I hope that someone here may help with a few questions about the relationship of sharks vs. dietary supplements. (This is condensed from a more detailed article on my own small forum at http://holisticreview.com/i/sharks.php.)

I have found several good forums about shark conservation but surprisingly few about holistic health and dietary supplements. DrWeil.com seems to be the best.

I agree with Dr. Weil that shark cartilage is not a cancer cure. Also I agree that high doses as suggested by Dr. Lane can be harmful. In my view, raw cartilage is stressful to the digestive system. Cartilage is worse than a hard material--it is also rubbery. As any amateur woodworker knows, a material that is simply hard is not as difficult to process as a material that is both hard and rubbery.

Also there is no need to use shark "squalene" for the skin. There is now olive oil squalene which is probably as good, not to mention innumerable other natural skin tonics.

However, I can find no mention by Dr. Weil or others about alkylglycerols from shark oil. To my knowledge the only safe and standardized alkylglycerol supplement is Shark Liver Oil by Scandinavian Formulas (formerly called Alkyril). In previous literature it was claimed that alkylglycerols are critical in the formation of white blood cells. This has obvious potential for victims of cancer, HIV, chronic fatique, and the elderly. Their survival often hinges on a battle against anemia. My questions are:

1. Is there any credible research to support or disprove that the Shark Liver Oil by Scandinavian Formulas, standardized for alkylglycerol, might be of any value?


2. Are there non-shark alternatives to shark oil for alkylglycerol supplementation?

Incidentally I am also trying to get some clearer data about the percentage of shark fishing, if any, that is encouraged by dietary supplements. According to Oceana.org as many as 75% of shark fishing is the result of finning--an atrocity in which the fins are removed and the rest of the shark is dumped. If so this does not seem to leave much impact for shark supplements. However it seems assumed by shark activists that all dietary supplements are worthless and can only be harmful, so they do not bother with much detail on supplements. In my view, standardized cartilage suppplements are digestible and may be helpful for the joints. (Such as Soluble Bovine Cartilage by Enzymatic Therapy or Advanced Shark Cartilage by Twinlab.) Also, if standardized for alkylglycerol, shark liver oil may be useful and may have no non-shark alternative. Therefore I wish to determine factually whether or not a boycott of shark supplements is likely to have any benefit.

Edited by: krystof on Sep 5, 2008 8:18:09 AM

Krystof