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This is part 2 in a series on Fermented Cod Liver Oil – this post will cover:
- What are the taste differences? (See my UPDATE below to find out what I thought when I tried it!)
- How much should you take?
- And, what about butter oil?
Read part 1: why is fermented cod liver oil better nutritionally?
Read part 3: where to buy the fermented cod liver oil
(Or see the complete index of posts about CLO)
DOES IT TASTE THE SAME?
This is my only worry: I’ve heard it has a stronger taste. So when I try it soon, I’m only going to try one bottle to start and see if I can get the kids to take it as easily as they take the regular cod liver oil now. (There’s no way I can take it, so I’ll be getting the capsules…or so I thought, see the updates below…)
Here is what Dave at Green Pastures says at his blog on the taste differences:
The fermented CLO appears to be a very special oil. It has very deep and broad range of nutrients not commonly found in processed cod liver oil’s. The price is very economical when viewed from a per dose perspective. Each dose will have a minimum of 5000A/500D (or higher). The fermented CLO is a double edge sword for some. The FCLO goes through a lacto-fermentation process to extract the oil from the liver. This is a similar lactic acid process that apple cider vinegar goes through. As a result, the fermented CLO will have a similar feel in the back of the throat as apple cider vinegar. Past generations understood this and would sooth the action by emulsifying the CLO in 1 ounce of fresh full fat milk, cream, organic orange juice or apple cider vinegar. My favorite is the licorice lips CLO emulsified in cream or milk. Or…………… just take the capsules. We have gone through great expense and effort to provide these products in a special ‘non-gelatin’ two part capsule. This special encapsulating process is done without heat and chemicals (unlike gelatin capsules).
UPDATE 10/29/08:
I just got my first bottle to try. I filled the syringe that came with it up to 1/2 t. and quickly shot it toward the back of my throat before I lost my nerve. It was icky, but honestly not as bad as I expected. Immediately after I swallowed, I took some drinks of hot coffee, ate some food, and then I was fine. For the price difference between the oil and the capsules, I think I can get used to it. If I can do it, ANYBODY CAN! I know I can get Kent to take the oil (he was in the Marines, after all), but I’m not so sure about our teenager. I may have to bite the bullet and get the capsules for him. (I can’t really expect a 16 year old to get it down when it took me until age 41 to make my first attempt!)
Also, I have to say that I disagree with Dave’s opinion above on the taste. As I mentioned in the comments below, I don’t think it tastes like apple cider vinegar AT ALL. It just tastes like…well, like fish oil with a touch of cinnamon (I got the “cinnamon tingle” flavor).
HOW TO GET YOUR KIDS TO TAKE IT?
As most of you know, I don’t normally recommend that kids drink much juice, but if they take a little shot of it in order to get their fermented CLO down, then I’m OK with it! A friend of mine has a little boy who is one of the pickiest eaters I’ve ever had in my day care. She introduced a new juice when she began giving him the FCLO and he has never mentioned the taste ONCE! She said even the cup smells after he’s done, but he drinks it all down!
Remember, you’re not supposed to like it – it’s cod liver oil ya know!
But I’ve taken it daily for almost a week now and it really does get easier – you sort of get used to that 3 seconds of “ICK!” before you quickly eat something to get the taste out. And make sure to shoot it way to the back of your throat, trust me on this.
SERVING SIZES:
Quick Answer:
—For the capsules, adults can take 3 daily (serving size says 2 though)
—For the liquids, adults can take 1/2 t. daily (serving size says 2cc though, a bit less than 1/2 t.)
Not-so-quick answer:
According to the Weston A. Price page (see links below), an adult would want to take an amount to equal 10,000 I.U.’s of vitamin A per day. For the liquid, that works out to about 1/2 t. However, you could probably get by with a little less, as Dave said that the vitamin amounts listed on the bottle are minimum amounts, and actually probably much higher, because there are many varying ways to measure for it. This is a living food found in its natural form, therefore it’s not always possible to give exact amounts, compared to synthetic supplements where exact amounts are easy to come up with because they are added in.
I just spoke with Dave at Green Pastures, and he personally just takes more of it 2 or 3 times a week, whenever he remembers. We discussed it and don’t see why it would matter, as long as you’re consistently taking it, so you can reap all the heath benefits.
