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| Brain Food For Your Baby |
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There are several theories on what constitutes a healthy diet during pregnancy, including suggestions on how we can increase our fetus' brain development and function. However, there does seem to be one consistently discussed and studied view for proper brain development--omega-3 fatty acids. Many recent studies have demonstrated that increasing your omega-3 intake while you are pregnant helps to properly develop a fetus' brain. When a fetus is not getting enough from the mother's diet for brain development, it then begins to take what it needs from the mother's brain, decreasing a woman's brain mass by as much as three percent! This brain mass loss has been shown in some studies to be associated with post-partum blues. As a result, the National Institute of Health recommends that pregnant women supplement their diets with 1200 mg per day of fish oil with DHA and EPA. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are omega-3 essential fatty acids critical for brain, eye, and central nervous system development and functioning. |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acid Sources |
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Salmon, tuna, sardines, oysters, and mackerel are great natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, other plant-based sources like flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, walnuts, soy products, canola oil, and other enhanced foods are options for getting the necessary omega-3s your body needs. However, there are a couple things to note about consuming omega-3s. First, plant-based sources contain an additional type of omega-3s called Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which your body converts to EPA and then eventually DHA. At this time there are more studies demonstrating the advantages of directly consuming DHA and EPA versus the health benefits of converting ALA. Second, omega-3 supplements are available, but you want to make sure they are not made from fish livers. It is possible that the liver contains high amounts of retinol vitamin A, which has been linked to birth defects. However, supplements made from the body of the fish are less likely to contain retinol vitamin A. |
| My Own Experience |
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After embarking on this research, it was clear to me that I wanted to ensure my diet consisted of enough omega-3s for both my baby and myself. Previously, I had always limited the amount of fish I consumed, as I was told it was associated with high levels of mercury. However, after completing my analysis for this article, I again began to make certain that I was consuming fish such as salmon and tuna at least once a week. For me, it seemed the benefits of the omega-3s outweighed the minimal amount of mercury I was also taking in. While I do not necessarily believe the hype that my child will be a star student or have behavioral issues solely based on my fish oil intake, I am a strong believer that a certain amount is necessary for proper brain function for both my child and myself. Consequently, I knew I wanted to supplement my diet with additional sources of omega-3s beyond consuming fish once a week. It seems that the best source of omega-3 fatty acids is quite simply, fish oil. Yet I wanted to be careful that I chose a fish oil that did not carry a severe "fishy" taste and had minimal smell, as smells have really set off my nausea during this pregnancy. However, when I went out and bought the fish oil, I was not expecting fishy-tasting burps as a result. This ended up being a very unpleasant side effect for me that I could not handle as they made me feel very sick. Instead, I decided to look into purchasing another omega-3 supplement but was wary of the retinol vitamin A. For this reason, I opted for a supplement that specifically stated it was designed for pregnant women. Additionally, I called my doctor to ensure taking the supplement was considered safe and was recommended. So far so good, as the supplement does not seem to have any noticeable side effects! |
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