short, I would recommend you take cod liver oil during the winter months when our exposure to the sun is minimal, and fish oil during the summer months.
If you use beneficial products like cod liver oil without doing blood tests to check your vitamin D levels, you should keep the dose at 1 to 2 teaspoons per day to prevent overdosing or switch to plain fish oil (which contains no vitamin D).
Use 1 teaspoon per day for a child. When you give your child cod liver oil, you will also be supplying them with essential omega-3 fatty acids which will maximize their brain development.
Find out how to preserve your cod liver oil, what kind of supplement to look for, on page 2.
References
1. Holub BJ. Fish oils and cardiovascular disease. CMAJ 1989;141:1063. [MEDLINE]
2. Connor WE. The importance of n-3 fatty acids in health and disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71(1 Suppl):171S-5S.
3. Angerer P, von Schacky C. n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and the cardiovascular system. Curr Opin Lipidol 2000;11(1):57-63. [MEDLINE]
4. Schmidt EB, Skou HA, Christensen JH, Dyerberg J. n-3 Fatty acids from fish and coronary artery disease: implications for public health. Public Health Nutr 2000;3(1):91-8. [MEDLINE]
5. von Schacky C. n-3 Fatty acids and the prevention of coronary atherosclerosis. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71(1 Suppl):224S-7S.
6. GISSI-Prevenzione Investigators. Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: results of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial. Lancet 1999;354:447-55. [MEDLINE]
(7). Bang HO, Dyerberg J. Lipid metabolism and ischemic heart disease in Greenland Eskimos. In: Draper HH, editor. Advances in nutrition research. New York: Plenum Publishing; 1980. p. 1-22.
(8). Blanchet C, Dewailly E, Ayotte P, Bruneau S, Receveur O, Holub BJ. Contribution of selected traditional and market foods to the diet of Nunavik Inuit women. Can J Diet Pract Res 2000;61:50-9.
(9). von Schacky C, Angerer P, Kothny W, Theisen K, Mudra H. The effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on coronary atherosclerosis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1999;130:554-62. [MEDLINE]
(10) Archives of General Psychiatry October 2002; 59: 913-919
(11) Psychosomatic Medicine 2000;62.
On average I eat about 350g P a day is this too much? 
will also give your recipe a try 