Lastly, have you heard about how cod liver oil is more beneficial when taken with BUTTER OIL?
Another Sally (from a forum I belong to) emailed Sally Fallon to ask a question I have often wondered about:
Am I correct in my understanding that if I am getting an adequate amount of good butter (although not raw) in my diet, then I would not necessarily need to have the butter oil in addition to the CLO?
Sally’s response:
“Yes, that is correct.”
I’m glad this is true, because we eat a LOT of butter (organic, but not raw), and not only is the butter oil expensive, it also isn’t very tasty, in my opinion.
- Have you read this Cod liver oil update with info on possible vitamin toxicity from Chris Masterjohn & Sally Fallon?
- Cod liver oil: do we really need to take it?
- Cod liver oil: tips for getting it down
- Sally Fallon – Dirty Little Secrets of the Food Industry
- Information on the correct amount of cod liver oil needed daily for adults, children, and pregnant or nursing moms.
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{ 53 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Kelly,
I switched from cod liver oil capsules to fermented cod liver oil liquid (cinnamon tingle flavor) so I do not know what the taste difference is between regular cod liver oil and the fermented. I only know that I have no problem with getting it down as is. I take a little over 1/2 teaspoon straight-down the hatch. No problems. In fact, I like it. I had more problems with gelatin capsules giving me the sensation they were stuck in my throat than with the taste of liquid cod liver oil. It’s nice to know where I can get fermented cod liver oil cheaper. Thanks for that lead.
Julie,
After reading your comment, I *might* consider trying the oil myself …maybe…
Kelly – how does the taste compare with apple cider vinegar? I had heard they would be similar……
Shauna
Shauna,
It tastes NOTHING like apple cider vinegar. To me, it just tastes like fish with a touch of cinnamon.
Kelly
Kelly,
Do you read Stephan’s Whole Health Source blog? He’s had some posts on butter oil, CLO, and the various fat soluble vitamins lately (A,D,K specifically).
Anna,
Now I do, thanks! The grains post is very interesting, especially the comments…
Kelly
so funny to me how kids can be so different. My 7 year old eats sardines like they’re candy. My 3 year old drinks so much CLO I can hardly keep her out of the bottle. In fact one time my dryer reeked of fish oil because I had laundered some of her clothes after she had raided the fish oil lol!
With my 5 and 10 year olds however, it’s a fight to get it down. I put it in smoothies and they don’t notice.
Hi Carrie,
Yes, it’s amazing how creative we Moms have to be! Nice that you only have to fight with a couple of your kids and not all!
Kelly
I’m confused about how 1/2 tsp. gives you 10,000 IUs of vitamin A. The label on my fermented oil says that 1 ml gives 3500 IUs of vitamin A, so 1/2 tsp. would give me about 8500 IUs. Not too far off, I guess, but still a little less.
Also, the WAPF recommends a dosage equaling 20,000 IUs of vitamin A for pregnant or nursing moms. That would be 2 tsp. of the regular cod liver oil, which is what I was doing before. Since the fermented is so much more nutrient-dense, I was wondering if it is still recommended for pregnant or nursing moms to take a dosage equaling 20,000 IUs (which by my calculations would be over 1 tsp.)?
Jess,
Regarding your first question: Dave at Green Pastures (they make the FCLO) has explained to me that there are so many different variables in the testing of the oil, that it’s not easy breaking it down into exact amounts per serving, and because it is a natural living food, not man made, it can’t be easily formulated to certain amounts. However, he has assured me that the amounts on the bottle are MINIMUM amounts, and that it probably has much more than that per serving.
If I were pregnant and could get enough CLO down to get the recommended 20,000 IU’s of vitamin A in the fermented CLO/day, I would do it without hesitation. It is more nutrient dense, but only in beneficial ways, it is not harmful and BUILDS BRAINS in babies. However, this is my opinion. Read through the links at the various CLO an FCLO posts and make sure you feel confident about it.
Kelly
Someone asked at another post about the taste differences between the FCLO and the original, so I thought I’d add more on that.
I never took the regular (I took capsules), so I have nothing to compare it to, but my kids did. Let’s just say now I have to get out the chocolate chips (they get a whopping FIVE each time), but before they took it with NO problem at all.
My friend Sue said she thought it was terrible compared the the regular blue ice. Others don’t think it’s so bad.
