Customer Reviews

Carlson Labs Norwegian Natural Vitamin E Cod Liver Oil, Lemon, 16.9 ounce Glass Bottle

5 star:		(134)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Add my name to the Carlson's CLO fan club! I started taking this lemon flavored CLO a few weeks ago, after reading a lot about cod liver oil on the Weston Price Foundation website. For those who are unfamiliar with Weston Price, he was a dentist who published a book in 1939 called "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration," in which he talked about the importance of vitamin D in a person's diet. High vitamin cod liver oil is something he specifically recommends as helpful to dental and physical health.

I searched around for high vitamin cod liver oil that was fermented, but wasn't ready to make the commitment to buy it, because it is very expensive. I respect the folks who make it and sell it, but my budget wouldn't allow it. I am also kind of a wimp about stuff that tastes bad.

I tried Carlson's instead, and I have to say that I have seen visible improvements in my health.

I'm 31 and female, but have had problems with stiffness for a couple years now (especially in the morning, and in my back). Arthritis runs in my family, so I was starting to fear that it was slowly descending on me. Not to sound like someone selling snake oil, but since I started taking this CLO, the stiffness has eased up considerably, and I don't get as achy as I used to. I know that the EPA in this oil has anti-inflammatory properties, so I guess it comes from that.

Another thing I have noticed is that my memory and ability to focus have improved, which comes from the DHA in the oil. I have found that I can concentrate better, and don't feel the sluggishness that sometimes would creep up on me at work.

Lastly, I live in Chicago. I usually get the "winter blues," but can honestly say that I have not been feeling them yet, and it is halfway through December, which means it is dark when I get up and dark when I leave work.

I highly recommend this oil. I have been telling my friends about it, and I bought some for my dad who has diabetes. It is possible that the fermented, high vitamin stuff is better (per the recommendation of the WPF), but this has helped me already and I wanted to share that with others who could benefit.

PS--get the smaller bottle, because it needs to be used up within 3 months for optimal freshness. Buying a bulk size in this case is not a good idea unless you have a family that can use it up in 3 months.

UPDATE--June 10, 2010--Curiosity got the best of me, and I did order the high vitamin fermented cod liver oil & butter oil online. I guess I suffer from grass-is-greener syndrome! :) I bought the cinnamon tingle gel of that brand, and it wasn't a turnoff taste-wise, but it wasn't something I would ever crave, either. However, a friend of mine tried it and thought it was gross. I didn't see any visible difference in my health between using that and Carlson's. But supposedly the vitamins are all-natural and undisturbed in the other brand, and Carlson's may have been subjected to high temps. I just wanted to include the update in case people were debating between Carlson's and the high vitamin variety. Carlson's definitely has the mildest, least offensive taste. But the other one isn't bad.

I've used this product for 4 years now.
I used to have chronic joint problems: shoulder bursitis, aching flat feet, trick knee. The main thing I noticed after taking 3 tablespoons a day for 2 months is NO MORE PAIN! Sure, my feet are still flat and my knee is still tricky, but they don't hurt me any more.
This isn't a cure-all, but it's a solid part of the reason I have shiny, long hair, fewer break-outs, and less colds than anyone here in the office.

I am a mother of five and I have recently discovered fish oil to be very good for children's health. I use to hear stories by my mother whose own mother forced her to take her cod liver oil daily, but it was this horrible experience because it tasted so bad. My children didn't like the sound of ingesting a fish's liver oil, but when they tasted it they said it barely had any taste except that of lemons. They take their daily doses without complaining. I take it too and other than having a slight after-taste that lingers in my throat, I recommend the Carlson brand.

I did not buy the CLO off of Amazon and got it at Whole Foods instead (which is twice as expensive as here in Amazon). I was so impressed with the product that I had to come here to review it. Let me tell you my story.

I am 26 year old graduate student on a tight budget that had just moved to the United States. As many may know, this is the land of expensive dentistry and healthcare. A year after living here my gums began bleeding every time after brushing the teeth. Having little money and no dental insurance prompted me to research natural methods to maintaining and improving oral health.

In comes Weston Price and the related literature. Having had grown up in a Western European family that followed a tradition diet native to my country, the research presented on his website seemed to make sense and also was congruent with my personal experiences. For this reason, I decided to begin taking cod liver oil as a first step to improving dental health.

Carlson's CLO was the first product I tried. I bought it one month ago and have been taking 1-2 teaspoons everyday. The changes I have noticed since taking it:

1- Bleeding gums have stopped! I am so thankful and so happy.

2- The blackheads that covered my nose and cheeks have completely disappeared. My entire adolescence and twenties were plagued with them. The skin on my face looks healthier!

3- My hair, which has been for a decade now, curly and very dry & frizzy, is shiny and curls beautifully. For the first time in a decade, I can now simply air dry my hair and leave the house with minimal preparation. This can also be due to the fact that I started using a new deep conditioner. However, for years I have tried many things to no avail and it is a strange coincidence that this welcomed change occurred after taking CLO.

Why have I removed a star? Because this particular CLO is heated at high temperature and the natural Vitamin D is destroyed in the process. They have to artificially add it back.

Tastewise, this is smooth and does not leave a bad taste.

Got this for it's health benefits, which is hard to know for sure if it's working. However, I can tell you about the obvious thing: taste. It does have a lemony smell & a slight lemony taste. While the taste is fine, it's thick oiliness was NOT popular with my 4 kids(nor me). So what I do each day is pour the dose into a medicine cup, then fill the rest of the way with any drink. They all take it fine then. I've added it to OJ, apple juice, grape juice & even kool-aid. I myself take the adult version, so I can vouch for the taste, too. One note: I can find NO difference in the kids' version & the adult, except that the kid's dosage is not listed on the adult bottle. The ingredient/mineral/vitamin quantity is exactly the same per tsp in both versions. Save yourself the money if you plan to take the oil too, and just buy one bottle of whichever one's on sale/cheapest. Kids ages 2-4 take 1/4tsp, 5-12 takes 1/2 tsp, 12+ takes 1 tsp (all after meal).

I've used Carlson's for some time now and yes, it does help ease arthritis stiffness as well as benefit in other areas, as mentioned by many other reviewers. However I'm writing this review to offer another way to take it rather than just gulping the stuff: I have a pastry brush and I brush it on my toast in the morning instead of butter. You can then add cinnamon sugar or jam or eat it that way and it's quite fine. Myself, I have made up my own garlic salt (commercial garlic salt is mostly salt and I didn't want that). Garlic powder, kosher salt, and tumeric (which is also an excellent anti-inflammatory). So that's what I sprinkle on the toast after I brush on the oil. I do brush my teeth afterwards...but I have had arthritis since I was a child and, at 62 now, it is here seriously. Nevertheless, by watching my weight, eating what we cook for ourselves with organic foods (we grow a lot of our own) and the cod liver oil on my toast daily, I am still able to tend the horses, work the yard, clean the house, etc., with more energy than many ever seem to have. Oh yeah, please get enough sleep, too.

I have been experiencing chronic dry skin and eczema from head to toe for the last three years. I've tried flax seed oil, other fish oils, evening promise, and many, many lotions and ointments. I found Carlson's cod liver oil by searching the web trying to find a cure for my dry skin...and BINGO! This stuff cleared up ALL of my dry skin and my skin has become so smooth that I can't believe it! I can even miss a day of using lotion! In addition to providing relief from dry skin, my allergies have also been relieved. No more watery eyes, running nose, or cracked eyelids and dry nostrials. This stuff works fast-I had only been taking the oil for a month and have noticed a big difference in my body and how I feel. My first purchase was at the vitamin store. Amazon prices are a lot chepaer.

I'm vegetarian. I can't stand the smell of fish. And I found this cod liver oil eminently drinkable. It doesn't smell or taste in the least bit fishy. There's just a mild, pleasant lemony flavor. And I haven't experienced any of the gross side effects I've heard about in relation to fish oil capsules, like burping up a fishy taste or being able taste it for hours afterwards.

I chose the fish *liver* oil over just regular fish oil for the vitamin D content, which should be very nice for the winter months. I first heard about this brand of oil from the diet book "Rosedale Diet".

I must confess, I thought some of the reviewers for this product were exaggerating. I've been taking CLO for years, and every liquid variety I tried (most recently Twinlab's orange flavor) tasted like fish (mixed with whatever flavor I purchased). I'd been taking Carlson's CLO in capsules, but because of some personal concerns of mine wanted to switch back to taking a liquid.

I bought a 500ml bottle of this (in lemon flavor) @ Whole Foods. Got it home, had a teaspoonful, turned to my husband and said, "Wow, there's no fish flavor at all!" Of course, then he also had to try it... and was amazed. The oily texture is still there (duh, you're drinking oil), but beyond a slight lemon taste... nothing.

I'm very happy with this brand & flavor and strongly recommend it. (I can sneak it into fruit smoothies without anyone being the wiser...!)

My friend who has gone health nut started telling me about all these different products that are so good for our health, and Cod Liver Oil being one of the best. So about 6-7 mos ago, I decided to try it cause ya know, who couldn't use some nutritional supplements? So I went to a neighborhood health food store and decided on Carlson's because it was the only one with lemon flavor and I didn't even want to be swallowing some fishie flavor'd liquid stuff. If it aint sittin on a plate in chewable, white, flaky meat form, with lemon butter & some tarter sauce - then, no....uh uh. But I knew I needed the heart healthy benefits of Omega 3's and the MAJOR source of D (bone health!!) & other valuable nutritional positives of this oil! Great source of A - for eyes, and etc. etc. . . .
But my friend didn't warn me how expensive it was - I couldn't believe the price - $25 for the small 8.4 oz bottle (and they wanted $39 for the 16.8). So from now on I'm ordering ONLINE. Even with the shipping I'm saving at least $10-20 or more (on the large bottle!!) I actually did try another brand that was not lemon flavored and I just can't imagine anyone even MAKING a cod liver oil without flavoring added!! Anyway, CARLSON's is the absolute best - it's cold processed (very healthy), you MUST refrigerate it after opening or it will go rancid. If it doesn't have to be refrigerated after opening - then you're not getting the top quality product that has the health benefits you're needing. The oxidation process in other brands ruins the nutritonal value of it. I spoke in depth about all this to the nutrition expert at the store who was very knowledgABle about everything! Cold processed is the best and keep it fridged! To be able to find Carlson's Lemon flabored Cod Liver Oil online for these good prices is great! By the time my bottle runs out in the fridge, my new one will be in the mailbox. This is excellent A,D, & omega 3's.