Review of Carlson Cod
Liver Oil Supplements

"Carlson Cod Liver Oil is a Natural Source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids."

Carlson cod liver oil is a fish oil supplement sold in many health food stores and organic food stores.

Cod liver oil provides a natural source of the omega 3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This fish oil also contains naturally occurring levels of vitamin A and vitamin D.

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

To ensure a high liver oil content, 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; the area is also a prime source for many Norwegian fish oils.

Carlson Cod Liver Oil can be found at many health food stores

Facts or Fiction about Carlson Cod Liver Oil

Carlson Labs claims to use fresh fish liver extracted from each daily catch of cod. The fish oil is apparently extracted from these livers to produce their cod liver oil.

How fresh is this cod liver oil? 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 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 Carlson Cod Live Oil in both capsule and liquid form. The capsules provide a convenient way to take fish oil, but may get a higher dose per serving with the liquid form.

Here's more detailed information on the pro's and cons of cod fish oil capsules.

The majority of liquid fish oils will give you more omega 3's per dose; compared to the soft gels. Taste is usually not a factor these days due to the addition of lemon, orange or strawberry flavors.

What Do You Get in Carlsons Cod Liver Oil:

So what exactly do you get in a daily dose of this fish oil product?

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

Ingredients in Carlson Cod Liver Oil

The above label doesn't show one of the amount of omega 3 fatty acids per recommended dose. The omega 3 fatty acid profile is listed below:

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

You may get a variation in the amount of omega 3 fatty acids because you can't control the amount of omega 3 fatty acid you get from each individual fish. However, the average dosage concentration appears fairly consistent per tablespoon.

How much Does Carlson Cod Liver Oil Cost?

Carlson cod liver oil comes in 1000 mg. soft gels bottled in quantities of 100 to 300 capsules per bottle. Most prices range from $12 to $30, depending on where you buy them.

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

Suggested retail prices 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.

You can also get these fish oils especially made for children. Carlson Laboratories - Kid's Norwegian Cod Liver Oil in Lemon Flavor is a popular item at Amazon.com. These lemon-flavored fish oils will taste a lot better than those nasty tasting cod liver oils from the old days.

Is Carlson Cod Liver Oil the Best Fish Oil?

As a general cod liver oil supplement, Carlson cod liver oil is an adequate fish oil supplement.

Unfortunately, they don't provide any way to verify the omega 3 concentration or purification claims without third-party laboratory test results.

Nevertheless, customers seen to like this product - 92% of Amazon.com customers who bought this fish oil gave it a 5 out of 5 Star Rating.

You can get Carlson fish oils at your local health food store and there are a number of online retailers that sell it.

Compare Carlson Cod Liver Oil from Amazon.com


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