Fish oil and Cod Liver oil are both great sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3’s are essential fatty acids required by the body in order to fight against many diseases. Usually these fatty acids are not present in most people’s diet because of the under consumption of fish and over consumption of vegetable oils.

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.

For people who already take a multiple vitamin that supplies Vitamin A and take supplemental Vitamin D I recommend a fish oil. And for those people that don’t take any additional supplements I generally recommend cod liver oil.

Either one of these sources of omega 3 fatty acids is one of the best things you can do for your health. The list of benefits is ever growing and truly amazing.

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People ask me often what supplements I personally use, keep in mind I am a 45 year old male and the program would need to be adjusted for each individuals own personal needs. I have broken this list into 2 segments, one is supplements I think everyone should or could be taking, this I have labeled the “Base Program”, I think this program is a great start for anyone who is serious about their health. The other, which I have labeled “Health Specific”, is the supplements specific to my own personal health needs. The last entry is a once a week Testosterone Enathate injection that is used for hormone replacement. Look under “Hormone Replacement Therapy” in this blog to see more information on this important subject.

Base Program

Good Multi-Vitamin                                       2 a day formula

Vitamin C                                                       2000mgs

Vitamin E                                                        400IU

Vitamin D                                                       2000IU

Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinol)                            100mgs

Omega 3(Fish Oil)                                          1 teaspoon

Resveratrol                                                      125mgs (super antioxidant)

Health Specific

Saw Palmetto                                                  160mg extract (for prostate health)

Glucosamine/Chrondroitin                              1500mgs/1200mgs (for joint health)

Niacin                                                              2000mgs (cholesterol reduction)

DHEA                                                             25mgs (hormone replacement)

Pregnenolone                                                  25mgs (hormone replacement)

Testosterone Enathate                                     200mgs weekly (hormone replacement)

Well, there it is. The goal is not to live forever, but just to feel good for as long as possible. And to this point it is definitely working. I will keep you posted.

Anti-Aging, Antioxidants, Coenzyme Q10, Fish Oil, Nutritional Supplements, Omega 3, Testestorone Replacement Therapy, Vitamin D, Vitamins Hide

Which is a better source of your important omega 3 fatty acids? I am asked this question almost everyday. Let’s explore the main differences between them.

Obviously, fish oil is from an animal source, and flax seed oil is from a vegetable source so if you are a vegetarian I guess the decision is easy. But, for those of us that are not strict vegetarians what do we do?

The beneficial components of all omega 3’s are EPA and DHA. Fish oil has both of these components in it naturally occurring. That means that our bodies have to do nothing to make it into a bioavailable nutrient. It is in its usable state naturally and this is a good thing. Flax on the other hand does not have any EPA or DHA in it naturally. Instead, flax must be converted into these fatty acids within our bodies. The studies that I have read do suggest that that conversion does taker place, but my question is in what quantities EPA and DHA are we actually ultimately getting through this biological conversion. I personally don’t see how that can be fully calculated with any accuracy.

I like the fact that when you pick up a bottle of fish oil liquid or soft gels you can look on the label and see exactly how much of these nutrients are contained within. You cannot do the same with flax because it does not contain any EPA and DHA. Therefore unless you are a strict vegetarian I favor fish oil over flax oil for your omega 3 source.

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If you take the time to do an accurate analysis of omega 3 products you will find that with the liquids you can get the same active ingredients of omegas at less than 40% of the cost of softgel products.

Let’s compare softgels versus liquid in a popular omega product line:

Soft Gel Omega 3 Total Omega 3’s per serving (2 softgels) = 690 mgs
Retail cost per serving= .50

Liquid Omega 3 Total Omega 3’s per serving (1 teaspoon) = 1725 mgs
Retail cost per serving=.50

1725/690=2.5

As you can see from above, with the same cost per serving you will get 2.5 times the Omega 3’s by switching to a liquid form. You would have to take 5 soft gels each day to equal one teaspoon of the liquid. 

One other fact about omega 3’s-THE MORE THE BETTER! Every piece of research I have ever read involving omega 3’s for treating any kind of preexisting condition has been done on levels much higher than what is recommended on the typical softgel bottle. At the doses recommended on the liquids I have seen great success of Omega 3’s on arthritic conditions, psoriasis, triglyceride balance, blood pressure, and improvement in cholesterol ratios. The problem is that many people think they are taking enough to help with these conditions when they are not. People just don’t want to take 5 pills each day and the supplement manufactures know it. Plus they will price themselves out of the market. That is why they only recommend 2 each day. SWITCH TO A LIQUID!

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