Sea food and Norway are almost synonymous terms; the country has over 83,000 miles of coastline and deep, rich fjords which have steadily supplied the country with fish for hundreds of years. The Norwegian diet largely consists of fish, and it is today one of their chief export earners, e.g. Norwegian cod liver oil products.
Norwegians, from time immemorial, discovered different ways to use different fish parts. Cod, a large cold water species of fish is one of the many that flourish in the waters along Norway’s coast. Cod has a large liver – you can actually see the bulge of the liver mid-section. Norwegians discovered that if they steamed or boiled these livers, they were able to get oil out of them.
This was about 200 years ago, and the oil was not much consumed in their diet. Instead, they exported it all over Europe where it was used to light lamps and in various manufacturing processes.
Many Norwegians will confess that they are not particularly keen to include Norwegian cod liver oil in their diet, but this may be because they get enough fish oil benefits from just eating fresh fish that are bred in healthy waters!
Eventually, it was discovered that taking cod liver oil had numerous benefits. It was good for adults and children alike. They used it to cure all sorts of ailments, from a toothache to preventing frequent colds and flu. People all over Europe were buying it and taking it daily. They found that their health improved dramatically and records showed that those who took a daily dose lived longer and were often never ill or sick. Norwegian cod liver oil became a national export as well, just like Norwegian fish.
There are now many companies in Norway that are engaged in the production of pure cod liver oil. There are also strict regulating bodies to ensure that the entire process gives the best product but at the same time leaves the environment in balance.
The world’s strictest medical standards association is to be found in Norway. It checks all production and ensures strict quality standards are met. The government has also been very keen on environmental conservation. With the kinds of fish populations they have, its easy for the waters to be over-fished.
To counter this, the government issues contracts and permits to the fishermen. There can only be so many contracts issued, and only so much fish can be brought in by a single fisherman. They make sure that they give profitable ceilings so that the fishermen are able to make a living and also survive when they are not fishing and are waiting for the fish to re-stock. There are strict fines for anyone caught breaking the rules – you may pay upwards of half a million dollars.
All these have combined to keep the world well supplied with the best Norwegian cod liver oil. It’s also trusted because Norway has low pollution levels – the fish are less likely to have mercury and other contaminants that seem to ail fish from other waters.
The manufacturers have packaged the cod liver oil in various ways to suit different consumer tastes. You can get pure cod liver oil concentrate as well as cod liver oil pills. Cod liver oil capsules are particularly good for those who can’t stand the fishy taste that cod liver oil concentrate leaves behind. Now, you will even find flavoured Norwegian cod liver oil so that you can take a direct concentrate that has a nice flavour.
Cod liver oil has numerous health benefits; it contains essential fatty acids that are not found naturally in your body but that are vital for proper function. It will keep you safe from inflammations, it acts as grease to your joints, it fortifies your immune system so that you will hardly ever get coughs and colds and it’s also great for brain development and function.
Norwegian cod liver oil is known for its high concentration and purity. These are 2 essential elements of any supplement that’s taken on a daily basis, so choose Norwegian – you will have made a good choice.