I’ve found personally that it is very important to have a food chaser FAST, then it’s not too big a deal, you get used to it!
I just got my raw fermented CLO yesterday and took 2.5 ml. I must have sort of choked on it on the way down because I burnt the heck out of my throat! Way worse than any experience I’ve had with apple cider vinegar throat burns. Thanks for the info above about emulsifying it in milk. I drank some milk (after trying drinking and eating many other things!) and finally the burn is gone. I’ve decided I’m probably going to make my own capsules, because I don’t think I can do that again!
Jess, that same thing happened to me this week, it really hurts! But it’s the first and only time and I’ve been taking it for weeks. Somehow it just went down wrong for some reason, normally it’s not that bad once I get food in my mouth quick.
Oh, I just re-read your comment, you bought the raw FCLO? Not sure how different that taste is from the regular FCLO.
How do you know how to make your own capsules???
Kelly
I have no idea how the raw vs. regular fermented compares either. I’m used to the plain old regular high vitamin CLO from Green Pasture. My first shot of the FCLO the day before, I only took 1 ml and did fine. The second time, it just went down wrong, but it was bad enough to make me not want to risk it again!
Re: capsules, I buy empty gelatin capsules at my local health food store to encapsulate herbal powders. A friend of mine said she has filled hers with CLO before to make her own capsules. It ends up being cheaper than buying the pre-filled capsules from Green Pasture, and you can use the dropper that comes with the FCLO to measure and fill the capsules. The caps split into two sides, and one is usually longer than the other, so I would fill that one. Then the other side just pushes onto it and “snaps” on. I guess in that case the caps wouldn’t be completely full, so I’ll probably get the larger size ones so I can put a decent amount in each. You would just have to be careful not to overfill or spill any on the outside, or then it would defeat the purpose!
I am a new mum and thinking of buying fermented cod liver oil for my 7 months old baby. She is very skinny and doesnt drink much of her milk and solid food. This stresses me alot as she looked so much tiny as compared to other babies of the same age / even younger. Was hoping to buy it to supplement her diet. Any idea how to feed baby with FCLO? after reading the posts, i am afraid she might get choked somehow. BTY, is this product available in Asia countries where i might get it cheaper?
Angie, the FCLO would be a VERY good addition to your baby’s diet (my babies just took it on a spoon and I gave them a drink or food afterward), but I doubt it would help her put on weight – I may be wrong, though.
What kind of milk is she getting? If you’re nursing, there may be a way to increase certain foods in your diet so that she gains more. If you’re not nursing, then you may want to look into the NT baby formula recipe – I think Ann Marie has a post on it at her blog. (www.cheeseslave.com) This recipe is PACKED with nutrition and if your baby was drinking this, you would know she is getting what she needs, and she’d probably gain weight well. (I’ll ask Ann Marie to pop onto this post and give the link and add her suggestions – she loves to help people, too!)
On the other hand, maybe she’s just a petite baby! My kids were always small for their age.
The FCLO is made here in the states, but I’m sure they would ship it wherever – I’ll bet it would be pricey, though.
Kelly
Hi, Angie,
Are you still nursing? If so, your baby should be getting most of her nutrition from your breast milk. If you are nursing, you should eat really well to make sure your milk is of the highest quality. I followed this diet:
http://www.westonaprice.org/children/dietformothers.html
I definitely recommend breast feeding OR if that is not possible, feeding your baby the homemade formula until she is at least 1 year, or as long as possible. My daughter is still on the homemade formula (I was not able to keep breastfeeding past 9 months) and she is 21 months old.
Here is my post on how I make the homemade baby formula:
http://www.cheeseslave.com/2008/09/29/how-to-make-homemade-baby-formula/
In addition to nursing or homemade formula, I think it is important to start feeding egg yolk (from pastured eggs) and organic liver to babies at around 6 months old. They need it for iron. I fed my daughter 1 egg yolk with grated organic raw beef liver (frozen for 2 weeks minimum) and sea salt almost every day until she was a year old. She also got plenty of organic chicken and duck liver.
A friend of mine started feeding her baby daughter egg yolks and liver and raw milk — and she started gaining weight within a week or two.
