Tip: Taking Cod Liver Oil for health helped improve my skin too

When I was a kid, I remember being force-fed a foul smelling white emulsion that I came to fear and run away from the minute I see the bottle appear. Hands up if you too were averse to Scott’s Cod Liver Oil Emulsion 😛 The minute I could assert my rights, I refused to take any more of it and that was that.

However, I was recently nursing a very bad cough that was dragging on for weeks and I suddenly remembered my Mom telling me that taking cod liver oil would help. Well, I wasn’t about to down that foul emulsion anymore so I got a bottle of cod liver oil capsules from the brand Seven Seas.

I was told that I could take a slightly higher dose to start, and the recommended dose was 1-2 capsules 3 times a day. So I would take about 8 capsules a day. My cough did go away eventually (a combination of antibiotics, cough mixture) but I continued taking the cod liver oil capsules since I already had a bottle of it, and to build up my immunity.

About a month and after taking 100 capsules, I woke up one day to a realization that not only was my cough almost gone, my skin was looking and feeling better than it has been in a while, despite the fact I’d been sick as a dog and under tremendous life stress. I had some marks from some stubborn cystic acne spots around my chin and mouth and my skin was feeling a bit clogged and bumpy and just blah.

But I hadn’t been experiencing that lately. Instead, I noticed that my skin was looking a lot better. It felt significantly smoother, pores looked smaller, skin looked more refined and glowy and most of the pesky spots and clogged pores were all but gone. Blemishes and marks healed and disappeared quickly and scarring and marking of skin was minimal. That was when I wondered “Could it be that the cod liver oil was helping my skin look better?”

I’d always known about the health benefits of taking fish oil as a dietary supplement. I have also been told that taking fish oil, which is high in Omega 3 and 6 also helps strengthen skin and make it look better from within. However, I had been taking fish oil for a while previously without noticing significant improvements to my skin. It was all a bit of a same old, same old.

However, with just taking cod liver oil, I’m actually seeing and noticing a difference. Enough for me to mention it anyway 🙂

Cod liver oil is, as the name implies, an oil extracted from the liver of the Atlantic cod fish and is rich in fatty acids of Omega 3 as well as high in Vitamin A and D. I’m thinking that it might be a combination of the Omega 3 and Vitamin A that had me noticing the benefits to my skin. However, I’m not expert so it’s just my thoughts on this.

Some of the benefits of cod liver oil are:-

• Vitamin A – helps build immunity and reduce susceptibility to infections
• Vitamin D – keeps you healthy and you don’t have to depend on sunlight to derive this vitamin
• Omega 3 fatty acid – oils the ol’ brain cells, keeps joints healthy and is generally good for body and heart

While doing some quick research online, I also noticed that cod liver oil is prescribed for people who have very dry skin or psoriasis. Thinking back, as I have slightly dry skin on my face, I did realise that I didn’t seem to have the tightness or enlarged pores that I’d been noticing before this. Everything just looks like it’s tightened up a smidge, and coupled with the refined texture of my skin, I’m kind of sold on the idea that it is the cod liver oil that’s working wonders.

I did replenish my cod liver oil supply with a larger bottle of it. I’m taking the one from Seven Seas for now, but I’ll do a bit more research and see if there are other brands or options out there. It isn’t very expensive at all. I recently bought 600 capsules (250mg) for about RM60 and I’ve seen the same quantity sold for less during sales and promotions at most pharmacies. I take 4 capsules a day now at the end of the day just before bed, and for now, it’s a routine I can stick to, so I’m happy about it. I plan to look for capsules that are higher in dosage too just to make it easier to take.

Isn’t it great when a supplement that helps your health has a direct relation to the improvement of your skin? 😀

Do you take cod liver oil regularly and do you notice the benefits for your skin?

If you’re afraid of burping up fishy oils, I’d suggest that you take this in the evenings as well. I notice a slight fishy smell if I take it in the morning, but it goes away quite quickly. I’m really quite happy with this discovery and plan to stick with it for the long term. If nothing else, at least I get some health benefits from it too 🙂

Paris B

Disclaimer: I am not a trained health practitioner and this is based on my experience taking the supplement which I bought myself. If you have health concerns, please consult your doctor or a medical practitioner before taking this. Benefits may vary from person to person.