Conversation: The conversation between human and AI assistant.
[|Human|] I have fybromyalgia, borderline diebetic. I also have scoliosis, degenerate disc disorder and sciatica. I take a tablespoon of cod liver oil a day. I also have got  vitamin d deficiency, severe astma. Am I doing the right thing by taking cod liver oil daily
[|AI|]  Hello and Welcome to Chat Doctor, Well, it is not the best way to replete your vitamin D and you are overdosing on vitamin A, a fat soluble vitamin stored in your tissues causing a toxic buildup. This is what I would suggest if you were my patient. To replete vitamin D you need to supersaturate for a good 6 weeks with 10,000IU D3 per day for 5 days per week and then be re-checked for levels. If levels are normal then Chat Doctor. Fish oils are good for asthma control if you are not allergic to fish. Also, the cod liver oil should be free from contaminants and be of a high grade if taken. I personally feel it would be safer to take omega-3 fatty acids to reduce airway hyperreactivity seen in asthma although eating fish has been shown to cause similar reductions in asthmatic symptoms. Again, the concern with cod liver oil is the excess vitamin A and inadequate vitamin D for repletion. The different brands of cod liver oil will yield varying amounts of vitamin A and D, but since A can be toxic over time, cod liver oil daily may not be the best route. For example, 1 teaspoon of cod liver oil will give you 100% of your vitamin A needs, but will provide less than 500 IU of vitamin D.In regard to your asthma, an increased intake of fruit with a high vitamin C intake from these foods may reduce phlegm and mucous seen in asthmatics. Eating whole grains rather than white refined grains is also beneficial for asthma. I hope this ad