FitSugar

Is Cod Liver Oil a Cure All?

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:30:00 PDT

I have a friend who swears by cod liver oil; she takes a teaspoon everyday, which to me sounds like a punishment meted out on Tom Sawyer by his Aunt Polly. My friend swears it helps her skin (which looks great and she is nearing 50), her joints, and her overall health. She tells me my fish oil supplement is not enough, so I decided to investigate.

Here's what I discovered. It is true that cod liver oil is high in vitamins A and D, which is why it was taken as a nutritional aid back in the days of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Some holistic health practitioners think cod liver oil is still a great way to get these two vitamins, but others think that cod liver oil often provides too much vitamin A, which can be toxic and interfere with bone density.

Cod liver oil is also high in omega-3 fatty acids – the fat you should love, but so are my fish oil supplements. Additionally, cod liver oil being made from the organ that filters toxins out of blood, is more likely to contain toxins like PCB when compared to regular fish oil.

To see if there is any substance to the health claims of cod liver oil,

read more. While many of the health claims, like that cod liver oil prevents cancer and Alzheimer's have yet to be proven, the oil has been found to slow down the damage arthritis does to joints. There is also evidence that the oil may ward off depression, but it is believed that the omega-3s are responsible over any other element in the oil. If you are interested in taking cold liver oil, you should limit your intake to one teaspoon a day and it seems the brand Carlson Labs is often recommended. Me? I am going to stick with my fish oil capsules, and you? Source

Dietitians Dish: How to Feed Your Skin

Guest Writer — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 02:26:10 PDT

The following post was written by the registered dietitians of C & J Nutrition, Stephanie Clarke and Willow Jarosh. We turned to them for their expert advice to answer a FitSugar reader's question on the relationship between diet and skin care.

Hi,
I need some help with my skin and breakouts. Are there any foods you recommend avoiding to decrease acne? Any foods you recommend to improve the quality of my skin overall? Thanks!
- Edible Skin Tricks?

Research is really varied as to how diet may affect acne. You’ll often hear people cite dairy as a cause of acne, but again, research really hasn’t been able to back this up solidly. If you think a specific food might be triggering breakouts, keep a food journal to see if there’s a correlation. According to some researchers, spiked insulin levels from eating too many refined carbs. Sugary, processed foods can cause inflammation in the body (including skin cells) that leads to premature aging and wrinkles. Make sure to choose whole grains and whole grain products, beans, fruit for your carb choices most often.

In general, for the healthiest-looking skin we recommend:

Not smoking and avoiding spending time around smoke and do wear sunscreen/hats when spending time outside.
Eat foods rich in antioxidants – they destroy free radicals – research says vitamin C, E, A (beta carotene), and selenium nourish and protect skin, which can help keep it looking better for longer! (P.S. Retin-A, Renova are high potency vitamin A creams.) Here's more on those vitamins.

What's the Diff: Omega-3s vs. Omega-6s

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:10 PST

Omegas are all the buzz right now, and it seems like everywhere you turn, new foods are being enhanced with this essential fatty acid, or labeled as an excellent source. What people don't know is that there are different types of omegas, and eating too much of one kind can actually be harmful to your body.

Omega-3s are found in flax seeds, walnuts, cod liver oil, and fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, albacore tuna, and salmon. Fish are the best sources because they are high in two particular fatty acids that are crucial to good health, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

Then there are omega-6s. These fats are found in eggs, nuts, chicken, and vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, and sunflower oil. Omega-6s are high in LA (linoleic acid), which is converted by the body into GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), and then further broken down to AA (arachidonic acid).

Do you know which type of omega fatty acid we should be eating more of? To find out, keep reading