In the past, I have written about the benefits of fish oil as a supplement for just about everyone. The omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil are currently a darling of holistic medicine and for good reasons.
They've got a knack for reducing inflammation throughout the body. Omega 3 fatty acids (in the correct ratio to the more commonly consumed omega 6's) can aid in preventing, reducing, and reversing all sorts of ailments from heart disease to eczema, attention deficit disorders to respiratory conditions.
Among real foodies, the recommended fish oil is cod liver oil (which you will often see abbreviated as ‘CLO').
To be honest, when I first learned about CLO, I was skeptical. Mostly because this stuff tastes horrific. Anyone who tells you otherwise probably also thinks childbirth is not painful and root canals are fun – not impossible, but not probable either.
In our next two posts, we will discuss dosages and how you – and even your picky kids – can get this stuff down with ease. But for now, let's get clear on why to bother taking cod liver oil…
Cod liver oil benefits
We know that fish oil is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, and you can read all about the benefits of omega 3s here.
Cod liver oil has the added benefits of being naturally rich in the fat soluble vitamins D and A. As a culture, we are notoriously low in vitamin D, which contributes to numerous problems, from weak immune systems to hormone imbalances.
Read more about vitamin D here.
The problem is, however, that most cod liver oil (and other fish oils) is processed in such a way that destroys much of the naturally occurring vitamins. These cod liver oils have their vitamins A and D added back in. The main issue with this is that the vitamins A and D are no longer in the proper proportion, leading to a risk of possible vitamin A toxicity when taken in large doses.
You can read everything you need to know about vitamin A toxicity here.
Enter extra virgin cod liver oil.
The oils of extra virgin cod liver oil are slowly extracted without heat, retaining the naturally occurring vitamins and goodness.
This means that cod liver oil contains the proper ratio of the essential fat soluble vitamins A and D – two nutrients that are neither able to be obtained through vegetable sources nor through any conventionally processed cod liver oil supplements.
Cod liver oil is a traditional superfood
Here's an interesting quote from the makers or extra virgin cod liver oil, Rosita Real Foods:
The origin of the use of cod liver oil as a food dates back to the Viking Era (late 700s to 1100). Fish and fish liver oil were important parts of the Norse diet. The Vikings consumed most of the fish liver oil during the cold months when the days were shorter and lacked sunlight. And because the winter months were also the prime fishing season, the livers stayed fresh and the oil obtained was also very fresh and of a high quality. The most common method of obtaining fish liver oil used by the Scandinavian Vikings in Northern Norway was as follows: Water in a large pan, rather like a kettle, was brought to a boil. Birch tree branches were placed on top of the pan, and the liver was placed on top of the birch branches. As steam rose, it began to cook the liver, and oil from the liver would begin to drip into the water. The straw-colored oil was skimmed off, and the process was repeated several times. The pale oil obtained was largely devoid of taste and odor. The Vikings would often consume whole cod livers dipped in the cod liver oil…Highly valued for its powers of healing, strength, and energy the pure, raw oil was called “Gold of the Ocean” by the Vikings of Northern Norway.
In summary, extra virgin cod liver oil is a traditional super food that is prepared by old-fashioned methods that preserve the maximum nutritional benefit.
Cod liver oil provides much-needed omega 3s as well as vitamins A and D in proper proportions. It's certainly worth taking on a regular basis.
In our upcoming discussions about cod liver oil, I will discuss how to determine the proper dosage and how to get this stuff down with a smile on your face.
Have more questions about cod liver oil benefits? Ask them below!
I love FCLO. Being a chicken, I’ve always taken the capsules. But recently I was trying to heal a dental problem and got the emulsified type in orange flavor. I never knew that the dreaded “fish burps” would become not nearly as awful “orange burps!” That I can do!
I just started taking the capsules with the fermented butter oil along with the FCLO since I heard that take it shortens the severity of your menstrual periods. I’m all for anything that cuts down on the number of days!
Great post! That FCLO needs a clear game plan to make it past my palette without causing severe gagging reflexes…I still take it, though. Need better masking devices.
