FAQ: Rosita Cod Liver Oil

What is Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil?

Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil is a real Norwegian cod liver oil that’s fresh, raw and handcrafted from wild livers via an ancient extraction technique that’s completely natural. The oil is completely unrefined and produced under the total absence of heat, a process that protects its nutritional value. Further, No chemicals, solvents and mechanical devices are ever used during the extraction process. This type of cod liver oil is both precious and rare — something that’s almost impossible to achieve on a commercial level. 

Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil has a pale/golden color and a mild, fresh fish taste. It is thoroughly tested by leading universities and government-linked institutes

What does Rosita taste like?

Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil is fresh, wild caught and raw — from the clean waters of the North Atlantic. Given all of these unique factors, it tastes like fresh fish! Nothing is done to alter the taste or smell of the oil. No flavorings are added.

Many people enjoy the taste, while others may find it very fishy.
 
Please keep in mind, there’s nothing like it on the market, so Rosita’s inherent taste is unlike the cod liver oils you can pick up at the grocery store. An industrially processed cod liver oil that tastes like lemon or is bland is likely is devoid of its proper nutrients. Here, you can be assured that the unprocessed, synthetic-free cod liver oil you get from Rosita is as fresh as the day it was bottled.
  
If you’re really sensitive to the taste of fresh fish, we also offer Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil softgels, which have very little to no taste at all. 

What is the major research that supports the use of Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil?

Cod liver oil has traditionally been consumed as part of the diet, in particular, by people living in northern coastal areas of Norway. It was crucial to survival, especially the cold, dark and stormy conditions. It was also said to support people with health issues including rheumatism, aching joints and stiff muscles.* At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists established that cod liver oil was antirachitic, and so mothers would give it to their children to support their immune systems.* Modern scientific studies lend credence to the historical views. 

It turns out cod liver oil is a nutrient-rich whole food. Unadulterated cod liver oil is a time-honored source of vitamins A, D3, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). 

Why is the Gadus morhua species of codfish used?

Ever since cod liver oil became a popular remedy, the livers of several species of Gadus have been used indiscriminately for its production. Even many fishermen are not able to discriminate between them. Gadus morhua, which lives in the colder waters and deeper sea regions, was the codfish species traditionally used by Rosita’s ancestors for producing truly authentic medicinal-grade cod liver oil. Gadus morhua is considered a delicacy in Norway, with a very special texture that is glassy, smooth and firm. It also has a richer taste compared to ordinary cod and falls apart on the plate in large creamy flakes when cooked. Liver oils from other types of fish, for example halibut liver oil, are higher in fat-soluble vitamins A and D. However they do not have the documented health capabilities as the Gadus morhua species of cod. Whether it’s a certain ratio of nutrients or some yet-to-be-discovered nutrient is unknown. “Cod Liver Oil and Chemistry” by F. P. Moller and “The Three Kinds of Cod Liver Oil” by L.J. De Jongh are two books written in the late 1800s detailing the dramatic healing effects of cod liver from the Gadus morhua species of cod.* Because Gadus Morhua is so prevalent in the Lofoten region of Norway, it became the hotbed of cod liver oil production in the 1800s and remains so to this day.

How do I take Rosita?
Here are the dosing recommendations for Rosita liquid:

• Adults: ½ to 1 teaspoon daily.
• Children and sensitive individuals: 1 to 4 drops daily.
• Infants (as approved by doctor): 1 to 3 drops daily. Drops may be administered by spoon or by dropper prior to feeding.
• Pregnant and nursing mothers: Do not exceed more than ¼ teaspoon daily. 
• Best taken with food, as needed.

Here are the dosing recommendations for Rosita softgels:

• Adults: 3 softgels daily. (90 capsule bottle will last 30 days)
• Children and sensitive individuals: Begin by taking 1 softgel daily. The softgels may be punctured with a pin and the oil expressed into mouths of young children. 
• Infants (as approved by doctor): 1 to 3 drops daily. The softgels may be punctured with a pin and the oil expressed into the mouth of an infant. 
• Pregnant and nursing mothers: Do not exceed more than 3 softgels daily. 
• Best taken with food, as needed. 

Important: Rosita is premium, pure and potent. Therefore, it’s critically important to start slowly, with a lower dosage than recommended. For example, a very small dose every other day, or even once a week, until you can determine how the supplement affects your body and what feels right for you.

As a side note, here are a few tips on “prepping” your fresh Rosita liquid for the most optimal taste:

1. Your bottle has to be refrigerated.
2. Before taking your preferred dose, take it out of the fridge, set it on the counter for two minutes.
3. Then shake! This allows your oil to be properly distributed (it’s a full spectrum oil, so shaking it makes for a consistent taste).
4. Some people like to enjoy a slice of orange afterward for a refreshing chaser.

