My Review of Carlson Cod Liver Oil Supplements

If you’re thinking of buying Carlson cod liver oil, you may be wondering if it’s a good fish oil to get.

Here we’ll take a closer look at what type of fish it’s made from, how much omega 3 fatty acids you get and what other ingredients you get per bottle, as well as dosages and pricing.

Carlson cod liver oil is actually a fairly popular omega-3 fish oil supplement you can find in many health food stores.

This healthy oil is a great source of the omega 3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Cod liver oil is also a natural source of vitamin A and that popular ‘sunshine vitamin’, vitamin D.

According to their website, Carlson Labs has been making nutritional supplements for the past 40 years and are well-known among health and fitness enthusiasts for their purified, high concentration fish oils.

Carlson Labs claims to use cod caught in the cold, unpolluted waters near Norway. They believe these cold ocean waters are the perfect environment for growing healthy cod with lower exposure to toxins and unwanted contaminants that may be found in warmer waters.

Basic Facts about Carlson Cod Liver Oils

• Carlson Labs claims to use fresh fish liver extracted from each daily catch of cod. The fish oils are apparently extracted from the fish livers to produce the final product.

• How fresh is this product? Carlson Labs claims to use nitrogen gas to maintain freshness. The gas is pumped into the bottle to replace the oxygen which is reported to help reduce fatty acid oxidation when fats are exposed to oxygen.

• Carlson Labs also claims to regularly test their products with FDA registered laboratories that follow AOAC International protocols. Their products are reportedly free of detectable levels of mercury, lead, PCB’s and other contaminants. Unfortunately, there is no way to confirm these test results as Carlson Labs doesn’t provide these lab results to consumers.

You can get cod liver oils in capsule and liquid form.  You’ll find that liquid fish oils usually provide higher dosages of omega 3 fatty acids per serving compared to cod fish oil capsules.  On the other hand, If you prefer the liquid cod liver oil, you’ll no longer have to worry about choking down a fishy-tasting oil because you can now get lemon flavored cod liver oils.

Ingredients in Carlsons Cod Liver Oil:

So what exactly do you get in a daily dose of this supplement?

The following label is from the Carlson Labs web site showing the amount of ingredients you get per 5 ml teaspoon of fish oils:

Unfortunately, the above label doesn’t show you the amount of omega 3 fatty acids per recommended dose. I searched online and was able to find the omega 3 amounts in a tablespoon (5 grams) of Carlson cod liver oil.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids per Tablespoon:

• DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) = 500 – 590 mg

• EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) = 360 – 500 mg

• ALA (alpha linolenic acid) = 40 – 60 mg

• Total Omega 3 Fatty Acid = 1100 – 1250 mg

As you can see, the omega 3 fatty acids amounts will vary per tablespoon because the manufacturers are unable to control the actual amount of omega 3 fatty acids you’ll get from each individual fish that’s used to make the oil. However, the average dosage concentration appears fairly consistent per tablespoon.

How Much Does Carlson Cod Liver Oils Cost?

This product is available in 1000 mg. soft gels bottled in quantities of 100 to 300 capsules per bottle. I found most prices range from $12 to $30, depending on where you buy them.

The bottled fish oils come in two sizes: 250 ml and 500 ml bottles.

Suggested Retail Price for a 250 ml bottle start at around $22 and a 500 ml bottle can range from $40 – 50. The 250 ml bottle will last you more than a month and it’ll supply 50 single tablespoon servings.

In spite of the lack of Certificates of Analysis or other third-party testing results for consumers to review, this product is popular with consumers. More than 90% of Amazon.com customers who bought Carlson Norwegian Cod Liver Oil gave it a 5 Star Rating.

You can also get these fish oils especially made for children. Carlson Labs – Norwegian Cod Liver Oil for Kids is a popular item at Amazon.com. These lemon-flavored fish oils will taste a lot better than those nasty tasting oils from the old days.