Cod Liver Oil, a Full Day of Vitamin A and Vitamin D in One Capsule
Cod liver oil helps keep your immune system, your bones and your vision working normally, supplying 800 mcg of vitamin A and 5 mcg of vitamin D in a single capsule, which is a full day of the reference intake for each. From Holland & Barrett, one capsule a day.
This is an old-fashioned product in the best sense, and the vitamins are the reason to buy it rather than the omega-3. Below you will find the full panel with every amount, the five recognised benefits one capsule earns, what the EPA and DHA do and do not reach, how to take it, and two things about vitamin A that genuinely matter and that we would rather you heard from us.
What One Capsule Supplies
Per capsule, from the manufacturer’s published panel.
- Vitamin A 800 mcg RE, which is 100% of the daily reference intake, as retinyl palmitate. Vitamin A contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to the maintenance of normal skin, to the maintenance of normal vision and to normal iron metabolism. At a full reference intake all four apply, and they are the strongest thing about this capsule.
- Vitamin D 5 mcg, which is also 100% of the daily reference intake, as cholecalciferol. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, to normal muscle function, and to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus.
- Cod liver oil 1,000 mg, which is the whole oil the two vitamins arrive in and the reason they are so well absorbed: both are fat soluble, and here they come dissolved in fat rather than pressed into a dry tablet.
- EPA 80 mg and DHA 90 mg, with total omega-3 fatty acids of 170 mg. A useful contribution to a diet light on oily fish, and we will be straight with you about what it is and is not: the recognised omega-3 benefits for the heart and the brain apply at 250 mg a day, so one capsule sits below them. If omega-3 is your main reason for buying, our wild Alaskan salmon oil delivers 800 mg of EPA and DHA across its daily dose and clears those thresholds three times over. We would rather tell you that than sell you the wrong bottle.
- A gelatine capsule shell, with glycerol and purified water. That makes this a fish-derived product in an animal-derived shell, so it falls outside a vegetarian or vegan diet, and anyone who needs a halal-certified supplement should ask us rather than assume.
So five recognised benefits from two vitamins, both at a full day’s reference intake, in one small capsule for a modest price. That is the honest proposition, and it is a good one.
How to Take It
One capsule a day with a meal, and no more than one. That is the manufacturer’s instruction and the label adds “do not exceed stated dose”, which on a vitamin A product is there for a reason rather than as boilerplate.
Take it with food containing some fat. Both vitamins here are fat soluble, the oil provides some of that fat itself, and a meal improves absorption further. Breakfast or lunch suits most people.
Add up the vitamin A you are already taking. This is the one piece of arithmetic worth doing before you start. A capsule here gives a full day of vitamin A, and many multivitamins carry it too, so two products together can take you past what you need. Bring us what you have and our pharmacist will total it in a minute. The same applies to vitamin D: if you are already on a dedicated vitamin D3 1000 IU capsule, the 200 IU here is a small addition rather than a duplicate, and we will tell you where you stand.
Judge it over months rather than weeks. Vitamin status shifts slowly and there is nothing to feel day to day. Take it steadily, and judge it by what your doctor measures.
Who This Suits
Adults who want vitamin A and vitamin D together at a full reference intake without assembling two bottles. Anyone whose diet is light on oily fish, liver and eggs, which in practice is most of us. People who prefer one small capsule to a large multivitamin tablet. Adults who find vitamin D tablets hard to absorb and do better with it dissolved in oil. Anyone who grew up on cod liver oil and wants it without the spoon. And anyone who would rather buy a vitamin A product from a pharmacy that will ask them the right questions first.
Is Cod Liver Oil Right for You?
Please read these five before you buy. The first two are the manufacturer’s own words and they are more specific than most labels bother to be.
- DO NOT TAKE THIS IF YOU ARE PREGNANT OR LIKELY TO BECOME PREGNANT, EXCEPT ON THE ADVICE OF A DOCTOR OR AN ANTENATAL CLINIC. That is the manufacturer’s instruction word for word, and we will not soften it. The reason is the vitamin A: this is preformed retinol, and in pregnancy the advice on retinol supplements is settled and cautious. If you are pregnant, trying to conceive or might become pregnant, please speak to us before buying. Our doctor is here at the pharmacy, we will show you what is suitable instead, and a prenatal supplement is a different product from this one.
- IF YOU EAT LIVER REGULARLY, THIS MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT SUPPLEMENT FOR YOU. Also the manufacturer’s own advice: supplements containing preformed retinol are best avoided by people who often eat liver or products made from it, because liver is extraordinarily rich in vitamin A and the two together add up quickly. If liver is a regular part of your cooking, tell us and we will point you at a vitamin D product without the vitamin A.
- One capsule a day, and tell us what else you take. The label says do not exceed the stated dose. Multivitamins, cod liver oil syrups and fortified products all carry vitamin A, and the total is what counts. Bring the bottles or photograph the labels and our pharmacist will add them up with you.