Which brand do you prefer??
We take Carlson’s with “Light Lemon” taste. I add it to Honest Kids Berry Lemonade and pour it into a shot glass. The kids love it! And ask for it each day!
If only it wasn’t so strong tasting 🙁
Megan – Green Pasture.
Ooh LOVE that you are starting a series on this, because I just started taking it. I found out that my Vitamin D levels are pretty low (mine is 22, but it should be around 50-90, right?) I’m very suspicious of all supplements, but after much research I decided to start taking fermented (unflavored) cod liver oil from Green Pastures. My questions are:
(1) Is there is an ideal time of day to take this?
(2) How much is a good amount for a woman under 30 yo, average weight?
(3) Is it possible to overdose on FCLO? Are there ANY known side effects?
(4) Do I have to give my body a “break” from having it every day?
(5) Is it best stored in the fridge (that’s currently where I store it)?
I think that’s it for now 😉 Thanks, and I’m looking forward to your posts! ~Heba
You need to do what I did. Go to Green Pastures website and read all of their FAQ’s. Do a Google search with your questions adding plus signs between all of the sentences questions you want doing different searches to try to find the information you want. I typed a question and found out there is a great page of info on Green Pastures website with tons of info for people to go through. They even have audios of interviews from Green Pastures with info, too. Visit Weston A Price website – some good info on there. If you can’t find the answers to your questions by some simple detective work online just call Green Pastures and I’m sure they’ll help you. I’m sure by doing this you’ll get the info you need.
Tara – agreed. though in a few days I will be sharing how my family takes FCLO without complaint.
On a totally different subject….do you have any fun ideas that you and your family do for valentines day?
Ah, sorry I probably asked way too many questions 😉 If you’re planning to cover them anyway in your posts, just say so — you don’t have to type the answers all out here!
Oh, and forgot to say that I currently take a teaspoon a day of the stuff, and I just wash it down with a cup of water.
If there is a way to hide it rather than give him the flavored ones (he won’t go for that) I would love to hear it!
My 4 girls (ages 9m-7yrs) and I take the Green Pastures butter oil/fclo nonflavored gel blend and it tastes fine. I just swallow it with a gulp of water kindof like a pill since it’s gel it doesn’t coat my whole mouth. I’ve notice that the last couple of months that I’ve been diligent about taking it my period was only 3 short days instead of 7 or more. That in and of itself is enough to make me take it for the rest of my life!
How much of the FCLO/Butter blend gel do you take each day?
I recently started taking Green Pastures FCLO + BO blend, cinnamon flavor. Ew!!! The first day I tried it at room temp and, good Lord, I thought I was going to die.
Since then, I’ve kept it in the fridge so that it’s firmer, like butter. Hold my breath, stick a knife in for a blob, scrape it off with my teeth, cuss when I have to rub my tongue against my teeth to get the stupid goo off, then try to swallow — and fail because it’s blobby, then work my tongue through it enough to slightly warm & melt it just enough to gulp down, grab a glass of kombucha, and guzzle. Sometimes, I even remember to breathe again after all of that. So, yeah, I still think I’m going to die but it’s just a bit of a quicker death than the room-temp death by FCLO.
I bought the exact same stuff-‘Cinnamon Tingle’ FCLO/Butter Oil Blend.I t says it’s a gel- but when kept in my fridge it is still very liquidy and not gel-like at all. My fridge temp is kept cold. I wonder why mine’s not gelling?
honestly LOVE the stuff, but wish it was more available and cheaper. Can’t afford to take the 16 combo capsules a day I’m suppose to (taking 8 and supplementing with an omega combo and always make sure to get my liver in once a week) plus a the liquid for my son. My 3 year old LOVES the liquid, thank God! and I look forward to giving it to #2 early on 🙂
I would love to know what age is best to start giving to babies or toddlers. Looking forward to your next post.
