Time for another episode of Q&A! Listen to what our readers have been asking lately, and if you’ve got a question, you can email me at questions@butterbeliever.com and I’ll answer you in another video.

Catherine asks:

I just discovered your blog and immediately liked your Facebook page. I am a WAPF fan and completely agree with your philosophy.

I was a bit concerned, however, about your claim in [a previous week’s] Q&A video, namely that “Most cod liver oil is factory processed in a way that strips out all the good nutrients and vitamins. Synthetic vitamins are then added back in.”

I take Carlson Labs code liver oil and am worried now! Do you have any substantiation for these claims? I take my supplements very seriously!

I appreciate any info you may be willing to share in this regard.

Answer Summary:

• The Weston A Price Foundation has an article that explains its cod liver oil recommendations and how they are processed. It says that in their “Good” category, the brands do contain synthetic vitamins.
• One product from Carlson’s is listed in that “Good” category: Carlson soft gel Cod Liver Oil Super 1,000 mg capsules.
• I recommend fermented cod liver oil that is in the WAPF “Best” category. You can find it here.

Cod Liver Oil Brands & Recommendations from the WAPF:

http://www.westonaprice.org/cod-liver-oil/cod-liver-oil-basics

Karielyn asks:

What are your thoughts on all this recent news about arsenic in rice? Do you think it is a valid concern and if so, is there any way to avoid it? Maybe buying organic rice?
Thanks in advance!

Answer Summary:

• If you eat white rice like I do, this won’t be much of an issue because the arsenic is concentrated in the bran, which is removed in white rice.
• Overall, I don’t think there’s much to worry about. Arsenic is found in many foods, and if your diet is rich enough in certain minerals like magnesium and zinc, you should be able to chelate (detox) inorganic arsenic in your body no problem.
• High levels of arsenic have been found in rice grown in the U.S. (the south has a history of using arsenic for agricultural purposes, so it’s found in higher levels in the soil), so rice from other countries like India will generally be safer, however, not all rice from the US is bad. See my resources page for where to get rice from brands I trust.
• If you’re still concerned, a solution to reducing the amount of arsenic in your rice is to first rinse the rice in water, then cook it in the “traditional” way which is using a ratio of 6:1 water to rice, and drain the excess water after cooking.

Laura asks:

How much gelatin (by the dry tablespoon, say) should an adult or child be eating a day? Can we eat too much?

Answer Summary:

• Gelatin is simply another form of protein, so depending on what your ideal amount of protein intake should be, you could probably have as much of that be gelatin as you want. I think it would be difficult to overdo it on gelatin, as you just naturally probably wouldn’t desire a quantity that would be too much.
• Most adults should be eating between 40 and 50 grams of protein per day, according to the WAPF, but for children and pregnant women it’s up to 70. Ray Peat advises more protein at up to 100 grams per day.
• A tablespoon of gelatin powder is approximately 12 grams. So, if you wanted, say, 60 grams of total protein, that would be met entirely by consuming five tablespoons of gelatin.
• Find grass-fed gelatin here.

Anything to add to my answers to this week’s questions?

Feel free to respond in the comments!

Got a Question?

I’d love to help give you an answer!

• Please send your questions to: questions@butterbeliever.com. My name is Emily, by the way. 
• Your question can be related to anything in the food, nutrition, health, or green living realm. I’m not the be-all-end-all expert on these things, obviously, but it is kind of my job to research and write about them.
• By sending me your question, you’re giving me permission to post it on the site and/or my YouTube videos. If you would like to remain anonymous, please tell me so and I’ll gladly honor that. Otherwise, I’ll use your first name and last initial if needed.
• Understand that I’m not a doctor or medical professional, so any information or opinions I provide will not be medical advice.

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