Ann Marie
Perfect, Ann Marie, thank you so much!
dear Kelly and Ann Marie
Sorry for the very late response as my baby is very clingy. I cant thank you enough for both your prompt response and wealth of knowledge on food nutrition. I am unfortunately unable to breastfeed my baby. She was on commercial formula since 3 month olds. I was not able to produce enough milk for her,felt like a complete failure as a mum and have since developed postnal depression. Pressure from mother-in-law & nanny have also cause me to give in to commercial formula. I have since felt guilty for not being able to breastfeed her. and have been trying hard to find out what are the best food nutrients i can provide for her. I accidentally stumbled upon Weston A Price website and your blog. I am surprised to read that i can feed my baby egg yolk, as many pediatrians have advised eggs until at least a year old. However, i have since feed her egg yolks after reading your blog and Weston A Price website. But not pastured eggs as they are available to us here. Most of the eggs here are battery farmed,even if they are organic eggs. Raw milk is also not made available to us in the supermarket. I am not sure if i can get raw milk here as we have government ruling that all milk must be pasteurized before consuming. (We get our milk from the supermarket where all are pasteurized and homogenized) It is a great pressure to feed my baby raw milk when nobody else here do it! Pediatrians here will definately disagree my action. Drinking raw milk or eating raw milk products is “like playing Russian roulette with my baby’s health. Though i do believe the benefits of raw milk. But should anything happen to my baby, i will put to blame.
You mentioned you have fed my daughter 1 egg yolk with grated organic raw beef liver (frozen for 2 weeks minimum). I have read this on Weston web site too. BUT, may i ask? I though babies are not supposed to eat RAW food? just like we have been advised not to take in raw food when we are pregnant. This is just not the norm here, if i were to feed my baby raw beef liver. I have not been able to find organic liver here.Most of them are fresh fruits/veggies or products imported from overseas. (signnn..but still trying to source for one) As for homemade formula, to be honest, this is the first time i have read about. All asian mums BUY commercialised formula. I dont have the necessary ingredients here. Its very very pricey buy the ingredients and ship from U.S. Thats why i have been thinking of buying FCLO. But i might try making homemake formula if i can convince my husband the high expense. BTY i have been trying to buy FCLO from Green Pasture Australia, but not able to do so as they have an error on my shipping cost. Still waiting for their response.
Thank you so much guys for your information. I will definately continue reading your blog and Anne Maria’s to enrich myself. Is there still any “MUST EAT” food for my baby beside the ones mention here? I am just afraid i might not have the time to read your blogs as my baby is very very clingy. I carried her all day, only restng to feed,bath. She wants to be carried even though i sit beside her. That’s explain why it took my so long to read my mail.
Angie,
It is NOT easy when you have small ones, especially when they’re so clingy, my heart goes out to you! It may sound like a cliche, but you are doing the most important job in the world, and you will be blessed for your sacrifices.
As far as nutrition, first of all, don’t freak out too much about it. You can only do what you can do. Just do the best you can, and don’t worry about the rest.
Try to look over the sites above that Ann Marie gave you, whenever you can, and find foods on there that you think your baby would like. Slowly introduce more healthy foods when you can. As you do, and maybe after she’s getting the FCLO, you may see her being less clingy and high-maintenance. Some kids are just like that, but for others changes in diet can help.
Those are my thoughts, maybe Ann Marie has more to add. Just hang in there, it gets easier as they get older, honest!
Kelly
Hi All,
Here is how I serve (and enjoy) my special oils. I get a Mediterranean yogurt or Labne which is a very thick yogurt, add my calcium/magnesium powder and the oil, stir it up, and serve as a dip. And when I say stir, you really have to stir it a good 20 or 30 seconds until the yogurt fully incorporates the oil. Especially with the flax seed oil, you’ll see the obvious yellow color of the oil compared to the white of the yogurt, but keep stirring and TaDa! it looks white again. The lemon flavored oils taste really delicious in the dip. We dip everything from our cooked artichoke leaves to crackers in this yogurt. It is so good.
I currently use one of these:
Flax Seed for Omega 3,
Wheat Germ for Vitamin E,
Carlson’s Cod Liver oil lemon flavored for Vitamin A & Vitamin D – I’ll try a fermented one next)
And for the Calcium and Magnesium I use either:
A to B Calm which has Calcium gluconate (just fyi, calcium gluconate and calcium lactate are the easiest to assimiliate – not the cheap calcium carbonate) and Magnesium carbonate and vinegar for the acid which helps the body assimilate from what I understand.
or
CalMac lemon which has Calcium gluconate and Calcium ascorbate and Magnesium carbonate and Magnesium ascorbate, Vitamin C as ascorbic acid and magnesium ascorbate and citric acid and lemon powder. Again, from what I understand the acids are to help the body assimilate the minerals.
