The Importance of Omega 3 during Pregnancy and Nursing
The EU (European Union) recently recommended pregnant and nursing women take daily omega 3 DHA fatty acid supplements.
For those of you who don't know, the EU committee is comprised of more than 50 nutritional experts from the Perinatal Lipid Nutrition Group (PeriLip) and Early Nutrition Programming (EARNEST); they have unanimously agreed pregnant and nursing mothers should supplement their diets with 200 mgs/day of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) - a long chain omega 3 fatty acid found primarily in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and tongol tuna/
The decision by the committee was based on the support of seven international scientific organizations, made its recommendation based on two major points:
One - studies conducted by the committee revealed that most western mothers did not eat enough fatty fish; two servings are generally recommended in order to supply the bare minimum of omega 3 DHA for a healthy pregnancy. The committee found that the average DHA intake of pregnant and lactating women in the U.S was less than 18 % of the recommended daily amount and only 2 % of these women meet their daily needs of DHA. Of course, if you are not eating enough fish oil to sustain your daily dosage of DHA then your baby isn't getting it either.
Two - Research studies have revealed that women who have a high dietary intake of omega 3 DHA have much healthier pregnancies and deliver babies that have higher birth weight as well as babies that are full term. Not only that, the research showed the benefits to extend beyond birth as well. Babies who received the recommended amounts of omega 3 fish oils, particularly DHA when in the womb have optimum brain and eye development and motor, thinking and language skills. There is also a decreased risk of these babies developing asthma, juvenile diabetes and ADD/ADHD later on in life.
Speaking for the committee, Professor Berthold Koletxco, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Munich, stated, "We reviewed a wealth of evidence on the benefits of DHA omega 3 and hope our findings will offer guidance for healthcare professionals on the optimum DHA omega 3 intake during pregnancy and nursing."
In addition, professor Koletzco also shared, "We also hope that new and expectant mothers will be able to use this specific information to ensure that they are getting enough DHA omega 3 to gain the nutritional benefits throughout their pregnancy and during nursing."
The EU committee recommended salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and tuna as the richest sources of omega 3 fatty acids. The committee also pointed out that even though they recommend 200 mgs/day of omega 3 DHA, studies have shown that as much as one gram/day of DHA can be taken without any adverse affect.
If you are concerned about fish toxicity researchers have found that as long as you stay away from the large predator fish such as shark and swordfish, two or three servings a week of one of the above fatty fish is perfectly safe during pregnancy. In fact, a recent study conducted at Harvard University School of Public Health revealed that any harmful effects of toxicity are far outweighed by the benefits of fish oil as much as 500 to one. In other words, toxicity is not a threat.
Therefore, if you are pregnant, nursing or just thinking about it and want your baby to be smart, and healthy there is no time like the present to start eating more fatty fish and taking omega 3 fish oil supplements ASAP. Your baby will thank you. - 17269
For those of you who don't know, the EU committee is comprised of more than 50 nutritional experts from the Perinatal Lipid Nutrition Group (PeriLip) and Early Nutrition Programming (EARNEST); they have unanimously agreed pregnant and nursing mothers should supplement their diets with 200 mgs/day of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) - a long chain omega 3 fatty acid found primarily in fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and tongol tuna/
The decision by the committee was based on the support of seven international scientific organizations, made its recommendation based on two major points:
One - studies conducted by the committee revealed that most western mothers did not eat enough fatty fish; two servings are generally recommended in order to supply the bare minimum of omega 3 DHA for a healthy pregnancy. The committee found that the average DHA intake of pregnant and lactating women in the U.S was less than 18 % of the recommended daily amount and only 2 % of these women meet their daily needs of DHA. Of course, if you are not eating enough fish oil to sustain your daily dosage of DHA then your baby isn't getting it either.
Two - Research studies have revealed that women who have a high dietary intake of omega 3 DHA have much healthier pregnancies and deliver babies that have higher birth weight as well as babies that are full term. Not only that, the research showed the benefits to extend beyond birth as well. Babies who received the recommended amounts of omega 3 fish oils, particularly DHA when in the womb have optimum brain and eye development and motor, thinking and language skills. There is also a decreased risk of these babies developing asthma, juvenile diabetes and ADD/ADHD later on in life.
Speaking for the committee, Professor Berthold Koletxco, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Munich, stated, "We reviewed a wealth of evidence on the benefits of DHA omega 3 and hope our findings will offer guidance for healthcare professionals on the optimum DHA omega 3 intake during pregnancy and nursing."
In addition, professor Koletzco also shared, "We also hope that new and expectant mothers will be able to use this specific information to ensure that they are getting enough DHA omega 3 to gain the nutritional benefits throughout their pregnancy and during nursing."
The EU committee recommended salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and tuna as the richest sources of omega 3 fatty acids. The committee also pointed out that even though they recommend 200 mgs/day of omega 3 DHA, studies have shown that as much as one gram/day of DHA can be taken without any adverse affect.
If you are concerned about fish toxicity researchers have found that as long as you stay away from the large predator fish such as shark and swordfish, two or three servings a week of one of the above fatty fish is perfectly safe during pregnancy. In fact, a recent study conducted at Harvard University School of Public Health revealed that any harmful effects of toxicity are far outweighed by the benefits of fish oil as much as 500 to one. In other words, toxicity is not a threat.
Therefore, if you are pregnant, nursing or just thinking about it and want your baby to be smart, and healthy there is no time like the present to start eating more fatty fish and taking omega 3 fish oil supplements ASAP. Your baby will thank you. - 17269
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