Health Benefits of Cod Liver Oil: A Nutrient Powerhouse

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Asthma
Posted by Shana (Miami, Florida, Usa) on 07/03/2010
★★★★★

I suffered for years with asthma, made worse by cold wet weather. It was one of the reasons I moved to a warmer climate. Inhalers and other medications did not really work. It felt like a giant hand would just squeeze the air out of my lungs. Once I was at a lecture with a friend and he said people thought I was making fun of the speaker, when actually it was my wheezing! Both of my parents smoked,and I think I was dealing with COPD from the time I was five or six. I can remember hiding in closets as a small child so people wouldn't hear me wheeze and clear my lungs. I don't smoke, never have.

I researched for natural cures and found fish oil. I started taking it and the wheezing went away. My lungs feel pliant and able to open up. Wet and cold weather do not affect me anymore. I can breathe! When I don't take the fish oil, the wheezing comes back, so I'm convinced that what is what works for me.

The recommended amount I read is one teaspoon for every 50 lbs. of weight. That's what I take. I usually will take a liquid form, but sometimes pills, so I will take about three or so of those. My body lets me know how much works. I take the fish oil in the morning. I also take flax oil at night, one or two tablespoons. But when I only take flax oil, the wheezing comes back. It has to be fish oil (sorry vegetarians, I don't know any other answers for you).

In the winter I take cod liver oil, in the summer just regular fish oil. Both work as well, but the cod liver oil has vitamin D, which I feel I get enough of in the summer.

So I believe for me, the answer is that I need the omega 3 fatty acids for normal lung function.

The taste can be unpleasant, but there are flavored forms and then of course the pills, though they tend to be rather large.

Another bonus is that I notice my vision is much clearer when I faithfully take fish oil, particularly the cod liver oil. The owner of one of the vitamin stores I go to says that the elderly customers who have taken cod liver oil their entire lives often have 20/20 vision. I believe it.

I hope this can help someone and I'm really glad I found this site. I'm trying a few of the suggestions here and will post in a while when I see (or don't see) results.