Talk:Shark liver oil

Hemorrhoid research
There is no evidence that this smelly substance has any effect on hemorrhoids at all. It is a folk remedy without substance. --69.152.169.40 (talk) 06:08, 2 April 2011 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.152.169.40 (talk) 06:05, 2 April 2011 (UTC)

According to the National Geographic Society
Overfishing of sharks has caused a significant drop in shark populations that poses dangers to ocean ecosystems worldwide"

Is this really relevant to what shark liver oil is? Should this line be included in this page?
 * It depends on whether a significant number of sharks are hunted predominantly for their livers. If shark liver oil is considered a byproduct of other shark products it is not relevant.  This could be determined by comparing the economic value of shark oil/fins/meat/etc.4hodmt 14:19, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

So is it Wikipedia's status to simply throw up unsubstantiated claims? I would think that until that link is established, it should stay off the article. Is my thinking unsound here?

Sustainability of supplement
I'm looking into taking shark liver oil as a supplement, but I don't want to support an industry that has a negative impact on global shark populations. I would like to see some discussion in this article about the sustainability of this supplement and if it does in fact impact the environment negatively.--64.81.241.188 19:11, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Bermudian Shark Liver Oil & Weather Prediction
The use of shark oil is a method of weather prediction which has been in use for at least a few hundred years. And I am glad to say Bermuda shark liver oil is sourced from sharks which are eaten.

Shark is traditionally cooked as a hash at Easter on the Island. But because it has a strong smell, it is either liked or not liked.

Bermuda has strict rules to regulate fishing around the Island - and since the Island is isolated, sitting on a dormant volcanic shelf in the Sargasso Sea situated in the Atlantic Ocean, and has a land area totalling 22 square miles, it does not have the capacity to over fish the shark. There is a shallow coral shelf around Bermuda, longer at its Northern end and shorter on the Southern side, which is actually the top of the volcano, and on the sides of this, there is an immediate drop off into the wider Atlantic Ocean, where some of the worlds' deepest waters can be found. Bermuda has a temperate climate, and although the weather is relatively mild, this also means that it has all of the seasons.

Sharks' oil has traditionally been used in Bermuda, to predict the weather - though the relatively small amount of shark oil is usually kept within a bottle, the size of a small drinks bottle outside of the back door of many of the old houses. It is usually suspended or hung by a rafter of the roof or fixed in some elevated position where it can be easily seen.

'''The shark oil is a by-product of the shark, and so it seems to behave as it does within the shark. And as the weather changes - there is a very distinct change in the shark oil within the bottle. Generally, if the shark oil is clear, then the weather will be clear.''' Before there were accurate satellite images of the weather, when there were hurricane predictions, the old people on the Island, who could read the shark oil, would argue that according to the shark oil’s clarity, cloudiness or what have you, there would be no hurricane coming, although there would be bad weather. On at least a few occasions they have been right. The problem with hurricanes hitting Bermuda, is that the land mass is so small, a small change in direction to the right of left, could easily mean that a hurricane that was heading directly for the Island would miss it.

Most people view the sea as a luxury or exotic, but in Bermuda there is water almost everywhere you look, and with this comes the reality of the sea. And to be that exposed, it is no wonder that anything which could predict the weather was seized upon and viewed in high regard.

It's understandable that most people have never heard of this. The Bermudian population totals about 50-60 thousand, and unless you are a more affluent traveller, means likely you would have never travelled to Bermuda - which is a British Overseas Territory and a functions largely as a tax haven.

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"Barometer" section
Cleaned this up a bit - originally sounded like it was written by an eighth grade student. Do we have any source for this theory about electrical charges? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.168.203.110 (talk) 19:15, 3 April 2009 (UTC)

Do these "barometers" work? This text seems to suggest that they do, while not just saying it outright, but providing no context or explaination. Do they work or not? I'd be surprised if they did, and want to add "According to this belief, a clear..." but it just says that the mechanism is not known, not whether it even works. Thus implying that it does, but with no evidence. Bruhpedia (talk) 22:45, 1 March 2023 (UTC)

Medical Use
The article explains about unpurified oil one can get practically in household conditions from shark's liver. There should be more information about available products with purified oil. More information about effects of medical use of shark liver oil, and about shark oil capsules in which there is purified oil possibly without unhealthy cholesterol. (e.g. Ecomer (references: http://www.ecomer.co.za/)) Also: do alkylglycerols themselves have some contraindications, unpredicted side effects etc. On further reading about 'Ecomer' product I found that "In Sweden, a SLO product ( Ecomer ) was prohibited by the National Board of Health and Welfare." (Source: http://www.drugs.com/npp/shark-liver-oil.html ) ...And I read some comments that it's considered homeopathic in regard to its immune system boosting abilities.

as lamp oil
The film Man of Aran documents it's use by Irish cultures as a lamp oil. Chrisrus (talk) 01:35, 18 January 2011 (UTC)

American Physicians
Why does this article talk about the supplement not being used by american physicians? Surely it's an international article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.123.162.38 (talk) 08:00, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

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 * Hi,
 * I have tried to follow 3 external links/references and all three were dead links.
 * Also:
 * I would suggest removing any sections that refer to medicinal use of Shark liver oil, other than to mention that there is no evidence for any medical benefits, that it contains mercury and PCBs, and that sharks do infact get cancer.
 * Thanks. 2.103.91.170 (talk) 16:02, 24 February 2023 (UTC)