Fish oil is one of the richest natural sources of essential omega 3 fatty acids. The body needs them to properly function and to fight diseases, but it cannot produce them naturally. A major problem is that the diet of most western countries does not contain the necessary amount of omega 3 fatty acids.

Fish and vegetable oils have the largest amounts of unsaturated fatty acids. If you cannot increase the amount of fish in your diet, you can take fish oil supplements to obtain the omega 3 acids. Cod liver oil is preferred because it has a high concentration of DHA and EPA, essential fatty acids which cannot be naturally produced by the human body.

Alongside fish oil, great omega 3 sources are vegetable oils, such as canola, soybean or sunflower. However, specialists recommend a limited use of vegetable oils for getting the necessary amounts of omega 3 because they also contain omega 6 fatty acids.

One of the most convenient ways to obtain these fatty acids is to buy fish oil supplements. Cod liver oil contains the proper quantities of DHA and EPA and large amounts of vitamin A and D. The risk of cardiovascular diseases (such as the risk for sudden cardiac arrest) is greatly reduced by consuming omega 3 cod liver oil.

Other medical conditions ameliorated by omega 3 cod liver oil include high cholesterol and obesity. Medical studies have concluded that the necessary amount of DHA and EPA fatty acids is 1.5 grams daily. Fish consumption can help you obtain the necessary fatty acids, but because fish can get poisoned with heavy metals (especially mercury), medics alert against consuming fish very often.

A very good alternative to adding more fish to your diet is taking up to 3 cod liver oil supplements 2 or 3 times per day. When purchasing these supplements, be sure they are made by a reputed producer and they are obtained through "molecular distillation", a process used to remove all toxins from the fish.

Be careful not to exceed the amount of cod liver oil supplements recommended by your doctor because cod liver oil also contains large doses of vitamin A and D: most cod liver oil supplements contain between 4000 and 500 vitamin D units. This amount is far greater than the daily required quantity and can lead to vitamin poisoning.