Yes! The key is eating the right fish during your pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration recommends women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant consume more fish to get vital nutrients including heart-healthy Omega 3s (EPA & DHA), protein (all 10 amino acids) and many vitamins and minerals (B6, B12, D, Iron, Niacin, Potassium, Selenium, and Thiamin). These nutrients foster healthy fetal, infant and childhood development. Research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed eating more servings of seafood a week was associated with increases in cognitive scores and decreases in symptoms of autistic spectrum in the children.
The FDA recommends 2 to 3 servings of lower-mercury fish per week, or 8 to 12 ounces. Because all fish contain at least traces of mercury, which can be harmful to the brain and nervous system if a person is exposed to too much of it over time, the American Pregnancy Association recommends Safe Catch fish. Safe Catch is the only brand that tests every single tuna for strict mercury limits (as pure as wild salmon and wild sardines). We do not recommend untested tuna as mercury levels can vary widely in individual tuna regardless of tuna size or catch location.
New Research Questions Fish Oil Pills
A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association shows that the health benefits from fish may come from how the many nutrients work together rather than in isolation. The body’s absorption of the DHA and EPA (Omega 3s) is found to be much higher from whole fish than pills. As a result, fish oil or pills may not be a substitute for eating fish. One thing is for certain. You can get all the benefits of fish by eating fish.
Want to Know More?
Sources:
FDA.gov: Advice About Eating Fish
Aubrey, A. (2015) If Fish Is Brain Food, Can Fish Oil Pills Boost Brains, Too?
