Mega Halibut Liver Oil - 90 Softgels

HALIBUT LIVER OIL ...

An excellent source of preformed vitamins A and D. It is especially useful for individuals with digestive problems since they may have difficulty converting beta carotene into vitamin A. A fat soluble vitamin, vitamin A promotes healing and helps to boost the immune system. It benefits the eyes as well as soft tissue.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fatsoluble vitamin, meaning that it is transported into the body by tagging along with a fat molecule. The major body storage area is the liver, where several months' supply is held. Vitamin A has many functions in the body. It prevents night blindness by helping the recycling of pigments in the eye's rod cells. It heals all mucus membranes and the skin, making it helpful for acne, wrinkles, cervical dysplasia and gastrointestinal ulcers.

Vitamin A is found naturally in two forms, retinol and provitamin A. Retinol is from animal sources. Provitamin A, or carotene is found in animal and plant foods. For supplementation it is measured in international units or IU. Supplemental vitamin A is available as a derivative of fish oil (fat soluble) or as a watersoluble form. The watersoluble form is recommended for those who cannot tolerate oil, such as acne sufferers. A form of vitamin A, called emulsified, is less toxic to the liver and easier to absorb.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is also fat soluble and acts as a hormone to assist the body's absorption and utilization of calcium. It helps bones and teeth, stabilizes the nervous system and helps the blood and cardiac system, muscles and many body systems.

Eye Health
The eye is a small sphere with a diameter of about 1 inch. Only one sixth of the eye is visible, the rest is protected in the orbital socket. There are many accessory structures of the eye including the eyebrows, eyelids, conjunctiva, lacrimal apparatus and eye muscles. Only a small part of the eye is dedicated to photoreception. This area is on the posterior wall on the inside the eyeball and is called the retina. It contains rods, for dim light and peripheral vision, and cones, for bright light and colour vision. The lens is situated at the front of the eyeball and its job is to focus light on the retina. Glasses are used to help focus light through the lens when the accommodation of the lens is inadequate or overcompensating. As we age, the muscles that move the lens decrease functioning making the use of glasses or contacts more common among older individuals.

There two main causes of degenerative eye conditions: free radical damage and decreased blood flow to the eye. Free radicals are unstable molecules that in their bid to become more stable must bump into healthy cells and cause damage. This can cause cell death, alterations in genetic material and autoimmune reactions to damaged cells. Food, water and ultraviolet radiation from the sun are the major contributors of free radicals that build up in the eye. The eyes reflect the overall health of the body. The vessels on the back of the eyeball are very small and fragile. Changes in them are often the first sign of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. These conditions lead to decreased blood flow to the retina. Lack of oxygen and an accumulation of waste products eventually compromises vision. Poor diet, environmental toxins, medications and stress all decrease the body's ability to neutralize free radicals and maintain healthy vessels.

Bone Health
Most people do not think about bone health until they are in their later years. This is a mistake because significant increases in bone density can only be made in childhood or early adulthood (up to age 30). For the remainder of our lives the goal is to maintain our bones.

Osteoporosis is a loss of bone density. The bony matrix is of normal composition but decreased amounts because more bone is being broken down than is being produced. Testosterone and estrogen maintain bone density by promoting bone building and slowing bone removal. This is one reason why bone density decreases as we age

Stay active to increase your bone health. Immobility and insufficient weight bearing exercise cause bone loss. Gravity puts a stress on the bone and the body responds by increasing the density of the bone. Exercising in youth actually increases bone density above normal and exercise throughout life protects against bone loss. Maintain appropriate weight because people that are underweight also are at a greater risk for osteoporosis. Their bones are not stressed as much as the bones of people who are of normal weight.

A healthy diet, with sufficient protein intake, is one protective factor against bone loss. Dietary deficiencies of protein cause bone loss because the bone is constantly remodelling itself. Up to 7% of our bone mass is turned over every week. Choose lean meats, fermented dairy products and legumes to fill your daily protein requirements. Supplement with protein powder or amino acid complex if you cannot consume enough protein.

There are a multitude of minerals that form the matrix of the bone. Deficiency in any one of these nutrients can lead to bone loss. Minerals can be lost in the cooking process so eat your vegetables and fruits raw or lightly steamed. Drink filtered or spring water. If you drink reverse osmosis or distilled water replace the missing minerals with a supplement. Vitamin D helps bring calcium into the bone. It is one of the fatsoluble vitamins that are poorly absorbed through the digestive process as we age. In areas away from the equator, skin production of vitamin D is limited during certain times of the year. Eating vitamin D rich foods like fish and egg yolks, and taking vitamin D supplements, will maintain your bone density.