People over the age of 65 should avoid taking cod liver oil supplements because of a link with osteoporosis, the Food Standards Agency said today.

The agency said that cod liver oil contains high quantities of vitamin A which, if taken over a long period of time, increases the risk of losing of bone density in later life, leaving elderly people vulnerable to fractures.

The warning is liable to alarm the large numbers of elderly people who take fish liver oil capsules every day as a traditional remedy to improve joint suppleness.

In addition, the FSA issued a general warning that nobody should regularly eat liver or any liver-based product - such as pate - more than once a week on a regular basis because of their high vitamin A content.

The FSA recommends a daily intake of vitamin A as 0.7 mg for men and 0.6mg for women. The recommended maximum is 1.5mg a day.

The amount of vitamin A in liver varies but analysis by the agency found that cooked liver contained between 10mg and 25mg in an average 100g portion. Liver pâté contained about 7.3mg per 100g.

Gill Fine, the agency’s director of consumer choice and dietary health, said that most people had no need to worry about levels of vitamin A in their diet.

She said: "Due to concerns about a possible link between high intakes of vitamin A and osteoporosis, women who have been through the menopause and men over 65 years, who are at highest risk, should eat liver no more than once a week.

"In addition, as a precaution, people who eat liver every week should not increase this any further. Both these groups should avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A."

An FSA spokeswoman clarified: "Cod liver oil is extracted from the liver of cod and is a rich source of vitamin A. All fish liver oil supplements contain vitamin A. If you eat liver or liver products every week, you should avoid taking any supplements that contain vitamin A, including fish liver oils."

Pregnant women and those planning to start a family have already been warned not to eat liver or take vitamin A supplements because large quantities of the vitamin can harm an unborn child.

The advice was issued after the FSA's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition flagged up recent research which had shown that a high vitamin A intake over many years increased the risk of osteoporosis in later life. This disease results in fragile bones that break very easily and is a particular problem for the elderly.

Liver is a good source of iron in the diet. Iron can however also be found in red meat, pulses, bread, green vegetables such as spinach and kale, and fortified breakfast cereals.

The Government’s scientific experts also found that a low intake of vitamin D might also increase the effects of high vitamin A levels on bone health.

As most people get their vitamin D from sunlight those most at risk as the housebound, traditional Muslims and other religious groups who cover their skin, and all of these groups were thus particularly sensitive to high doses of vitamin A. Fish, eggs, margarine, breakfast cereals, bread and powdered milks are also sources of vitamin D.

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