Cod liver oil is the best: the differences with regular fish oil

Cod liver oil: why is it better than fish oil?

Möller’s Omega-3 is fish oil, but not every fish oil is cod liver oil. Cod liver oil is the best. What exactly are the differences? In short: cod liver oil is more complete, richer and more natural than fish oil.

Cod liver oil used to be consumed every day and many parents gave cod liver oil to their children to boost their immune system to prevent them from getting sick. The taste was not appreciated in the past, but nowadays Möller’s Omega-3 proves that cod liver oil can also be tasty. You even have a choice of 4 flavors, all awarded a Superior Taste Award! In addition to your daily diet, Möller’s offers a unique combination of omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA and vitamins A, D and E. With 1 dessert spoonful (5 ml) you get 600 mg DHA and 400 mg EPA and your daily requirement of vitamin D3.

The differences between cod liver oil and fish oil

The market for omega-3 supplements is growing rapidly and we find transparency very important. That is why we provide an overview of liquid fish oil and cod liver oil in which we highlight the differences between the brands. Cod liver oil is fish oil, but not all fish oil is cod liver oil. Fish oil can only be called ‘cod liver oil’ if it is 100% extracted from the liver of the fish. Because Möller’s Omega-3 comes from the cod liver, it contains the highest levels of omega-3 and natural vitamins. This overview is from June 2021.

Product	Cod liver oil or fish oil?	Omega-3 (DHA/EPA) per 5 ml	Natural vitamin A and D	Vitamin A per 5 ml
Möller’s Omega-3	Cod liver oil	600/400 mg	Yes	250 mcg = Safe
Jacob Hooy cod liver oil*	Fish oil	450/350 mg	No, vit. A and D are added	1375 mcg
Lovitran cod liver oil*	Fish oil	875 mg (total)	No, vit. A and D are added	1500 mcg
Eqology Pure Arctic Oil	Fish oil + olive oil	385/325 mg	No, vitamin D is added	–
EyeQ fish oil	Fish oil, evening primrose oil + sunflower oil	58/186 mg	No	–

What is cod liver oil?

A fish oil is cod liver oil only if the oil is extracted directly from the fish’s liver. Möller’s is extracted from the cod liver. Cod liver oil is naturally rich in omega-3 and also in vitamins A and D, unlike fish oil. To regular fish oil these vitamins are added, while in cod liver oil they are naturally present. Omega-3 fatty acids are also naturally present in high levels, because of the distinctive production process.

* Some products are being sold as natural cod liver oil, but they are not natural cod liver oil at all. Take Jacob Hooy and Lovitran, for example, these are both cod liver oils enriched with vitamins A and D. ‘Enriched with’ means that the vitamins are added to them, while pure cod liver oil is naturally rich in these vitamins. Möller’s Omega-3 is pure cod liver oil, naturally rich in vitamins A and D. The content of omega-3 fatty acids is also much higher.

Unique steaming process & high quality

Cod liver oil is obtained from the liver of Arctic cod (highly concentrated in omega-3 and vitamins A and D) by means of a steaming process. The steaming process used for Möller’s cod liver oil is a unique method, introduced by Peter Möller. The steam has a low temperature and this slowly separates the oil from the liver. The liver is less than 24 hours old, producing high-quality cod liver oil. Good quality, purity and taste are guaranteed. The result is pure cod liver oil, with the exception of vitamin E for quality maintenance, that nothing is added. Möller’s has again been awarded the Superior Taste Award this year for exceptionally good taste.

Due to the unique steaming process, Möller’s cod liver oil retains its omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins. Because the oil is slowly separated by steam, the natural form of the fatty acids is also preserved, which is unique for fish oil. This natural form provides better absorption of the fatty acids in the body than the ethyl esters produced during the regular fish oil production process.

When producing regular fish oil, the whole fish is compressed and this oil is further processed into fish oil. The oil that is released, no longer contains natural vitamins and has a completely different fatty acid composition and less DHA and EPA than cod liver oil.