I am a FCLO failure. I have bought it many times in many forms and tried to like it. I agree with the poster who said the capsule taking is crazy. I have six kids and I take 10 capsules, just for me. So I don’t buy them. We tried the gummy fish, yuck. We tried the different flavors, no luck, at. all. I tried bribes, money and even a piece of natural candy as a back after. No luck at all. I am back to Carlson’s. All of my kids will take it. So now I am at the… some Cod is better than no cod stage. I am looking forward to your suggestions, because I still have bottles in my cupboard. I would really like my family to be taking FCLO, but I tried just being firm and saying buck up, but that madelouder and firmer protesters of them all. Serious protesters. I am at a loss….Lol.
I recently started taking FCLO coconut oil/butter oil blend from Green Pastures. It really is awful. BUT I have found a method that works! My son is a gagger and even he takes it! Plug your nose, take a spoonful, swallow, take a drink of water, take a couple of bites of food, wipe your mouth well, and THEN unplug your nose. Nothing, I tasted nothing at all except the occasional fishy burp.YUK. To avoid that, my son takes it right before bed so he skips that part.
What is the recommended dosage for the high butter/FLCO blend?
Hi Emily! How often does the cod liver oil with high vitamin butter oil need to be taken since they are fat soluble? Daily? Twice a week?
Since it is fat soluble, you can take it less often, but then you have to take more. For me, taking it every day creates a routine that helps me to remember to take it. When I forget, however, I will happily double or triple my dose.
We recently ordered the cinnamon-flavored FCLO/BO gel when the unflavored stuff was out of stock. The taste took some getting used to for me, but now I don’t mind taking it at all if I chase it with raw milk!
try taking it with sour cream
I am sooo lucky. My son and I both love this stuff. The cinnamon flavor is great. I have to pull myself away from it. My daughter does not like it right now but I put it on her feet and it seems to still benefit her that way.
My friend who got me hooked on this suggested the cinnamon tingle flavor bo/fclo blend & taking it with s spoon of honey. I scoop some from each jar (bo/fclo & honey) on separate spoons, transfer the honey to the top of the other spoon & put it on my tongue honey side down. Totally easy to take like this. We call it our cinnamon honey & have a contest to see who can take it without making a face. Not bad if you do a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of honey to bo/fclo. I have a lot of health problems, including chronic migraine & neck/back pain. This stuff SAVED me at Disney this summer. Didn’t think I was going to be show to go out with the family after the first day. Doubled up my dose the first night & got up the next morning as fresh as if I hadn’t gone out at all the first day. I expected it to reduce the amounts of pain & inflammation the 2nd morning, but I was shocked to have zero pain. Totally recommend this stuff!
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Is there a reason why people are taking the gel over the capsules? I haven’t started taking this yet but was planning on ordering the capsules due to the apparantly yucky taste of the gel. Seems to me it would eliminate most of the problem, but am I missing something? I noticed some people said they had to take up to 10 capsules….? Am just a bit confused. Thanks in advance
Hi thesmarties4 – The biggest issue with the caps is the cost. If you don’t mind spending extra, then the caps are totally worth it.
Is it really $200 a bottle? Yikes!
janser811@gmail.com
$200 seems reasonable when you take into consideration the amount of work involved. If the company can only manufacture it at certain times of the year, the fish live in very deep water & aren’t easy to get, and the manufacturing process is extremely labor intensive then you can see how much more time, manpower and attention to quality is being put forth.
I started taking higher doses of omega-3 in october last year (as an eaperiment. I struggle with chronic pain, and after going low carb I started to heal up. But I’ve had some of it still hanging on, so I wanted to see what happened with large doses of omega-3). Started on two grams a day up to four, then I added a teaspoon of FCLO (some days more), and a half a teaspoon high citamin butter oil. I took about two weeks after adding the FCLO, and my health got way better :)!! A lot of my pain that’s been clinging on, just eased off. I really believe this stuff is good. Personally, I don’t think it tastes that bad. I just hold my breath til I’ve rinced my mouth a couple of times with water.
Great page. by the way!
I’d be interested in knowing the full vitamin content of FCLO, and High vitamin butter oil? Anyone know? Since it’s fermented, I’m guessing it includes quite a few vitamins, and enzymes.
