I still remember as a child, my parents taking cod liver oil regularly and watching their faces screw up as they took it due to the delightful taste I'm sure.

Cod liver oil has been used for centuries and was widely used in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Centuries ago, northern Europeans would use cod liver oil to relieve such complaints as rheumatism, aching joints, and stiff muscles. It is made from the livers of cod fish and contains high amounts of vitamin A and D and DHA, which is particularly important for our children's brain development.

Vitamin A and D both play a key role in our immune health, in fact, for more than a century, both sunlight and dietary sources of vitamin D (like cod liver oil) have been used to treat tuberculosis, a bacterial infection of the lungs. But they don't work alone - they are synergistic. In order for your immune system to make those antiviral drugs with vitamin D, it also needs vitamin A. Of course, mama nature knows this, which is why both vitamin A and D naturally occur in cod liver oil.

Talking more about the vitamin D, at the beginning of the 20th century scientists established that cod liver oil cured or prevented rickets and so it became commonplace for mothers to give this to their children. In fact, a study shows that cod liver oil prevented the development of rickets in 92% of the infants treated due to the naturally occurring vitamin D. And it wasn't just in the homes, children were also given cod liver oil at school too (see images below).

To help protect children from rickets, the fortification of milk with vitamin D was recommended in the United States and Europe to eliminate rickets as a significant public health problem and so widespread use of cod liver oil was no longer used as much.

The benefits of cod liver oil go beyond preventing rickets. Another study showed that at one year of age, consumption of cod liver oil more than four times per week was also associated with a lower prevalence of current eczema, asthma and wheeze.

Furthermore, the rich source of DHA is incredible for our baby's developing brain and ability to improve cognitive function. The human brain is actually made up of nearly 60% fat, with one third of this being the fatty acid DHA. This is worth being mindful of for our children as most brain growth is completed by 5-6 years of age.

When it comes to cod liver oil, quality and quantity matter! So many cod liver oils available now are highly processed, boiled for hours, filtered to remove all the vitamins, with synthetic vitamins added back in. When giving to your child, there is a risk of aspirating, as it is oil, so never syringe it or squirt it into babies mouth, and instead you can offer from a spoon. Also always make sure baby is sitting upright when administering.

In Nourished Child, my 8 week program, I share with parents the benefits of cod liver oil and other DHA-rich foods that we can include in our family's diet regularly to support their brain development. You can find all of the details about this life-changing program for parents here.