Shark liver oil

Shark liver oil

Shark liver oil is obtained from sharks that are caught for food purposes and are living in cold, deep oceans. The liver oil from sharks has been used by fishermen for centuries as a folk remedy for general health. It is purportedly useful for healing wounds, sores, irritations of the respiratory tract and the alimentary canal and for lymph node swelling.Fact|date=October 2008 It is one of the active ingredients in hemorrhoid creams such as Preparation H.

Shark liver oil is rich in alkylglycerols, which are naturally found in mother's milk and in bone marrow.Fact|date=October 2008 It also contains pristane, squalene, vitamins A, D, omega-3 fatty acids, triglycerides, glycerol ethers, and fatty alcohols.Fact|date=October 2008

Shark oil barometers

Bermudians rely on unique shark-oil based "barometers" to predict storms and other severe weather, even though electronic meteorological facilities are available. [ [http://www.bermuda-online.org/traditions.htm Bermuda Traditions & Their Sources] ] Long ago local St. David's Islanders cooked a shark in its own liver oil. After being melted down in the hot sun, it was poured into a soda (carbonated beverage) bottle and hung outside. The appearance of the oil altered consistently with changes in the weather. From that time on, bottles of shark oil began appearing on walls or terraces.

Local practitioners of the art today say that a reliable way of prediccting the weather is to hang one of these bottles outdoors, then read how the shark oil settles or remains cloudy. Some old timers still check shark oil before going into deep waters. There are dozens of theories regarding why shark oil changes with the climate and whether it is an effective means of reading barometric pressure. The theory that carries the most weight is that electrical changes in the atmosphere affect the shark's liver and alert the shark to move out to deeper water before a bad storm. The oil retains this function when removed and the change is visible; the oil switches from a clear golden color like cooking oil to a milky white.

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • shark-liver oil — shärk .liv ər n a yellow to red brown fatty oil obtained from the livers of various sharks and used as a source of vitamin A …   Medical dictionary

  • shark liver oil — shark oil …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • shark liver oil — Oil extracted from the livers of sharks, mainly of the species Hypoprion brevirostris; a rich source of vitamins A and D …   Medical dictionary

  • shark-liver oil — noun a fatty yellow to brown oil obtained from the livers of sharks; used for dressing leather and as a source of vitamin A • Syn: ↑shark oil • Hypernyms: ↑animal oil * * * ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ noun also shark oil : a yellow to red brown fatt …   Useful english dictionary

  • Cod liver oil — in gelatin capsules …   Wikipedia

  • Fish-liver oil — may refer to:* Cod liver oil, an oil extracted from cod livers. * Shark liver oil …   Wikipedia

  • liver-oil shark — paprastasis sriubinis ryklys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Galeorhinus galeus angl. liver oil shark; oil shark; school shark; soupfin shark; tope; tope shark; vitamin shark rus. австралийская… …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

  • shark oil — noun a fatty yellow to brown oil obtained from the livers of sharks; used for dressing leather and as a source of vitamin A • Syn: ↑shark liver oil • Hypernyms: ↑animal oil * * * noun see shark liver oil * * * shark oil noun Oil from sha …   Useful english dictionary

  • Oil shark — Shark Shark, n. [Of uncertain origin; perhaps through OF. fr. carcharus a kind of dogfish, Gr. karchari as, so called from its sharp teeth, fr. ka rcharos having sharp or jagged teeth; or perhaps named from its rapacity (cf. {Shark}, v. t. & i.); …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Liver shark — Shark Shark, n. [Of uncertain origin; perhaps through OF. fr. carcharus a kind of dogfish, Gr. karchari as, so called from its sharp teeth, fr. ka rcharos having sharp or jagged teeth; or perhaps named from its rapacity (cf. {Shark}, v. t. & i.); …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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