Hi Lella – I think that the vitamin content varies from batch to batch because it’s a food based supplement.
That’s right, thats what the sellers say, but maybe a cop- out for a non-standardised product! How can this product be trusted ? Also the lead article here stated:
“This is evident by the deep rich color of FCLO as opposed to the pale yellow of conventional cod liver oil.”
My tester sample was indeed very dark and “burnt” my throat in the same way as old rancid walnuts do. Sometimes aged oils are dark due to oxidation. Maybe the “x factor” and vitamins aren’t damaged by this process but i query that this oil product is a safe long term option as it appears to contain oxidised (damaging) oils. Further I think that a food that most people instinctively have difficulty swallowing is telling us something and that maybe another product/s should be sourced.
Vit A, D, K2 are all fat soluble and present in all grass fed animal fats – the yellower the more A and hence by deduction the more K2. Less D is needed when there is adequate K2, so maybe we are just looking in the wrong direction. Perhaps Vit D is not only a sun deficiency but also a co-factor deficiency. If we address K2 then problem may be solved better than having disgusting fermented CLO ??? I will be self-testing the effect of organic pasture fed dairy ghee / butter – since it is more truly the food of my ancestors and urge others to consider the effects of oxidised oils before embarking on expensive dubious supplements! ps Some of you confess to the familiar burp afterwards – seriously this is not a good sign!
Having read so many people talk about how difficult it was to take unflavored FCLO, I got myself ready to take it by lining up an assortment of post-FCLO items on my counter: fermented milk, candies, different fruit, and butter oil I had prepared earlier. 😉
Measured it up with the handy syringe sent by Green Pasture’s, transfered it to a table spoon and… down it went. … Waited for the dreaded choking, nausea and whatever else I had heard of… and nothing. Sure, it tastes and smells like fish. But if you have ever eaten sea fish, well, smell and taste are not so different.
I might add that I decided to take FCLO in the afternoon, not right before/after breakfast, as I feel my taste buds are more sensitive in the morning. Now I follow it with the butter oil, which completely covers the fishy taste with a lovely buttery one, and sometimes, for good measure, I drink a little bottle of fermented milk or lick a teaspoonful of milk fudge. No aftertaste and no fishy burps!
For all the FCLO newbies out there, let me assure you: I don’t think root canals are fun, and I consider myself pretty ‘normal’, 😉 so don’t be put off taking FCLO just because other people find it difficult to take. It is worthy!
My kids 3-1/2 and 1-1/2, myself and hubby all look forward to taking our FCLO!
We use the green pastures liquid in organge flavour. Tastes like orange peel to me, and burps taste the same…I highly recommend it!
Hi!!! I recently bought the blue ice fermented cod liver oil for our family. My daughter is 15 months old and I tried putting it in a smoothie but she didn’t drink it so I tried spoon feeding with banana on top. Didn’t work and she spit it out. Soon after she developed a red rash on her face. It went away after about half hour but do you think bc it touched her skin it could have caused an irritation? I hope she’s not allergic because would love to give her some.
Also is it ok to take while pregnancy? I’m 33 weeks and was wondering if I could take it.
Last and final question! It hardened in the fridge, so instead could I store outside fridge And does it go bad bc of the temp change? Thank you in advance!!!!
Hi Kat – if it just irritated her skin, it’s probably fine. Try it with elderberry syrup.
And yes! You can definitely take it while pregnant. In fact, many folks highly recommend it.
You can store it outside of the fridge without any problems. Hope that helps!
Kat this is way later than your post, but I totally agree with your observation and that if there is rash DO NOT trick your baby into taking it by mouth. Many people have allergy skin testing to diagnose allergy – you didn’t even need to scratch the surface and there was a reaction! I hope you have since stopped this supplement – and instead included grass fed butter, ocean fish and animal meat for their fats incl liver or its products instead.
Irritation to the skin can be common with any flavoring such as an oil or cinnamon. My little girl breaks out when certain foods touch Her skin with say garlic, cinnamon or other irritating substances to sensitive skin yet she does not have an allergy. Emily can you explain this phenomenon?
