Importance of Omega 3 Supplements for Pregnant Women

Research in the field of pharmacology and medicine brings with it various new information regarding the nutritional needs of pregnant women; one such recent development is the importance of Omega-3 fatty acids both for the health of the mother and the baby.

Omega-3 fatty acids, a long chain of polyunsaturated fatty acids provides essential nutrients for health and development; it is not produced in the human body and a typical American diet lacks these fatty acids. The 2 main Omega-3s are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) that supports the heart, immune system, and inflammatory response and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that supports the brain, eyes, and central nervous system.

Omega-3s bring about balanced production of a hormone like substance, prostaglandin that regulates important physiological functions of blood pressure, blood clotting, nerve transmission, inflammatory and allergic responses, the functions of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract and the production of other hormones. The imbalance of prostaglandin brings about diseases.

Fish, fish oil and its supplements are some of the main sources of Omega-3 fatty acids; with the best sources of EPA and DHA being cold water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies, and herring. However many may doubt their safety of fish during pregnancy due to presence of mercury and other toxins in them. Getting a high quality fish oil supplement from a reputable manufacturer may deliver the health benefits of DHA and EPA without the risk of toxins.

The safety and reliability of fish oil far exceeds that of flaxseeds and flaxseeds oil as EPA and DHA have longer chains than ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), with recent research indicating that it is rarely possible to convert ALA to EPA and DHA.

Omega-3 and pregnancy:

• Omega 3s are very essential for the neurological and early visual development of the baby; taking foods rich in Omega 3 or its supplements is very essential as a Western diet is deficient in these nutrients.

• Next Omega 3s is essential not only for the growing baby, but it is essential for the pregnant woman also because she is depleted of Omega-3 when the fetus uses up all her reserves for development of its nervous system.

• It is also true that Omega-3’s is essential for nursing and lactating mothers to make breast milk. Research has indicated that breast milk enriched with EPA and DHA from the diet of pregnant woman leads to visual and cognitive development of the baby.

• It has been found that higher consumption of Omega-3s helps to reduce allergies of various types in the infant.

• The positive effect of Omega-3 fatty acids on the pregnancy itself cannot be overlooked; increased intake of EPA and DHA has been shown to prevent pre-term labor and delivery, lowers the risk of preeclampsia and increases birth weight.

• It is best for women to take Omega-3s and their supplements during pregnancy and after birth as it decreases the mother’s risk for depression both now and in subsequent pregnancies.

To conclude fish oil that use high quality raw materials and advanced refining methods are most reliable; a reputed fish oil manufacturer should be able to provide documentation of third-party lab results to show purity down to the level of particles per trillion.

Best wishes for a safe pregnancy and health baby with the Omega3s.

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