Just a suggestion if you don’t want to power down the Cod Liver Oil and make a squoonchie face.
Thank you, Kelly, for all this awesome information. Very much appreciated!
Chase
Hi, Angie, sorry for my slow reply.
Definitely try to get the Green Pasture cod liver oil from Australia if you can.
Most babies are not allergic to egg yolks — usually only the whites. So it’s fine to feed your baby egg yolks. They are very nutrient dense. If you can’t get pastured eggs, that’s OK. If you can find “free range” eggs those are better than battery eggs. Maybe you can ask around and see if anyone knows any farmers? I don’t know what it’s like where you are but sometimes there are people with chickens in their backyard.
If you are using battery eggs, I would not give them to the baby raw. Cook them first. Battery chickens are sicker and unhealthy and carry disease.
If you can’t find organic liver, don’t feed the baby liver. Cod liver oil will be good.
If you can’t find raw milk, you can use pasteurized milk, preferably organic if you can find it. Perhaps you can find kefir or pima cultures and “culture” the milk to give it the good bacteria. You could search online to see if anyone near you has cultures.
As far as other sources of food for your baby, I highly recommend homemade chicken broth. You can make soups for your baby and add cream (try to find cream that is not ultra-pasteurized).
If you have access to coconut milk or coconut oil, those are also very healthy to add to your baby’s milk and soups. Palm oil is also very healthy. You can do your cooking with coconut or palm oil.
I’m not sure what other food sources you have locally but I imagine you have a lot of fish. Shellfish is VERY nutrient-dense. You may want to wait a few months because some babies do have allergies to shellfish. I started feeding my daughter shellfish when she was around 1 year old. She loves oysters and eats raw oysters every week.
Do you have access to farmer’s markets where you are? That might be a good place to find small family farms.
Lastly here is a link to Weston Price’s book — the whole thing is online:
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/price/pricetoc.html
You can read it for free.
I think maybe it will help you because you can see all the different types of diets people ate all over the world. Some ate just fish, others just meat, others mostly dairy. It really depended on where they lived and what food sources were available.
I hope that helps some. Hang in there!
Ann Marie
Chase, even though the other one said “Chase M.”, you have got to be the same guy that told us about the banana/coconut/cilantro in a tortilla, right? No, I haven’t tried it yet…
All I can say is that you must have some amazing taste buds.
There’s no way I could eat yogurt like that!
However, I appreciate the scoop on the supplements! I’ve been thinking about taking some magnesium lately, since I heard that a deficiency could cause chocolate cravings, so I’ll look into those that you recommended!
I’ve been taking a cal/mag supplement lately as well. I did not realize until recently that supplementing vitamin D can actually be detrimental if you’re not also getting enough calcium and magnesium at the same time.
An article from the Weston A. Price Foundation said:
‘Vitamin D controls the levels of calcium in the blood. If there is not enough calcium in the diet, then it will be drawn from the bone. High levels of vitamin D (from the diet or from sunlight) will actually demineralize bone if sufficient calcium is not present.
Vitamin D will also enhance the uptake of toxic metals like lead, cadmium, aluminum and strontium if calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are not present in adequate amounts.18 Vitamin D supplementation should never be suggested unless calcium intake is sufficient or supplemented at the same time.”
http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitamindmiracle.html
Since I first became interested in CLO for remineralizing my teeth (in addition to its other benefits), this was important news for me!
I’ve encapsulated my FCLO, and take some Kal brand dolomite powder in yogurt at the same time I take my FCLO capsules. Very easy and non-yucky way to get everything down.
Hi, Jess,
Interesting point — and good to remember!
I have remineralized my teeth with this diet. I had a chip in the front tooth and it has filled in — It’s barely noticable now.
Bone broth is one of the best sources of calcium and magnesium. Ideally we should be eating bone broth every day. I try to sneak it in to all kinds of things. My family won’t eat soup that often so I have to be creative. I always cook my rice and beans in bone broth. I make baked beans, which they love.
