I first came across fermented cod liver oil when I became frustrated with my 6 year old son’s dental health. I took him to a conventional dentist and all they had to offer was anesthetics and drilling. Logically, I knew something deeper was wrong because my 4 other kids didn’t have as much tooth decay as him.
After much research, I realized the strong connection between his teeth and the overall health of his body. He was lacking in some serious nutrients that were causing his body to leech these important nutrients from his teeth.
I finally came to the conclusion that fermented cod liver oil was something I needed to try. Rami Nagel talks about the importance of this supplement in his book Cure Tooth Decay.
My wife was so excited when I introduced this supplement into our home. She always wanted to find something that was simple to give our entire family (ages 6 to 6 months old) and that she knew had everything they needed, especially the most the important nutrients, such as omega 3 fatty acids and adequate quantities of bio-available (easily absorbed) forms of natural vitamin A and D, which she knew we could not get from any single food.
As a naturopathic doctor I like to individualize my recommendations to my patients, but I believe this supplement has such a foundational role that I end up recommending it to everyone because clinical research reveals over and over again that as a nation we are chronically deficient in everything that fermented cod liver oil has to offer.
Why Fermented Cod Liver Oil and NOT Regular Cod Liver Oil or Fish Oil
Nearly all manufacturers of cod liver oil, krill oil and fish oil supplements use high heat or chemicals to extract the therapeutic oils. It is by far the most efficient way to do it taking only a few hours to accomplish. But this process destroys the naturally occurring vitamin A and D content and denatures the delicate omega 3 fatty acids.
The manufacturers then usually re-add the vitamin A and D, typically in synthetic form, therefore making these vitamins much less bio-available and sometimes toxic.
Fermenting the cod livers does not cause these problems. It requires 6 to 12 months to delicately render the fish oil using traditional fermentation methods of the livers. This preserves the natural nutrient content and delicate fatty acids. It also makes them much more bio-available to our bodies.
Fermented cod liver oil not only is great to help prevent infectious disease (yes, your children will get sick far less often and recover much more quickly!), but is also excellent for preventing the array of chronic degenerative diseases that plague our society: depression, cancer, heart-disease, auto-immune disorders etc.
Here is an extended listed of the benefits of fermented cod liver oil (FCLO):
- Promotes healthy cholesterol levels (HDL/LDL ratios)
- Prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaque
- Is a systemic anti-inflammatory
- Reduces symptoms from arthritis (rheumatoid and osteoarthritis)
- Promotes mental health (prevents degenerative mental diseases)
- Supports tooth and bone health
- Promotes healthy hormone balance
- Supports the health of hair, skin, and nails
- Reduces inflammatory skin conditions (acne, eczema, etc.)
- Helps manage ADHD symptoms
- Helps manage inflammatory lung conditions (asthma)
- Can help stabilize mood disorders (bi-polar, depression, etc.).
Recommended Dosage
My wife administers 2 mL (little less than 1/2 a teaspoon) to our children, which is the bare minimum you would want to give your family daily.
Here are the dosages I would recommend:
Children (3 months to 12 years): 1/8 – 1/2 tsp or 1-4 capsules (0.625 – 2.5 ml)
Adults and children 12+ years: 1/2 – 1 tsp or 5-10 capsules (2.5 – 5 ml)
Pregnant and nursing women: 1 – 2 tsp or 10-20 capsules (5-10 ml)
Click here for sources of fermented cod liver oil in both liquid or capsule form.
Best Taken with Butter Oil
The best way to take FCLO is with butter oil to boost nutrient absorption. If this supplement is not available, ghee from grassfed cows may be used. For those with dairy allergies, use emu oil. One quarter teaspoon per day is sufficient.
The benefits of taking these healthy fats together is based on the detailed research of Dr. Weston A. Price.
Fermented Cod Liver Oil for those with Sensitive Throat Issues
Keep in mind that sometimes the fermented cod liver oil can cause a slight burning sensation in the throat, which is due to the beneficial lactic acid from the fermentation.
This sensation will go away quite quickly and even be prevented entirely if you chase it down with something that has fat in it like milk or a smoothie (which we like to use with our family).
