Fish Oil In Pregnancy. Is It A Good Idea Or Not?
There is now pretty much evidence of the health benefits of Omega 3 polyunsaturated fish oil. But what about when you're pregnant. Should you take fish oil in pregnancy?
This is actually several questions. Firstly is it safe to take fish oil during pregnancy? Yes. There are no documented risks to taking fish oil in pregnancy for healthy normal mothers.
And the second question is, what are the health benefits to both the mother and the baby of taking fish oil in pregnancy?
There have been a wide range of benefits that are shown to apply to health adults, and unhealthy adults, from taking fish oil supplements. So any pregnant woman should expect to see the same benefits. More on this below though.
But what about the benefits of fish oil during pregnancy to the fetus and infant?
The most important of the Omega 3 fatty acids is DHA and around 95% of adults in the US are deficient in DHA. You get DHA from the oils found in fish and put into fish oil supplements.
The brain is made up of a high percentage of fat, and a lot of this fat is DHA. And during the third trimester the fetal brain requires quite a lot of DHA to develop fully. And if there is a deficiency of DHA this has later brain performance implications.
Some studies are now showing that fish oil supplements in pregnancy can increase the supply of DHA to the fetal brain with some or all of the following benefits:
Improved brain function. Increased ability to concentrate as a child. Improvements in hand/eye coordination. Improvement in the ability to concentrate. Better sleep patterns in infancy. Improvements in visual acuity. A beneficial, or preventative effect for ADHD.
and much more.
And some studies even show that low levels of DHA in pregnancy can lead to a higher risk of cesarean.
So that's pretty impressive. There's some serious benefits there. Lets return to the benefits of taking Omega 3 in pregnancy to the mother.
Lower risk of postpartum depression. Reduced risk of breast cancer. Lower risk of developing pre-eclampsia. Reduced risk of a cesarean birth.
Are you convinced yet of the benefits of taking fish oil in pregnancy? Remember the statistic. 95% of US adults are deficient in Omega 3 essential fatty acids. That isn't any different in pregnancy unless you make it change yourself.
So what about eating fish during pregnancy? Well that's ok except that the US government, through it's agencies, tells us that fish is contaminated with mercury and we shouldn't eat a lot, especially if we are pregnant.
Visit my website to find out more about fish oil in pregnancy, as well as how to compare the different fish oil supplements available.
Want to know more about Fish Oil Benefits? Or more about taking Fish Oil During Pregnancy? Visit Peter's Website Healthy Omega 3 Fish Oil.