Cod Liver Oil Suppliment

I have decided the first step I'm going to take will be using a cod liver oil supplement. Cod liver oil is a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin D. Vitamin D has been documented as factor major contributing to mental health.

Vitamin D is naturally synthesised within your body when exposed to sunlight, it can also be received from food  such as fatty fish like Salmon and Mackerel.

I live in Scotland in the United Kingdom. Scotland in general is well known for its cold, cloudy and wet climate, our summers are usually short and intense making it uncomfortable to be out in sunlight for an extended period of time if you are fair skinned. The rest of our seasons are usually characterised with overcast reducing any sunlight and the cold, wet weather making indoors more convenient.

I visited local supermarkets and health stores as well as on-line shops and I noticed a variety of supplements available and in different forms and costs. The first distinction I had to research before purchasing was the different between fish oil and cod liver oil.

To summarise fish oil contain more omega-3 fatty acids than cod liver oil these help your body balance out omega-6 fatty acids which the over consumption of has been suggested to cause ill health including mood disorder as well as cancer and obesity.

Cod liver oil also contains higher levels of vitamin A and vitamin D than the fish oil. There were capsule form and bottle of oil available after checking the ingredients list of several different brands and own brands I came to the conclusion that capsules although easier to consume due to the taste of the oil, were not same value for money as the bottles of oil.

After checking costs of the different bottles I settle for Seven Seas 'Pure cod liver oil' as this had the highest levels of vitamin D. It also has the highest levels of vitamin A so we need to be careful with dosage when using regularly as too much vitamin A can damage your liver and cause problems for people who are pregnant.

I propose to take 15ml (1tbsp) of the Seven Seas 'Pure cod liver oil' supplement each day and will report back my findings once I have enough information to make a conclusion.


Sources:
http://www.raysahelian.com/codliveroil.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/187101-cod-liver-oil-vs-fish-oil-capsules/
http://healthyomega3.com/cod-liver-oil-vs-fish-oil/

Introduction

First and foremost I will cover my experiences with depression. My earliest memory of feeling depressed was around the age of 9, the thoughts and feelings I experienced during this episode were of frustration that I was feeling like this again, how many times I had felt this before and for how long is not clear.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression in the year 2006. Since, I have been on various dosages of Fluoxetine, Citalopram, Amitriptyline and have had a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) courtesy of the NHS in Scotland.

I don't want to slate CBT too much as I know of many people who have benefited from it, particularly people who had issues with anxiety or phobias. However, I feel it is redundant for someone like myself who is already an analytical thinker and whose depression does not appear to be controlled emotional events.

The medications prescribed had worked to an extent, lowering the ceiling and raising the floor of my mood swings. They also made me feel physically and mentally lethargic requiring me to go for naps at inconvenient times throughout the day. I was also building up a tolerance to each after a while.

Personally, I'm starting to feel let down by NHS and the options that are available to me through them. I have decided it is time to take responsibility in managing this condition myself, and not be left to health practitioners who are limited in the help they can provide by a government who are more concerned about reducing the national deficit my the needs of my mental health.

Through this blog I intend to document the alternative steps I am making to improve my mental health and record there outcome. I welcome you to post feedback on these posts and together we can hopefully find a more practical solution to living with depression.


To peace, health and happiness.