What is the difference between vitamin D calcium and cod liver oil?

Vitamin D calcium and cod liver oil are two common nutritious foods during the baby's growth period. Generally speaking, there are certain differences between vitamin D calcium and cod liver oil. Cod liver oil is a nutrient extracted from cod or shark, mainly containing a large amount of vitamins and various minerals, while vitamin D calcium is a nutritious food artificially produced, and the nutritional content is relatively small.

The difference between vitamin D calcium and cod liver oil

Most vitamin D and calcium are artificially synthesized with a single ingredient, consisting of only two nutrients: vitamin D and calcium. The dosage is also more specific. Cod liver oil is fat extracted from the livers of deep-sea fish such as sharks and cod. It is yellow in color and has a fishy smell. Its main ingredients are vitamin A and vitamin D. Through different processing procedures, cod liver oil can be divided into food cod liver oil, health care product cod liver oil and pharmaceutical cod liver oil. Among them, the dosage of vitamin A and vitamin D in pharmaceutical cod liver oil is relatively accurate. In addition to vitamin A and vitamin D, cod liver oil also contains other fish ingredients.

For example, if a baby is allergic to fish, cod liver oil should be used with caution.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin A and vitamin D is 2500-5000 units and 400-800 units, respectively. Vitamin A and D can cause poisoning if large doses are taken in a short period of time, or if excessive daily intake is taken for a long time. Symptoms include decreased appetite, lack of weight gain, irritability, sweating, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, joint pain, muscle pain, etc. Commercially available concentrated cod liver oil drops contain 50,000 units and 5,000 units of vitamin A and D respectively per gram. There are about 30 drops in 1 gram, so 3-5 drops per day are enough.

When to supplement cod liver oil

If the baby does not have enough breast milk or is not given egg yolks, animal livers and other foods rich in vitamins A and D, as well as vegetables and fruits rich in carotene in time after weaning; or if the baby suffers from chronic diarrhea, liver and gallbladder diseases that affect the absorption of vitamin A and D; or if the baby suffers from chronic wasting diseases that increase the consumption of vitamin A and D; or if there is a lack of sunlight; or if the baby grows too fast and the demand increases, all these factors can cause vitamin A and/or D deficiency.

The content of vitamin A in breast milk is higher than that in cow's milk. If the mother has adequate nutrition and a balanced diet, the vitamin A in breast milk can mostly meet the needs of the baby. Vitamin D is found in relatively low levels in both breast milk and cow's milk. Therefore, infants, whether fed with human milk or cow's milk, must be given a preventive dose of 400 units of vitamin D per day starting from 2-3 weeks after birth, and taken continuously for 2-3 years. Premature infants, twins, and children with the above-mentioned factors that cause vitamin A and D deficiency need additional supplementation of vitamin A and D.

After the age of 2-3, children's growth rate slows down, their diet variety and outdoor activities increase, and they generally do not need additional cod liver oil supplementation.