Livers in a barrel
Long before cod liver oil was made in factories, fishermen in Norway and along other northern coasts left cod livers in wooden barrels. Over time the oil was released by itself and floated to the top. Green Pasture works in a similar way: the livers are mixed with salt and broth and fermented for months, without heat, after which the oil is filtered off.
From the spoon to the capsule
In the Netherlands, children were given a spoonful of cod liver oil until well into the fifties and sixties, especially in winter. The taste was notorious. These capsules contain fermented cod liver oil in a plant-based capsule, without you tasting any of it. Two capsules a day provide 1000 mg of oil.
Vitamin A and other supplements
Cod liver oil naturally contains retinol, a form of vitamin A. Green Pasture does not state the amount, because it differs from batch to batch. So do not combine cod liver oil with other supplements containing vitamin A, and during pregnancy only use it after consulting your midwife.
Fermented cod liver oil in capsules
Green Pasture's Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil in capsule form is made from the livers of sustainably wild-caught, MSC-certified Alaskan cod. The cod liver oil is fermented the traditional way, a mild and careful process that takes months. The advantage of capsules is that the peculiar taste of cod liver oil is not present. The cod liver oil is also available in liquid form. That is better value, and it comes in the flavours orange, cinnamon and natural.
Why use cod liver oil?
Cod liver oil has become popular again for daily use. Green Pasture's fermented cod liver oil is naturally rich in vitamins A and D and in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Vitamin A contributes to the normal process of cell specialisation and to the maintenance of normal vision, normal skin and normal mucous membranes, and to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus, to the maintenance of normal bones, teeth and muscle function, has a role in the process of cell division and contributes to the normal function of the immune system. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart, and DHA to the maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision, with a daily intake of 250 mg.
Weston A. Price and Activator X
In his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, the dentist Weston A. Price describes how Swiss mountain dwellers particularly valued the butter of cows grazing on fast-growing grass in spring. In that butter Price found a substance he called Activator X. Today that substance is often associated with vitamin K2. Price also believed that butterfat and cod liver oil complemented each other. That idea prompted Green Pasture to create its product line of butter oil, fermented cod liver oil and combinations of both.
Benefits
High-quality cod liver oil fermented the traditional way. Made from sustainably wild-caught, MSC-certified Alaskan cod. Source of vitamins A and D and omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA. Green Pasture works with the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF).
Green Pasture's cod liver oil
For catching cod, Green Pasture works with Alaskan Leader Seafood, a fishing company in Alaska with the MSC label that uses sustainable fishing techniques. On board, the fish is processed, inspected and deep-frozen immediately. Green Pasture then subjects the livers to a traditional fermentation process that, according to the brand, dates back to Roman times. The livers are mixed with salt and broth, after which they ferment for a few months before the oil is filtered out.
Essential fatty acids of sustainable quality
Green Pasture is the only company in the world to use a centuries-old, traditional, very mild fermentation technique for its cod liver oil products, which makes it possible to avoid the use of heat and to preserve the natural antioxidants in the oil. The cod liver oil is continuously tested by independent third parties and meets modern requirements for quality and purity. Green Pasture works with the Weston A. Price Foundation and received the MSC label for its Fermented Cod Liver Oil, an ecolabel awarded to only a handful of fish oil companies worldwide.
About Green Pasture
Green Pasture is a family business based in Nebraska, founded in 2003 by Dave and Barbara Wetzel. A few years earlier they had decided to live closer to nature with their family and start a dairy farm. They came across Weston A. Price's ideas about vitamin-rich butter oil from the milk of grass-fed cows and began making Concentrated Butter Oil. In 2007 Green Pasture expanded its product line with fermented skate and cod liver oil. In 2012 David and Barbara received the Distinguished Entrepreneur Award from Nebraska.
