In a message dated 4/4/02 11:58:27 AM, Richard Geller <[log in to unmask] 
writes:

<< > I found the ref on cod liver oil - it was in Neanderthin, not Paleo Diet.
On
> page 80 of the paperback it says "If you choose to go with fish oil (for
> omega 3), please be aware that cod liver oil . . .  contains potentially
> toxic quantities of vitamins A and D if the oil is taken in excessive
> doses."

Although I am not knowledgeable on the subject, I think the advantage of cod
liver oil is that it is high in DHA which can be used by the body directly,
unlike w3 fatty acids which must be converted first, a relatively
inefficient process.

I see the presence of A and D as an advantage.

I take about 1 teaspoonful every day or so of Carlson's lemon flavor cod
liver oil. The other days I take flaxseed oil. I always take Vitamin E with
them. I notice some real benefits in terms of skin tone.

--Richard >>

The question is, what is an excessive dose? The RDA is 200 to 400 IU (of 
vitamin D) which is enough to prevent rickets in children, but may be far 
from an optimal dose, or anywhere near what our Paleo ancestors or modern day 
primitive peoples acquire (from food and sunlight). I found the following 
article interesting:

<A HREF="http://westonaprice.org/vitamins/nutrition_vitaminD.html">Nutrition 
Guidelines—The Miracle of Vitamin D</A>

A brief excerpt:

"Any discussion of vitamin D must begin with the discoveries of the 
Canadian-born dentist Weston A. Price. In his masterpiece Nutrition and 
Physical Degeneration, Dr. Price noted that the diet of isolated, so-called 
“primitive” peoples contained “at least ten times” the amount of 
“fat-soluble vitamins” as the standard American diet of his day. Dr. Price 
determined that it was the presence of plentiful amounts of fat-soluble 
vitamins A and D in the diet, along with calcium, phosphorus and other 
minerals, that conferred such high immunity to tooth decay and resistance to 
disease in nonindustrialized population groups. 

Today another Canadian researcher, Dr. Reinhold Vieth, argues convincingly 
that current vitamin D recommendations are woefully inadequate. The 
recommended dose of 200-400 international units (IU) will prevent rickets in 
children but does not come close to the optimum amount necessary for vibrant 
health. According to Dr. Vieth, the minimal daily requirement of vitamin D 
should be in the range of 4,000 IU from all sources, rather than the 200-400 
currently suggested, or ten times the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Dr. 
Vieth’s research perfectly matches Dr. Price’s observations of sixty years 
ago!"

The situation with Vitamin D may be similar to the debate raging about 
Vitamin C- that is, the amounts required to prevent outright deficiency may 
be much less than what is optimal or what Paleo folks had access to. (I 
realize that excess amounts of Vitamin D may produce a toxicity situation, so 
more is not always better, but too little is no good either!) In my own case, 
I was tested for every nutrient imaginable after I was diagnosed with Celiac 
Disease, and the only one I was deficient in was Vitamin D. I now take 2 
teaspoons of Carlson's Cold Liver Oil daily (supplying 800 to 1000 IU) and 
will retest in a few months. I prefer to get all my nutrients without having 
to resort to supplements, but in today's modern world that is not always 
possible. I was deficient in Vitamin D when I was tested in October, after a 
full summer of gardening in the sun, so I can only imagine how much more 
depleted I would be in the winter.

Maddy Mason
Hudson Valley, NY