New Research Calls For A New Look At Guidlines On Diet During Pregnancy
Depression during pregnancy can be harmful to both mother and baby, so the results of a new study of 10,000 British women could be significant. The study concludes that eating omega 3-rich seafood can substantially reduce the risk of depression.
A questionnaire given to women who were 32 weeks pregnant included questions about their mood and their diet. Women who had eaten more than 1.5 grams of omega 3 fatty acid each week – equivalent to 3 or more portions of seafood – were found to have around 50 percent less incidence of depressive symptoms compared to women who had eaten no fish during their pregnancy.Thirty two weeks into their pregnancies, the women were given a questionnaire that included questions on their mood and what they had eaten during pregnancy. Researchers found that those women who had regularly eaten at least 1.5 grams of omega 3 fatty acid each week (equivalent to 3 portions of seafood) during their pregnancy were around 50 percent less likely to experience symptoms of depression compared to those women who had eaten no seafood.
Although common in Western countries, depression is very rare in countries where people eat a lot of fish; for example Japan.
The findings of this study are particularly interesting as before its publication the standard medical advice to pregnant women was to reduce the intake of fish because of its mercury content. Researchers are now seeking a reappraisal of this advice in view of the obvious benefit of omega 3 which is found mostly in seafood.
Rather than eat fish; women should consider getting their omega 3 in capsule form. However, be wary of the cheaper brands as there is a risk that the omega 3 has been extracted from fish with high mercury content. Some brands do use fish from areas of the sea with lower levels of mercury present.