More Information
Myths and Truths of an Ancient Superfood
The Truth About Trans Fats in Cod Liver Oil
How Kinesiology (Muscle Testing) Can Help You Select the Best Cod Liver Oil Brand for Your Family
Is anyone going to explain how in the world fat can be fermented? Please, stop this nonsense. To any real foodie who has ever made sourdough or yogurt or sauerkraut, this is so obvious. Fermentation is based on SUGARS. An oil would just go rancid. Please, STOP!
The fat isn’t fermented … the cod livers are which then release the oil along with lactic acid from the fermentation.
What I would like to know is Dr. Ron balance out the high doses of CLO and FCLO with a source of vitamin k2? to keep the calcium going into bone and not into soft tissue i.e. promoting calcification of the arteries and build up of plaques? On other issues of fermentation from sources mentioning the fermentation of the livers I’ve read mention of the use of lactobacillus -lacto fermenting. Which I’ve read about the use of liquid whey being used as a preservative due to inhibition of other bacterial colonies proliferating in the lactic acid rich medium of the whey. In meats and fish and fermented vegetables. This makes sense in for the purpose of extracting the oils from the fish livers as lactobacillus work feed on glycogen stored in the liver and cause them to release the oil along with the lactic acid produced would keep unwanted bacteria out of the mix the other factors of light and oxygen for contributing to oxidation leading to rancidity should be eliminated through the sealing off of whatever vats or containers the livers are being fermented in because the lactobacilli are anaerobic. Unless I am misinformed this should account for the claims against the fermenting of the livers to extract the oils… I wish they would post the ranges of each vitamin A, and D in the product label specifications. Please comment or contribute additional information on this line of thought. I have personally made batches of cheese and used the resulting whey to ferment vegetables, make beef Carpaccio, and gravlax with salmon.
I followed the links but can not find your recommended source for FCLO. Is it possible to get that information?
How can there be lactic acid in oil? Lactic acid is water soluble so it seems impossible that it would remain in the oil after the fermented oil was ready to be bottled.
My toddler took her dose of FCLO and then took the scooped out dose that was my husbands before we could stop her. She had belly upset this morning and I am assuming the CLO is the culprit. Should I be concerned that she got a larger amount than usual last night?
I have researched and researched (with what little free time I have – ha!) for which kind is the best for my kiddos. I have a 2.5 year old who is extremely picky (won’t eat vegetables, but eats kimchi, sauerkraut, drinks kombucha and kefir) and a 6 month old. Obviously, they can’t take the capsules yet. However, the liquid FCLO does not include the butter oil, correct? Would it be okay if I give them both the liquid with a syringe (I’m sure the 6 month old will get used to the flavor) and have my toddler drink milk or juice following it or do I HAVE to have the butter oil, too. What kind was Dr. Levi’s family taking in the video? Thank you!
Have you seen this article? What are your thoughts about it? davidgumpert.com/major-falling-out-at-wapf-over-fermented-cod-liver-oil
I’ve seen Dr. Daniel’s report. I will post a response from my perspective soon. For the record, our family will continue to take fermented cod liver oil as we have for the past 10 years with excellent results. I am in serious doubt of the objectivity of the report due to the refusal to name lab sources or full disclosure of the funding of the report other than Dr. Ron Schmid who appears to have an ax to grind and blames his FCLO habit of 2-3 TABLESPOONS per day (which is insane) for years and years. And prior to taking FCLO for years, he took regular cod liver oil in the same insanely high amounts for a number of years. This is the fault of the individual, not the product. The product was clearly abused … more is not always better especially with a potent product like FCLO. 1 TEASPOON per day is the recommended dosage. He took 9X that amount for, by his own admission, more than a decade.
Someone mentioned that the butter oil is a raw milk product? Wouldn’t this be a concern for pregnant women due to possible listeria contamination?
I thought that heating process for the conventional extraction does not harm vitamin A and vitamin D as they were not heat labile!!!!
I thought that the heat process could be more harmful to the polyunsaturated fish oil rather than the vitamins.