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Consuming Omega-3 During Pregnancy May Prevent Obesity in Children

  • Marlon Mata
  • May 31, 2011

From the way things look, soon-to-be mothers have more reason to eat fish.

Scientists from the Harvard Medical School have discovered that pregnant women who eat consume adequate amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk that their children would suffer from childhood obesity by 32%.

The report, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that the consumption of Omega-3 fatty acid foods, mainly from fish and other seafood, can help in the reducing the chances of children developing obesity in their early years. This is just an addition to the number of benefits from such a diet, such as improved lipid metabolism, prevent coronary heart diseases, and reduce the body’s inflammatory responses. Animal tests have also indicated that Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce fats in animals with a high-fat diet.

This is an important factor to consider, since many expectant mothers often fall short of their daily intake of Omega-3 fatty acids. What is more, they often consume more Omega-6 fatty acids (the kind that are taken from meat and poultry), which is responsible for the higher chances of a person to develop obesity. In pregnancy terms, this can be bad news for the fetus. It is only when more Omega-3 fatty acids and less Omega-6 fatty acid are consumed that the rate can be reduced. By consuming more seafood, especially tuna, mackerel and salmon, they can provide themselves with more Omega-3 fatty acids.

According to the study, led by Dr. Emily Oken, only a small number of women eat a fish meal during their mid-pregnancy. They do not even reach the required daily intake. This is an important observation for this research. It is the first time that actual human subjects were studied.

Consuming Omega-3 During Pregnancy May Prevent Obesity in Children“These findings need to be confirmed by others. It will also be important to demonstrate that making deliberate changes to a woman’s fat intake during pregnancy has desirable effects on weight and fatness in children,”the research team said.

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