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Cod Liver Oil Topical Cream
An excellent source of vitamins A and D, cod liver oil is an extract from (what else?) the fresh livers of cod (Gadus morrhua and related species). A key difference between cod liver oil and fish oil is that the content of vitamins A and D is markedly higher in cod liver oil. In addition to these two vitamins, cod liver oil also contains an abundance of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (commonly known as omega-3 fatty acids), notably eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Health benefits from ingesting cod liver oil have been recognized for centuries, particularly in Scandinavian countries and Iceland. However, it was not until the 20th century that various formulations of cod liver oil found widespread use, owing to the discovery that vitamin D could effectively combat rickets, a bone disease whose cause is now recognized to be vitamin D deficiency. By helping the bones absorb calcium, vitamin D contributes to normal bone growth and development. In addition to preventing rickets, numerous health benefits ascribed to the use of cod liver oil have been reported in the scientific literature. These include alleviating pain and joint stiffness associated with arthritis, various cardiovascular benefits, positive effects on central nervous system function, and propagating healthy skin, hair and nails. It has been well documented that cod liver oil is a useful treatment for degenerative joint diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and in maintaining healthy joints. In a review article on the role of cod liver oil in treating arthritis, Clare Curtis and coauthors noted that cod liver oil was active in both in vitro and in vivo models of arthritic diseases, as well as showing efficacy in human clinical trials. In these trials, patients with chronically inflamed joints who were administered cod liver oil had reduced pain and damage. The reviewers noted that cod liver oil had been used to treat rheumatism, a painful joint and muscle disease, as early as the 18th century. The ingredients present in cod liver oil that are responsible for alleviating the symptoms of degenerative joint diseases and maintaining a healthy musculoskeletal system are the omega-3 fatty acids. Likewise, in the cardiovascular area, protection against cardiovascular disease by cod liver oil use has been ascribed to the presence of the omega-3 fatty acids. Cod liver oil has been reported to maintain blood vessel elasticity, prevent the development of blood clots in arteries and veins (antithrombotic), and help prevent platelet aggregation-related damage to the walls of blood vessels. With respect to neurological applications, cod liver oil has been shown to benefit patients with autism and related autistic spectrum disorders. In a particularly intriguing study, after administering cod liver oil to 60 children for 3 months or more, pediatrician Mary Megson observed marked improvements in a variety of autism-related symptoms. These included improvements in speech and language, eye contact, sleeping patterns and socialization skills. Some of these changes occurred within days of initiating cod liver oil treatment. Megson has documented some impressive case studies involving the use of cod liver oil, sometimes in conjunction with other compounds, in the therapy of autistic patients. Furthermore, Megson has observed that, whereas synthetic vitamin A is all of one chemical configuration, called “trans”, cod liver oil contains a relatively high proportion (12 percent) of its vitamin A in the complementary “cis” configuration. It is her hypothesis that the “cis” form of vitamin A present in cod liver oil is involved in unblocking or activating retinoid receptors and their associated signal transduction proteins in the brain, leading to the observed functional improvements in these patients. In addition to the natural vitamin A, the omega-3 fatty acids present in cod liver oil also may confer benefit to these patients. For all its benefits, there is one major drawback to taking cod liver oil by mouth: It tastes awful! Depending on the quality of a given commercial preparation, the taste of cod liver oil can range from modestly fishy to overwhelmingly unpalatable. Recently, companies have been adding citrus or mint flavorings to their cod liver oil preparations to make them merely...less distasteful. But people in general, and children in particular, still hate to swallow these preparations. Cod Liver Oil Topical Cream solves the oral ingestion problem. There are no taste concerns because it is applied to the skin, not given by mouth. There are no disagreeable odors because of the high quality of the cod liver oil used to make the cream. It also has been formulated to ensure that contaminants such as mercury and other heavy metals, dioxins etc., are below detectable levels upon testing by independent laboratories. The cream is simply applied to the soles of the feet and/or to other thin-skinned areas such as the inner thighs or buttocks. Moreover, topical application of cod liver oil has its own set of benefits. For example, Dr. Louise Terkelsen and colleagues demonstrated that topical application of cod liver oil in ointment form accelerated wound healing in a rodent model. Both epithelialization and neovascularization of wounds was significantly faster in wounds treated with 25 percent cod liver oil ointment relative to control ointment samples lacking cod liver. The investigators related accelerated wound healing to the vitamin A present in the topically applied cod liver oil. Cod Liver Oil Topical Cream has also been reported to show benefit in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis. Ingredients: Cod Liver Oil, Deionized Water, Shea Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum. For external use only. Store in a cool place, out of direct sunlight. 4 ounces
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