No vitamin A and D added

Another important difference from fish oil is that cod liver oil is naturally rich in vitamins A and D, unlike fish oil to which these vitamins are often added. The production process of cod liver oil ensures that the nutritional values and ingredients are preserved. By these natural ingredients, cod liver oil distinguishes itself from fish oil. Vitamins A and D are not naturally present in regular fish oil. If fish oil does contain vitamins A and D, these have been added. You can see this by the mention of these vitamins in the ingredients on the label.

In addition to natural omega-3, Möller’s also contains natural vitamins A and D. This distinguishes Möller’s from other cod liver oil and fish oil, such as EyeQ and Eqology. The vitamins are not naturally present in this. Vitamin D and sometimes also vitamin A are added to these products.

Richer in nutritional values

Due to the distinctive production process and the levels of omega-3 values in the cod liver, the content of DHA and EPA fish fatty acids in Möller’s Omega-3 is much higher than in other fish oils. Möller’s contains 600 mg of DHA and 400 mg of EPA, the correct ratio, per serving.

With this very high level of omega-3 fatty acids, Möller’s distinguishes itself from fish oil. No fish oil contains as much omega-3 fatty acids as Möller’s Cod liver oil! For comparison:

Product	Omega-3 (DHA/EPA) per 5 ml
Möller’s Omega-3	600/400 mg
Jacob Hooy cod liver oil*	450/350 mg
Lovitran cod liver oil*	875 mg (total)
EyeQ fish oil	58/186 mg

Möller’s Omega-3 contains the correct ratio of DHA and EPA fatty acids. Moreover, this omega-3 is present in natural form, for better absorption.

In addition to natural omega-3 and natural vitamin D, Möller’s also contains natural vitamin A. Although this is an extremely important vitamin, it should not be overdosed. Möller’s is one of the few fish oils suitable for pregnant women, it is even recommended during pregnancy. When buying a fish oil / cod liver oil, pay attention to the amount of vitamin A. To some fish oils, too much vitamin A is added. An excess of vitamin A can be harmful to your baby.

Sustainable

Möller’s Omega-3 is made from the liver of fresh Arctic cod, a fish that is not threatened by overfishing. The fish is caught sustainably in the Norwegian Sea, just north of the Arctic Circle. Here lies the Lofoten-Vesteralen archipelago, where cod for Möller’s Omega-3 has been caught for over 165 years. Every day the catch is transported directly to the local fisheries. Good health, from the fish to the bottle.

Möller’s is MSC certified for sustainable wild fishing in Norway. Sustainable means: there is no overfishing, the fishing method is selective, the seabed is not affected and everything from the fish is used. The liver for the cod liver oil and the rest of the fish for consumption. There is a reason that Möller’s has been awarded the MSC quality mark!

Easy to take in

Möller’s Omega-3 is liquid and you only need 1 spoonful per day, as opposed to 2 or 3 scoops of other cod liver oil / fish oil, such as Eqology and EyeQ. The liquid form makes it easy to take, also ideal for children. No more hassle with swallowing large capsules.

In 4 tasty flavors

Moreover, Möller’s is the only brand that is available in 4 tasty flavors, something for everyone. Every flavor has been awarded a Superior Taste Award for exceptionally good taste!
View the different variants here.

So why is Möller’s Omega-3 cod liver oil the best omega-3 product? Concluding:

Möller’s Omega-3	Other fish oil
Natural omega-3 and vitamin A & D	Contains no vitamines, unless artificially added
Very high content of DHA and EPA (essential fatty acids from fish) in the proper ratio	Lower content of DHA and EPA
Oil separated by unique steaming process -> pure & concentrated	Oil pressed from the whole fish
Oil from cod liver with a high concentration of omega-3 and vitamin D	Oil of (usually) sardines / anchovies
Omega-3 triglycerides (natural form) -> better absorption	Omega-3 in ethyl esters (converted in production process -> unnatural form)