- This is a fish product in a gelatine capsule. If you have a fish allergy it is not for you. It is also unsuitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet because of the shell, and if you need halal certification please ask us rather than assume, and we will check the supplier documentation.
- If you take any regular medicine or are under medical supervision, have a word with us first. The manufacturer asks for this and we agree. It matters particularly if you are on a blood thinner, since any fish oil is worth mentioning, or if you have a liver condition. Bring us your list, or speak to your doctor, or ours.
Storing It
Keep the pack tightly closed in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, below 25 degrees, and out of reach of children. A cupboard rather than a windowsill or the shelf above the cooker, because fish oils oxidise with heat and light and both vitamins here degrade in sunlight. Do not use the pack if the seal under the cap is broken or missing. If the capsules ever smell strongly rancid rather than faintly of fish, bring them back to us.
Where to Buy OsteoMove in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At two tablets a day a bottle runs for a long time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Shellfish and bovine-derived ingredients occasionally need an import declaration, and this formula contains both, so tell us the destination and we will confirm the paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A joint supplement is a sensible thing to send, because the benefit builds over months and a steady supply matters far more than a single bottle. Two tablets a day is also the easiest regimen to keep up with. Tell us who it is for, how many months you want covered, and whether they have a shellfish allergy or avoid beef, and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your OsteoMove from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will flag the shellfish and the bovine chondroitin before you pay, show you the shellfish-free or plant-derived option when that is the right answer, read you the amounts and say plainly which parts of the formula are doing the work, check it against warfarin, against any surgery you have booked and against your diabetes if you have it, and tell you honestly how long to give it. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cod liver oil used for?
Here it is mainly a vitamin A and vitamin D supplement, and each capsule carries a full day of the reference intake for both. Vitamin A contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to the maintenance of normal skin and normal vision; vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system, to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, and to normal muscle function. The capsule also carries 80 mg of EPA and 90 mg of DHA from the oil itself.
Can I take cod liver oil while pregnant?
No, not without medical advice, and we would rather say so plainly here than leave it in small print. The manufacturer’s own instruction is: do not take if you are pregnant or likely to become pregnant, except on the advice of a doctor or an antenatal clinic. The reason is the vitamin A, which is present as preformed retinol. If you are pregnant, trying to conceive or might become pregnant, please talk to us before buying. Our doctor is here at the pharmacy, and a prenatal supplement is a different product from this one.
How much vitamin A and vitamin D does it contain?
Per capsule: vitamin A 800 mcg RE, which is 2,664 IU and 100% of the daily reference intake, as retinyl palmitate; and vitamin D 5 mcg, which is 200 IU and also 100% of the reference intake, as cholecalciferol. Both come dissolved in 1,000 mg of cod liver oil, which is part of why they absorb well.
How much EPA and DHA does it have?
EPA 80 mg and DHA 90 mg per capsule, with total omega-3 of 170 mg. That is a useful contribution if your diet is light on oily fish. If omega-3 is your main reason for buying, we should tell you that the recognised heart and brain benefits apply at 250 mg a day, so one capsule sits below them — our wild Alaskan salmon oil reaches 800 mg across its daily dose. Come and tell us what you are after and we will match you to the right one.
How many capsules a day?
One, with a meal, and the label says not to exceed that. On a vitamin A product the ceiling matters, so please take it as written rather than doubling up on a day you have forgotten the day before.
Can I take it if I eat liver often?
Ask us first. The manufacturer advises that supplements containing preformed retinol are best avoided by people who regularly eat liver or products made from liver, because liver is exceptionally rich in vitamin A and the two together add up quickly. If liver is a regular part of your cooking, tell us and we will show you a vitamin D product without the vitamin A.
Can I take it with my multivitamin?
Bring both in and let us add them up. Most multivitamins contain vitamin A, and this capsule already gives a full day of it, so the two together can take you past what you need. It is a one-minute check at the counter and it is exactly the sort of thing worth doing before you start rather than after.
Can children take it?
Please let our doctor set that rather than dividing an adult capsule. The label carries no children’s dose, and a preformed vitamin A product is not something to estimate for a child. Our doctor is here at the pharmacy and can see you and the child in one visit.
Is it suitable for vegetarians, or is it halal?
It is not suitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet: the oil is from fish and the capsule shell is gelatine. If you need halal certification, please ask us rather than assume, and we will check the supplier documentation for you before you buy.
Does it contain fish, and are there side effects?
Yes, it is cod liver oil, so it is not suitable for anyone with a fish allergy. At one capsule a day most people have no trouble at all. A little burping or a faintly fishy taste is the commonest complaint and taking it with a meal usually settles it. Stop and speak to us if anything concerns you.
Is it the same as the cod liver oil I was given as a child?
The same oil, without the spoon. The liquid many people remember was taken for the vitamin A and vitamin D rather than the omega-3, and that is still what this is for. The capsule simply spares you the taste.
Where can I buy cod liver oil in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown at the top of this listing. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request.
