If you are pregnant, you need food containing omega 3 fatty acids. Foods containing omega 3 are essential during pregnancy as these provide energy and materials necessary to good physical and mental growth of the baby. This is also important for your overall health and well being.
These essential fatty acids can be found in a lot of foods like fish, seeds, and plants. It is important that women consume foods with fatty acids as the body cannot make this on its own. They can be of different types: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexanoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). EPA can usually be obtained from fish and fish oil, similarly with DHA. Except for ALA, wherein this type of essential fatty acid can usually be found in seeds, vegetable oils and leafy green vegetables. The problem with ALA is that the body cannot use it. It has to be converted first to EPA and DHA.
Foods containing omega 3 fatty acids are important during pregnancy since these essential foods have a large role in the development and growth of the body in the woman’s uterus. This helps in the development of the baby’s brain, forms the retina, and helps develop the nervous system.
There are also studies that show that deficiency in this essential fatty acid can be harmful to the baby, as well as the mother. This is because everything that the mother consumes cross the placenta and helps the baby’s growth and development. Studies have shown that not having enough of this essential fatty acid can lead to a loss of up to 3% of the mother’s brain cells. This is because, in the absence of this fatty acid, the baby begins to take the nutrients it needs from the mother’s stores which is usually in the brain. