Deep Sea Shark Liver Oil

Summary

For centuries, fishermen from Japan, Micronesia, Scandinavia and Spain have used shark liver oil to treat wounds, to help with respiratory problems, to ward off colds and flu and to bring about general well being. Their experience has been confirmed by 20th century research.

History

Early studies in Japan into shark liver oil revealed that it contained a high quantity of unsaturated hydrocarbons. This was named squalene from the Squalidae species of deep sea sharks. Further work on the chemical nature of squalene in Switzerland in the 1930s showed that oxygen was released following the capture of hydrogen molecules present in water. In the 1950s the importance of alkoxyglycerols in human milk for building up the immune system were examined and this substance was later found in shark liver oil in very high concentrations compared to milk. In the 1990s, scientists at John Hopkins University in the USA discovered a further ingredient of shark liver oil, squalamine, which was found to be effective against many yeast, fungal and bacterial infections. Its effect on tumours has also been the subject of research.

Benefits

Used as a food supplement as part of a balanced diet, improvements in the following areas have been reported:

• Easing of joint pain
• Improved lung and breathing functions
• Strengthening against colds and flu
• Healthy maintenance of skin
• Potentiator of chemotherapeutic agents
• Reduces cholesterol
• Bactericidal agent
• Wound healing, helps prevent scarring
• Increases energy by supplying cells with oxygen
• Strengthens the immune system
• Antioxidant functions as part of the detoxifying systems which protect the body from harmful substances

Related Publications

1. Which alkylglycerols from shark liver oil have anti-tumour activities?
2. An update on the therapeutic role of alkylglycerols
3. Multiple Beneficial Health Effects of Natural Alkylglycerols from Shark Liver Oil
4. Characteristics of compounds that cross the blood-brain barrier
5. Study of Alkylglycerol Containing Shark Liver Oil: A Physico Chemical Support for Biological Effect?
6. 1-O-alkylglycerols reduce the stimulating effects of bFGF on endothelial cell proliferation in vitro
7. The influence of shark liver oils on normal and transformed mammalian cells in culture
8. Health properties of shark oil
9. Biological action and clinical application of shark liver oil
10. Omega 3 fatty acids: biological activity and effects on human health
11. Humoral defence improvement and haematopoiesis stimulation in sows and offspring by oral supply of shark-liver oil to mothers during gestation and lactation
12. Modulation of angiogenesis during adipose tissue development in murine models of obesity
13. Effect of high doses of shark liver oil supplementation on T cell polarization and peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cell function
14. Antiangiogenic Steroids in Human Cancer Therapy
15. Natural alkylglycerols restrain growth and metastasis of grafted tumors in mice
16. Oral intake of shark liver oil modifies lipid composition and improves motility and velocity of boar sperm
17. Effect of squalene on tissue defense system in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats
18. Alkylglycerol opening of the blood-brain barrier to small and large fluorescence markers in normal and C6 glioma-bearing rats and isolated rat brain capillaries
19. Cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of alkylglycerols (Ecomer)
20. Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases
21. Appetite suppression and weight reduction by a centrally active aminosterol
22. 1-O-Alkylglycerols Improve Boar Sperm Motility and Fertility
23. Alkylglycerol prodrugs of phosphonoformate are potent in vitro inhibitors of nucleoside-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and select for resistance mutations that suppress zidovudine resistance
24. Lipid composition of the liver oil of deep-sea sharks from the Chatham Rise, New Zealand
25. Some biological actions of alkylglycerols from shark liver oil
26. Modulation of platelet-activating-factor production by incorporation of naturally occurring 1-O-alkylglycerols in phospholipids of human leukemic monocyte-like THP-1 cells
27. Interactions between alkylglycerols and human neutrophil granulocytes
28. A serum factor for macrophage activation after in vitro dodecylglycerol treatment of mouse lymphocytes
29. Activation process of macrophages after in vitro treatment of mouse lymphocytes with dodecylglycerol
30. Activation of mouse macrophages by alkylglycerols, inflammation products of cancerous tissues
31. Reduced mortality in cancer patients after administration of alkoxyglycerols
32. Metabolism of orally administered rac-1-O-[1'-14C]dodecylglycerol and nutritional effects of dietary rac-1-O-dodecylglycerol in mice
33. Action on various experimental tumour-host systems of methyoxy-substituted glycerol ethers incorporated into the feed
34. Effect of alkoxyglycerols on the frequency of fistulas following radiation therapy for carcinoma of the uterine cervix
35. Stimulation of immune reactivity by methoxy-substituted glycerol ethers incorporated into the feed
36. The glyceryl ethers in the liver oils of elasmobrach fish
37. The glyceryl ethers in man and cow
38. Alkoxyglycerols in the treatment of leukopaenia caused by irradiation