Cinnamon produces a great deal of histamine when it’s processed by the body. Some of us have difficulty processing histamines resulting in allergies and skin disorders and many other symptoms. You might look into histamine intolerance.
Hello Emily. Complicated question here…I started doing lots of searches on FCLO to try to figure out the best flavor to get and am more confused than ever. First off, I went to the WAPF website to see the different sources for it and was surprised that they all linked to the very same product (Green Pastures). I was immediately suspect that EVERY SINGLE real foodie blogger, and I swear I follow all of you, recommends this one type of CLO exclusively. Then, nearly every comment I read about it from the other readers is how horrible tasting it is and how expensive it is. I guess my Spidey senses are telling me something seems amiss that this particular company makes the only brand truly endorsed by WAPF and everyone is choking it down literally and figuratively without question. Because it has the word “fermented” in it? I understand the research of proper Vit A/D ratios and am inclined to believe it, so I looked into the brands considered “good” on WAPF and found that many are correct and do not have synthetic vitamins added back in. I am leaning toward ordering an alternate brand because I just can’t get my head around spending $50+ dollars a month on something that I may want to hurl back up and can only get into my children with bribery and lots of other masking! Ya know? I wonder what you think of using other brands with good A/D ratios? Try it and see? I feel like that’s what our grandparents would do!
Nicole – I totally understand where you’re coming from, as I was exactly in your shoes.
Personally, I could care less about the fermented aspect of GP’s FCLO. I’d prefer a non-fermented, extra virgin product.
The issue is, that most cod liver oil is processed in such a way that the vitamins A and D are destroyed and then added back in – in the wrong proportions. D and A should be at a 1:5 ratio. If not, there’s the risk of vitamin A toxicity.
Currently Corganics is working on a cold pressed cod liver oil that I’m super excited about. The downsides: it’s not release yet, and they only offer liquid (I prefer capsules).
Radiant Life company has their own cod liver oil that has the proper proportions of A and D. Also a great product, but not a wide distribution.
Unfortunately, none of these products are cheap. If you find any others, please let me know! I’m not married to FCLO, I just think it’s the best thing going right now.
the fermented a is twice as potent as the regular a and the fermented d is three times as potent as the regular d fermentation increases the bioactivity of all the nutrients
there is only 1 company in the entire world that makes fclo they make it in nebraska they have 4 ten thousand gallon vats
What better the capsules or just the oil straight up? Thanks
What’s better the capsules or the oil straight up? Thanks
Brooke – the oil is cheaper but the capsules are more palatable. So, it’s really up to you.
Hi Emily,
I recently purchased your ebook in search of a cure for our eleven-month-old son who developed eczema on his face in February. It was just a small spot but flared up terribly about a month ago despite the natural lotions we had been putting on it. Because it was so inflamed and oozing on both cheeks we ended up going to the doctor and getting an antibiotic ointment, which cleared it up quickly, but it seems to come back when we stop putting the ointment on.
Dietarily, he is mainly breastfeeding still but also gets some meats and vegetables (he’s never had dairy or grains) when we are eating our meals. I have cut out dairy, eggs, corn, wheat, oats, and sugar from my diet but it hasn’t really made any noticeable difference after about a month.
I see that cod liver oil would be really good for him and me, and we recently purchased the infused coconut oil from Green Pasture that has fclo and butter oil in it. Our little guy loved it – probably the carob banana fclo was the closest thing he’s had to candy at this point 🙂 – but we took both of us off of it when we went off of dairy. My question is, does the butter oil qualify as dairy and do you think it matters if we take it even though we’re avoiding dairy for right now? Or do the benefits outweigh the slight amount of dairy? Since we haven’t even identified dairy as a known trigger, it’s hard to avoid the fclo because of it. I’d really appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you so much!
Hi Anna, it really depends on the individual. If he’s super sensitive you many need to cut out the butter oil too. I would try eliminating it for a week or two – just doing FCLO (you can mix with elderberry to ease the taste) and see if he clears up. If so, you have your answer. If not, he’s ok to take it.