I also love to make risotto — that’s one of their favorites. And I add bone broth to chili.
I also make reduction sauces — that is the best way to eat bone broth because it’s so concentrated. I’m going to start using my sprouted flour to make gravy.
Raw milk also has lots of calcium and magnesium. I drink lots of raw milk & kefir (I’d rather drink milk than water).
Ann Marie, great idea to use sprouted flour to make gravy, otherwise the phytic acid will bind up with all those beneficial minerals! I have to remember to do this.
Jess, I talked about the importance of those minerals when taking vitamin D in my original CLO post, but this was a very good reminder to be getting lots of bone broths in our diets, or maybe sprinkling some of the Kal dolomite powder in foods here and there. (No flavor that I’ve ever noticed.)
Thanks!
Hi Kelly,
No I’m not Chase M, in fact, I’m a woman. I know, unusual name for a girl. I have used the Carlson lemon flavored Cod Liver Oil in my Labne yogurt dip and I think it tastes great. Even my husband doesn’t notice it. I didn’t know we were that weird!
And Jess F, thank you, great information on Vitamin D. I also like Adelle Davis’s writings on nutrition. She brings up the remineralization of the dentin also and I read her long before I was exposed to Weston A. Price. I am so grateful to these and all the other pioneers in teaching nutrition.
And it is really supportive to know I’m not the only one out there making bone broth! I make a big pot and will freeze portions and use it to steam vegetables.
Kelly, Thank you for this forum. It’s really wonderful.
Chase
Hi Kelly,
I have some questions, but first of all, thank you for all the great information and for helping to clear up the confusion about cod liver oil. I have been taking the raw, unflavored fermented cod liver oil for about a week. As far as the problems everyone has with the flavor, I don’t know what that’s all about, I don’t mind it at all. I have read that we don’t have to worry about overdosing on vitamin A and D if it comes from this all natural cod liver oil, is that correct? Also, would there be any chance of getting too much vitamin D during the summer if we get a lot of sun and take this fermented cod liver oil during the summer too? Or would you just recommend a lower dose of cod liver oil durig the summer if we get a lot of sun? Some people recommend getting tested for vitamin D levels whenever consuming cod liver oil or vitamin D supplements, but is it pretty much agreed upon that we don’t have to worry about that if we use the all natural fermented cod liver oil which has natural levels of vitamins A and D? I would greatly appreciate anyone’s advice or opinions on this. I would like to feel safe not having to get tested for vitamin D, but I would sure do it if there is a chance of vitamin D toxicity from fermente cod liver oil, because it sounds like too much vitamin D in your body could cause some serious problems.
Thanks,
Wes
Hi Wes,
From my understanding it would be very difficult to get too much D, unless you’re in the sun a LOT, especially in the perfect ratios that the natural D is found (with the vitamin A) in the FCLO, but please take a look toward the bottom of this post to read more:
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2007/12/cod-liver-oil-part-1-answers-to-common.html
Kelly
I read that fermented clo is best taken on an empty stomach, then wait 45 mins before eating. I think it may be on the fermented clo label? I’ve also seen NT menu plans which say to have the clo with or just after meals. What is correct? I’d like to maximise absorbtion, but if it doesn’t make a difference then adding it to a smoothie might be easier. What do you think?
Callie, I’ll find out and report back here.
Wow, that was fast. I sent this to Green Pastures (who make the FCLO): “Hi Dave, A reader asked when we should consume CLO – before meals? After meals? Thanks,Kelly”
His short and sweet response: “Most it is b4. Some do it different. Dave”
A few more words would have been helpful, but I’m assuming his point is that most take it before meals and do fine with that…?
I’m afraid that didn’t sound like a very educated response to me. I always wonder, does “before meals” mean *right* before meals, or an hour before meals? (And who knows how this Dave person interprets it.) I personally cannot take it on an empty stomach. I would certainly feel sick if I did that (tried it before). I usually take it right before a meal and chase it down with some good food. I would be curious to know if there’s a substantiated opinion on whether the absorption is compromised by taking it with food, though.
Cod liver oil is a FOOD, not a drug. So it should be fine to take it with food because it IS a food.
