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Instead of following a sensible lifestyle, some people who can afford the price and the thoughtlessness are buying shark liver oil products as a dietary supplement to “treat multiple ailments, including wounds, cancer, heart disease, and infertility“. Research is said to have shown ‚health benefits [thanks] to its high alkylglycerol (AKG), squalene, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA, among which Omega-3) content‘ [1].

Squalene plays a role in topical skin lubrication and protection [2] and was first extracted from the liver of sharks (Squalus), hence its name, but is produced by most living organisms. However, the  highest squalene content is found in the liver of sharks, especially deepwater sharks and rays whose stocks are therefore overfished, with half of the target species threatened with extinction,   according to a recent study [3]. The authors call for ‚immediate trade and fishing regulations‘ to prevent irreversible damage to deepwater species which are especially sensitive to overexploitation due to their late and slow reproduction.

What you can do

If you are looking for a product that contains squalene, make sure it does not contain shark liver oil from.

And since we’re already talking about it, prefer Omega-3 products made from algae over those made from fish or krill.

Title picture:
The enigmatic Greenland shark (credit: Hemming1952 / Wikimedia Commons)
Find the review of a book on this species, in German: http://billo.ch/blog/?p=2313

References:

[1] Shark Liver Oil: Benefits, Uses, and Side Effects

[2] Squalene

[3] Fishing for oil and meat drives irreversible defaunation of deepwater sharks and rays