Some other fun ideas:

Why not try making “mølje”— a traditional northern Norwegian fish dish which is very nutritious and remarkably rich in vitamin D! Poach the white meat of cod, cod liver and a slice of grainy, pale orange cod roe (preferably from sustainably caught wild codfish) in salty water with a chopped onion. Remove from the water and mix ingredients together in a bowl. Add Rosita to the mixture and enjoy! Great for topping up vitamin D levels for the winter.

Externally: Not as a substitute for internal use, but it can also be rubbed into the skin. The oil can also be used topically for wounds and as a skin elixir.

How do I store Rosita?

Proper storage is critical to conserving the nutritional properties of Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil. When using this product, keep it away from direct sources of heat and sunlight.

Liquid: Once you receive your Rosita liquid, please refrigerate your bottle (if you are going to consume the product fairly soon). For longer-term storage, unopened bottles can be stored in the freezer for up to three years. Once opened consume, within three months. Overall, the oil must be kept dark and cold. It may become cloudy and thicken when refrigerated or frozen. This is no cause for concern. Gently shake before use. 

Softgels: To maintain the Rosita softgels in the best possible state for the longest time, keep your softgels in dark storage at room temperature, ideally ranging from 58°F to 78°F (15°C to 25°C). 

Short temperature excursions whether hot or cold have little-to-no impact. Cold temperatures over prolonged periods of time can increase permeability of the gel and so they should not be refrigerated or frozen.

The shelf life of Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil softgels is three years from the production date.

Should I take the liquid or the softgels?

Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil is exactly the same regardless of the form you choose to purchase. Both the softgels and liquid have a full spectrum of omega fatty acids, high levels of vitamins A and D in their natural, unadulterated form and are raw and fresh.  

In terms of the milligrams per bottle, the liquid is more economical. At roughly ½ a teaspoon a day, the liquid can last two months, whereas the bottle of softgels will last a little under one month. 

Customers that choose to purchase the softgels do so mostly because they want to avoid the taste of fresh fish. The softgels are also convenient, as they do not require refrigeration and are great for travel. Lastly, the softgels have the added benefit of being made from fish collagen. Fish collagen is more easily absorbed than bovine collagen (which often comprises the softgel casing of other supplements on the market) and is supportive of skin, hair, nail and joint health.*

Why does Rosita liquid require refrigeration?

Codfish are known as thermal conformers. This means that their body temperature equals the surrounding water temperature. The deep waters that are home to the wild codfish that Rosita harvests are at a temperature of approximately 35.6°F to 30.2°F (2°C to -1°C) and colder. So by refrigerating your Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil, you’re actually mimicking the temperatures of a living codfish’s natural environment. 

Remember, Rosita is a raw, fresh, whole food. In the same way that many other raw, fresh, whole foods (like raw butter for example) require refrigeration to maintain freshness, so does Rosita.

My Rosita liquid is cloudy, why?

Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil is a pure, real food product that’s raw, unprocessed and unadulterated with no additives. It also contains rich omega fatty acids. Because of these factors, it can get cloudy when refrigerated (although the cloudiness can vary from batch to batch). If your Rosita liquid is cloudy, just let it rest on the counter for a couple of minutes and give it a little shake before taking your dose.

Why are there little specks in my oil?

Rosita is unadulterated and does not strip out any of the nutrients. There may be little specks or particles floating in the oil. This may be waxes, stearins or other types of naturally-occuring fat. This is all completely normal and natural.

What are the ingredients listed on a bottle of Rosita liquid?

100% wild-caught cod liver oil (Gadus morhua), rosemary, organic vitamin E.

How many units of vitamin A and vitamin D are in one serving of liquid Rosita?

Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver OIl is a completely unrefined and unprocessed whole food, so the concentration of nutrients will always vary slightly from batch to batch due to naturally occuring seasonal shifts. Here’s the general amount of vitamins A and D in one teaspoon of the liquid, which is equal to one serving:

• Vitamin D3 - 395 IU per teaspoon,
• Vitamin A - 3,900 IU per teaspoon. 

How many units of vitamin A and vitamin D are in the softgels?

A serving size of 3 Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil softgels has:

• 3 mcg Vitamin D3 per serving (3 softgels),
• 365 mcg Vitamin A per serving (3 softgels).

What is the source of natural vitamin E used as an antioxidant in Rosita?

The vitamin E is totally natural and obtained from non-GMO sunflower seeds. It is full-spectrum natural vitamin E, not isolated vitamin E.

It is free of common allergens.

• Gluten-free,
• GMO-free,
• Soy-free,
• Peanut-free, and
• Tree nut-free.

The amounts of natural vitamin E used are minimal, but essential for a completely raw and unprocessed oil to have a more stable shelf-life.