CHEESESLAVE’s last blog post..Healthy Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Honey Dipping Sauce
Thank you Kelly. What a short and sweet response from Dave, especially seeing as it’s his company’s fermented clo that has the info about taking it on an empty stomach 45 mins before meals. Why offer such precise information, then give an answer so, well, vague? Ah, that’s priceless
I am going to stick with the smoothie chaser method. I also read that you can take a larger clo dose a few times a week, instead of smaller doses daily, so I’m going to give that a try. Thanks again Kelly.
Kelly,
I recently purchased some fermented clo from green pastures (the licorice lips flavor – they were out of cinnamon, and I LOVE licorice…). You are so right about the flavor – it tastes like fish oil with a hint of the licorice flavor at the end. Anyway, I travel a lot for work (I’m usually gone 4 days a week most weeks), and so I find it difficult to actually eat all the good quality animal products that are recommended. I tend to eat mostly vegetarian on the road (so I do eat cheese, some of it raw, and soak my oatmeal in the hotel room with yogurt, and take enough butter to made breakfast of it – unfortunately, I use the microwave for the oats…), and try to make up for my lack of meat/broth (during the week) on the weekend. My present strategy is to take the clo when I’m home and more in control of what I eat (and can eat plenty of pastured eggs, organic butter, grass-fed beef, and bone broth – I’ve only made that twice so far, but it is good! – and I have organic whole milk, and occasionally I can get my hands on some raw milk.) And so I don’t take the clo with me on the road. I am concerned that I may not be getting enough calcium/magnesium. I have a supplement (which I often forget to take) but it is an inexpensive supplement of questionable quality and I’d rather get the minerals from real food. I also use a sea salt at home recommended by Sally Fallon’s NT cookbook (LOVE!). Do you have any additional advice on calcium supplementation or what level of calcium-rich animal products are sufficient to supply the body with enough minerals when taking clo? I’m thinking I may need to eat less grains, and more cheese/butter/milk/greens (oh, darn! Though I do love grains…). And should veggies ALWAYS be consumed with animal fats? Any additional advice would be much appreciated. Thanks so much for all the work you put into this. I share your fascination with health and nutrition (since about 2007) and I keep reading and learning – your site has become a great resource to me!!!
Hi Carrie, I’m so glad my site has been helpful to you!
I may not be much help on the calcium issue though. Whenever we take our CLO we always take it with raw milk, and we have some type of bone broth with many of our meals, and eat greens (more in the summer), but I also wonder if we’re getting “enough”. However, I don’t know if there are any firm studies on what “enough” even is, unfortunately. (But bone broth is something you could probably easily take on the road with you in a cooler…? You could buy a cheap hot plate, and warm it in a small pan…???)
Yes, veggies are always digested better with some butter or other animal fat with them – cheese works! That’s not to say that we don’t just have some carrot sticks plain now and then…
***I just found this page you may want to read:
http://www.westonaprice.org/mythstruths/mtbones.html
Here’s an excerpt:
“Only a rich, wholesome and varied diet can supply the many nutrients needed for the complex process that maintains the integrity of our bones. Dairy products, vegetables, nuts, meat and old fashioned bone broths supply calcium. Dr. Spencer’s research indicates that post-menopausal women need about 1200 mg of calcium per day–400 more that the recommended daily allowance of 800 mg.14 One quart of whole milk, or six ounces of whole natural cheese supply the optimum 1200 mg of calcium. Individuals with a poor tolerance to milk products must take extra care to obtain sufficient dietary calcium. Fish, chicken or beef broth, prepared with a little vinegar to pull calcium from the bones, are excellent sources, and have supplied easily assimilated calcium to pre-industrialized peoples throughout the globe. Leafy green vegetables and grains, nuts and seeds are also good sources if properly prepared. Vegetables and grains should be consumed with animal fats like butter or eggs; and nuts, legumes and grains should be soaked, sprouted or sour leavened to neutralize phytic acid, a substance that can block calcium absorption.”
Thanks again for reading!
Kelly
Hi Kelly. I just bought Cod Liver Oil today and then came home and saw the revised advice about the fermented kind. I bought Country Life brand. How do I know if the Vits A and D are synthetic or not? I hope it’s not junk since I spent $10 and have only taken 2 so far!
Musings of a Housewife’s last blog post..In Which She Resorts to a List
You’d probably just have to call them and see what they say. Bummer!
