Shark Liver Oil
Sharks are the strongest and most invincible of
all creatures in the ocean. Besides their outward physical attributes
to protect themselves, nature provided these creatures from the
deep with amazing immunity to ill health.
Norwegian fishermen in the 18th Century discovered that oil extracted
from the liver of the deep water shark sped up skin tissue repair
if applied to wounds. The fishermen filled stomach sacs of fish
with the shark's liver oil and used it to alleviate respiratory
tract infections. They also found through practical usage that the
oil strengthened them, especially when taken after illness. Japanese
seamen called it samedawa, or "cure all."
By the early 19th Century, the use of shark liver oil had all but
died out, apart from in a few isolated Scandinavian fishing communities.
This valuable knowledge would have completely disappeared, had it
not been for two Japanese scientists who, in 1922, discovered a
lipid which differs from the usually fatty substances by the presence
of a single atom of oxygen. They called these healing molecules
Alkoxyglycerols.
These molecules were synthesized in 1930 and then research into
their versatile healing applications progressed rapidly. Interestingly,
a new use emerged in the 1950s, when a Swedish doctor noted that
children with leukemia who were fed calf bone marrow showed some
protection against the adverse effects of radiation. Investigation
revealed that the calf marrow’s therapeutic actions were due to
natural immune-boosting compounds called alkylglycerols, also present
in notably high concentrations in shark liver oil.
The technological advances of the 1940s and 1950s enabled the Swedish
researchers, Hallgren and Larsson, to undertake extremely specific
studies of shark liver oil in the 1960s.The liver oil was found
to contain extremely high concentrations of active alkoxyglycerols
usually only found in mother's milk and bone marrow. Further scientific
research was then undertaken over the next twenty years by other
Swedish researchers.
Around 1986, the first commercially purified shark liver oil with
a "standard dose" of alkylglycerols was marketed. Today,
several companies harvest and process the oil from sharks caught
off of Greenland, Norway, Sweden, and other coasts. The oil is available
as a by-product of the commercial fishing industry; endangered sharks
are not allowed to be killed solely for their oil.
Alkylglycerols are naturally found in much lower levels in the bone
marrow, liver, spleen, and breast milk of mature cows as well as
in humans. Much of the medical interest in shark liver oil-as a
potential complement to standard cancer treatments and as a natural
immune booster-has focused on these promising compounds. Shark liver
oil also contains squalamine, a substance which in animal studies
has shown some ability to fight cancers of the breast, lung, brain,
and skin (melanoma specifically) by choking off the tumor's blood
supply; studies in people are under way. Shark liver oil capsules
sometimes also contain generous amounts of squalene, an antioxidant
and bacteria-fighter. Also present are omega-3 fatty acids (the
heart-healthy oils found in other deep-water fish) and vitamin A.
Health Benefits
Following are some of the usages of Shark Liver Oil
- Recurring infections.
- Strengthening the immune system, particularly in chronic degenerative
diseases.
- Beneficial for coughs, colds and influenza.
- Important for tissue repair, delayed wound healing and acne.
- Recommended before, during and after radiation therapy.
- Promotes healing and recovery of nervous system.
- Normalizes metabolism in diabetics.
- Effective against viral hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver.
- Has an analgesic and anaesthetizing effect to neutralize pain.
- Topically, shark liver oil is a valuable deterrent in the fight
against the symptoms of ageing and as an aid in the maintenance
and integrity of the skin. It also helps to minimize the liver
spots that accompany ageing.
Precautions
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, take medical
advise from your doctor before using the oil.
General Interaction
There are no known drugs or nutrient interactions associated
with shark liver oil.
Side Effects
There are no known serious side effects from taking shark liver
oil at recommended doses. However, some mild gastrointestinal disturbances,
such as nausea, indigestion, and diarrhea, have been reported to
occur with the ingestion of shark liver oil in its liquid form.
|
