Rosita Ratfish Liver Oil™ contains safe levels of the active form of vitamin A (also called retinol or preformed vitamin A). Rosita Ratfish Liver Oil™ also contains natural vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) rather than vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol or pre-vitamin D).
The body also manufactures vitamin D3 from cholesterol through a process triggered by sunlight on the skin. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D3. Good sources include fish liver oil and fatty fish such as salmon. Other fish species, including other cod species, do not contain measurable amounts of natural vitamin D3.
Exciting research has shown that many of the body’s organs and tissues have ‘vitamin D receptors.’ These are sites within our bodies where vitamin D can attach itself and exert its positive health effects. It is little wonder. Therefore, that research has recognized the benefit of this vitamin in promoting health effects on our hearts, immune systems, and brains. A growing body of evidence indicates that vitamin D may help to:
- Improve muscle strength.
- Improve bone health and reduce the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
- Support normal blood pressure levels and prevent artery damage.
- Reduce the risk of heart attack, heart failure, sudden cardiac death, stroke, overall cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular death.
- Reduce the risk of colon and other cancers.
- Support the immune system, and as a result, reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and others; and boost the body’s defenses to fight infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and seasonal flu.
- Low ratio of vitamin A to vitamin D
Rosita Ratfish Liver Oil™ has a naturally low vitamin A ratio to vitamin D. This low ratio is truly unique among fish liver oils.
Research suggests that a low ratio may allow vitamin D to exert its full protective physiological effects within the body.
Rosita Ratfish Liver Oil™ contains alpha-tocopherol, the biologically and chemically most active form of vitamin E, and by far the most abundant lipid-soluble antioxidant in humans. Ratfish Liver Oil is pure, 100% oil with a unique lipid profile and naturally occurring antioxidants that help maintain freshness. This makes the oil so stable that nitrogen flushing and small amounts of added antioxidants are not needed.
The primary function of alpha-tocopherol in humans appears to be that of an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are nasty chemicals capable of damaging cells and genetic material. Free radicals are generated primarily when the body turns food into energy and sunlight's action on the skin and eyes. Others are in the food you eat and the air you breathe.
Alpha-tocopherol is an important and potent cell membrane antioxidant. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are an integral part of all cell membranes and vital for normal cell function. Free radicals can react with these fatty acids and causing lipid peroxidation, membrane injury, and cell death. Alpha-tocopherol helps prevent lipid peroxidation by neutralizing free radicals, preventing free radical damage in membranes. It, therefore, helps to maintain the integrity of cell membranes. It also helps protect the fats in circulating low-density lipoprotein (LDL, sometimes called bad cholesterol) molecules from oxidation. Oxidized LDL is more likely to get trapped in an artery wall and is now regarded as a prime inducer of cardiovascular disease.
Additionally, alpha-tocopherol has been shown to help maintain immune cell function, enhance aspects of the immune response that appear to decline in old age, enhance vasodilatation (relaxation of blood vessels so blood flows easily), and help prevent the formation of blood clots that could lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Cod liver oil contains no measurable amounts of naturally occurring vitamin E. This is why a tiny amount of full-spectrum organic vitamin E and organic rosemary herb is added to EVCLO.