I just wanted to add my method for taking the fermented clo, as I’ve had a hard time doing it as a shot, and hopefully my method might help someone else.
I’ve been having a small cup of bone broth daily (I have alot of healing to do
and after I’ve heated it and let it cool a bit, I stir in my dose of coconut oil, cod liver oil and butter oil. You can’t taste the clo at all, it is hidden very nicely by the broth and oils.
Best wishes,
Callie.
Thanks, Callie, I’ll have to try that!
I can’t find anywhere whether this specifically supplies the body with enough vitamin D3, and my Mom and Husband are specially concerned of that. Do you know?
Vanessa
Vanessa, if you’re concerned, you may want to consider being tested (after you’ve been taking it regularly) so you can be sure.
There’s also some good info about getting enough vitamin D here:
http://www.cheeseslave.com/2009/08/04/70-of-us-children-are-vitamin-d-deficient/
Kelly
This is amazing. I want to try this stuff soooo bad. I’m sorry to hear the chocolate cream flavor was awful… I was hoping to sneak it by my daughter that way.
Good thing I hadn’t bought it yet.
I think it’s mentioned in NT that Dr. Price administered his CLO/butter oil combo to schoolchildren by mixing it with tomato juice or orange juice. Not half a bad idea if your child tolerates either… and tomato juice is far and away better for you than most other kinds of fruit juice. Very low-sugar. The oils added to it would make it even more nutritious, I would think.
Dana, PLEASE let us know how that flies with your kids if you try it, OK?
For all those who are struggling with the flavor of this stuff: I get the Blue Ice FCLO/Butter oil (2:1) gel blend, in the cinnamon tingle flavor. And to me it tastes like candy — it’s actually a nice snack when I want something sweet. So contrary to “forcing it down,” I actually have to discipline myself not to eat too much. [Also, I was originally ordering it directly from Green Pastures, but found that it's (if I recall correctly) about $8 less from gapsdiet.com, once you add shipping.]
P.S.: I keep in the refrigerator, which I think helps with the taste.
You can also get it at renewedhealth.com for $43.99 includes free shipping.
hi,
im looking into getting fermented fish oil and high vitamin butter oil. i saw that fermented skate liver oil has all of the nutrieents in fclo plus valuable nutrients found in shark oil such as squalene and alkoxyglycerols. but i have 2 questions.
1. is blue ice the best brand for fermented fish oil?
2. does fermented skate liver oil have the same synergistic benefits with butter oil as FCLO? because this is one of the main reasons for me buying these supplements.
See my answer to this comment in the comments at this post:
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/10/fermented-cod-liver-oil-series-part-3.html/comment-page-1#comment-61319
A reader was having trouble leaving a comment so I said I’d leave it for him (sorry Jeff!)
“I was just going to leave a comment that your blog made a big deal on the taste of the FCLO- so I was scared into trying to jam the gel into empty capsules (can’t afford the capsule form). That is slow, clumsy, and messy; and I noticed the cinnamon tingle FCLO-butter gel smell was actually pleasant (somewhat like the aroma at a hand crafts shop). I got my chaser ready, and took some by spoon (the gel does not squirt to the back of the throat). Surprise, I actually like the stuff! There is always someone who will not like something, but I wanted to encourage your readers to give the uncapsuled gel a try.
BTW, 9 of the size 0000 capsules stuffed fully provide the same amount by weight as 10 of the prepackaged capsules, although the 0000 are larger in size. Don’t bother buying a capsule filling apparatus– just squirt it into one capsule at a time with a dropper, if you really can’t stand the taste. It will take hours to use up all of one bottle.
Thanks for your research and info- it helped me to understand the value of FCLO, and WAP Foundation. Dr. Mercola and the Vitamin D Foundation had made it confusing. Unsolicited, I have received comments that I look much better than I ever have, after just 10 days of use. I told them how. This is just days after my MD almost killed me (Type 2 Diabetic) with a Prednisone injection.
Jeff”
I am a bit confused about the re-mineralization of teeth from FCLO..I thought it was the butter oil with the X-factor that was necessary for that…(something about the butter from the fast-growing grass fed cows?) I started taking the blend of the two for that purpose and was considering taking just the FCLO to save money..will I get the same effect if I do? Thanks!
Cindy,
If you’re getting enough pastured butter then yes that will be enough along with the FCLO.
Kelly