What are the softgels made out of?

The softgels are made out of 100% fish gelatin.

What are the differences between retinol and palmitate forms of vitamin A?

Retinyl palmitate (some manufacturers simply call it “palmitate”) is the main storage form of vitamin A in all fish livers, and is actually a combination of retinol and palmitic acid. Small amounts of “free retinol” may also be present in the liver.

With regards to vitamin A analysis of fish liver oils, there is no need to measure levels of palmitate (the predominant form) and retinol (the minor form) separately. When a fish liver oil sample is sent away for analytical testing to measure the total level of vitamin A, the laboratory will take the sample of liver oil and break all forms of vitamin A present in the liver oil (including the palmitate form) down to the retinol form. The next step is to measure the amount of retinol present and this measurement is therefore a measure of the total vitamin A content for that sample of fish liver oil.

Does Rosita contain both vitamin D2 and vitamin D3?

“Cod fish only contains vitamin D3. There is no vitamin D2 in either cod fish or cod liver oil.”

- Dr. Jacob Exler, Nutritionist, USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory

Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver OIl contains exactly what you would find present in the liver oil of a living wild codfish. Though vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) are available in a fish’s diet, vitamin D2 is almost absent in fish and fish liver oils.

The mystery why fish liver oils only contain vitamin D3

What remains a mystery to scientists and marine experts is why the only form of vitamin D that has been identified in fish oils is vitamin D3. You would expect vitamin D2 would be present especially if vitamin D2 produced in phytoplankton was concentrated in the food chain. The main explanations for this observation include:

1. Fish have the ability to discriminate between vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 and therefore, only concentrate vitamin D3 in their visceral oils.
2. Alternatively, fish or zooplankton that consume phytoplankton have a similar capacity as Paramecium to convert the side chain of vitamin D2 into the side chain of vitamin D3.
3. There is also a possibility the bioavailability of vitamin D2 is lower than for D3 in fish. 

More about vitamin D

Humans obtain vitamin D from diet and sunlight. There are two main forms of vitamin D: cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and ergocalciferol (vitamin D2). The main source of vitamin D3 is from exposure to sunlight, which accounts for more than 90% of the body’s vitamin D requirement. Vitamin D3 is synthesized in the human skin by a photochemical conversion via ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure of provitamin D3 (7-dehydrocholesterol). Vitamin D2 is sourced from the UV irradiation of ergosterol, which is a steroid found in some plants, but largely fungi. Humans have a combination of vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 available to them from sunlight UV exposure (vitamin D3), egg yolks and oily fish (vitamin D3), fortified margarine, milk and breakfast cereals (fortified vitamin D2) and dietary supplements (vitamin D2 and vitamin D3). Please note that we do not recommend foods fortified with vitamin D. 

Both vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 undergo similar enzymatic hydroxylation processes which convert them to the active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D2 or D3 (calcitriol). The liver and kidneys participate to make this active form of the vitamin that the body can use. However, there may be differences in their respective efficacies in raising serum 25(OH)D, which is a marker of vitamin D status. Differences may be due to their differing affinities for the vitamin D receptor. It is also thought that vitamin D3 is the preferred substrate for hepatic 25-hydroxylase.

Some studies indicate that vitamin D3 is more efficacious at raising serum 25(OH)D concentrations than is vitamin D2; and that vitamin D2 is 30% to 50% less effective than vitamin D3 in maintaining serum 25(OH)D levels. 

Is Rosita free of common allergens?

Yes! It is free of common allergens:

• Gluten-free,
• GMO-free,
• Soy-free,
• Nut-free.
• Corn-free.

Does Rosita’s ancient method affect the nutritional composition of the cod liver oil?

The levels of nutrients (including fat-soluble vitamins A and D and omega fatty acids) present in the liver of a living wild codfish are not significantly different when compared to the oil obtained using the ancient production method employed by Rosita. Experiments and third-party testing at a certified, independent laboratory have been performed to prove this. Nature dictates the nutrient levels in the Rosita oils, which is exactly how it was for our ancestors hundreds of years ago.

Is Rosita intriglyceride form or ethyl ester form?

The fats in Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil are in their natural triglyceride (TG) form, which is what you would expect from completely unrefined cod liver oil. Scientific research confirms oils in their triglyceride form exhibit greater absorption over the synthetic ethyl ester (EE) form. This also means levels of omega-3 EPA and DHA will be greater in those consuming triglyceride-based fish oils than those consuming ethyl esters. Please also note that the natural triglycerides present in Rosita oils are natural triglycerides and not re-esterified triglycerides, which are basically ethyl esters that are reassembled back into triglycerides. Rosita does not have to recreate the natural triglyceride form because our oils are completely unprocessed.