Butter IS a source of dairy protein – my throat swells with the smallest amount of butter and cream. Ghee is clarified of milk proteins and whey, and the important fat soluble Vit A D K2 are NOT destroyed in the process. Organic grass fed ghee is far cheaper FOOD than over processed expensive supplements. Mixed diet containing deep sea fish -omega 3, golden rich butter /ghee, and animal meats including liver are natural food products which are freshly available AND are the traditional foods of our ancestors. Supplements used to be just that – not replacing the nourishment we ought to be getting from our diet! As far as allergy goes investigate the GAP diet and importance of healthy gut in preventing allergens crossing into blood stream. There is definitely no reason to submit to CLO -fermented especially- IMHO!
Does anyone have a direct link where to buy these FCLO?
Hi Daniela, thanks for your question. There is a link above right at the bottom of the post. Thanks!
Why is Green Pastures the only company making this? They are also the only company making butter oil as far as I can see. Maybe some competition would bring the price down.
If I take fclo in combo with butter oil do I still need a dha vitamin with my prenatal? Also want to take fclo & butter oil combo for dental issue but was going to get capsules. Are capsules not a good idea?
Hi Janeth, thanks for the question. Generally speaking no, you would not need a dha vitamin. The only issue with capsules is that they’re more expensive. Whether you want to use the capsules or not is a personal decision but one is not better than the other.
I have tried to get my 3 year old (without any kind of pressure-mostly bribery and by example) to take FCLO. I have purchased several flavors. He doesn’t like any. I currently mix his powder probiotics in to his watered down apple juice. I was thinking I could do the same with FCLO capsules. Has any one tried this? I realize it might be a lot of capsules, but he drinks several cups a day, so I could break a couple capsules in to each drink.
I was wondering if you could help me clear something up, lol. My sons (2 and 4) take the fclo daily, do we need the added vitamin D oil (Carlson’s drops) also, or do they get enough vit D from the fclo on it’s own? Any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated!
Hello I just came across your blog. I am looking in to buying some cod liver oil because I am on a mission to heal my Teeth and for over all health for me and my family. I have heard that Fermented is the best the only brand I have came across that makes Fermented Cod Liver oil is Blue Ice and it is Not Cheap! I saw someone on here or another blog I can’t remember say they take Carlsons Lemon Oil although its still not cheap its cheaper then Blue Ice but it isn’t fermented I am worried If I buy this oil it will be a waste of money. What brands do you recommend and where do you suggest buying cod liver from? I could use all the information possible please and thank you!
I like this over the gel because there is no odor involved, and you don’t have to ingest silica like you do with the gel. Yes the gel is a better value for the money dosage wise, but I’d rather pay a little extra for the benefit of not ingesting an ingredient that my body doesn’t need.
Thanks Paleo for such a detailed account. I just came across Rosita when looking for cod liver oil for my baby who has had respiratory issues. Originally I was going to get the fermented cod liver oil until I found info on Rosita. My question for you is – do you know whether the ratfish liver oil would be better for her than the cod liver oil? Thanks!
nice article since this post was started a long ago and a lot of success, i first heard about fclo thru the 4 hour body book for its benefits on feminine sexual drive and i can say it has reached its goals 🙂 thanks for the sharing, will come back to check more about new comments, regards
Hi Emily,
I was wondering, how does wheatgrass compare to fermented cod liver oil?
Thanks!
Jenette
Hi Jenette – In what ways do you mean?
Does Fermented Cod Liver Oil ever go rancid in kept in refrig.? I bought 5 bottles about 5 years ago and opened one bottle and it tasted so bad I stuck it in the refrig. They are still in my refrig. Do you think they are rancid? It still smells the same.
I actually called the company when I found a few old bottles. They told me the cod liver oil is good for 2 years.
What kind of fermented cod liver oil would b the best for my 7 year old since she can’t swallow capsules
Hi Maya, I would suggest the liquid fermented cod liver oil. Here’s a post on tips to help her take it.