Still supple at 70!

Now that we are moving into the cold winter months, keeping your joints supple and flexible is of paramount importance.
Take Valerie Braithewaite for instance. An osteoarthritis sufferer, Valerie is a gymnastics teacher – and she’s almost 70 years old!

Valerie started her career as a toddler and went onto to the Aida Foster Stage School where her classmates included Barbara Windsor and Shirley Eaton. Valerie can still do the back-bending pose she did for the front cover of an acrobatics journal 25 years ago as well as the splits – something her young pupils are in awe of.

But it has not always been so easy for Valerie, as she started to suffer from Osteoarthritis which limited her flexibility and performance – for her job this was highly destructive. However, she started taking an extra high dose of Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil about 10 years ago and now swears that its natural benefits have enabled her to continue with her career and doesn’t ever miss her daily dose.

Valerie says “My ability to perform and use my body as I do at this age is all down to the training – and cod liver oil! I believe that taking cod liver oil daily has helped me to keep my joints supple and has alleviated nearly all of my symptoms of pain, enabling me to continue with my passion.”

Cod liver oil – the benefits

Omega-3 fats
There is evidence that substances called essential fatty acids (EFAs) in certain oils in the diet can help some people with arthritis. There are two types of EFAs: omega-3 fats found mainly in oily fish and some plant seed oils and nuts, and omega-6 fats found in corn, soybean and sunflower oils. There is growing evidence to suggest that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can help people with inflammatory arthritis. You should eat a greater amount of omega-3 fats as too much omega-6 can increase inflammation in the body. Most people probably have enough omega-6 fats in their diet already as these are found in saturated fats (such as meat products and cheese).

Omega-3 fats can be obtained through your diet, but many people with arthritis also take supplements as quite a large dose is needed to be effective.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also needed for the body to absorb calcium. The main source of vitamin D is from sunlight on our skin, but it is also found in oily fish. Certain groups of people might not be able to use sunlight as a source of vitamin D and should consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil includes 100% of your daily needed vitamin D intake so a daily capsule is both easy and beneficial.

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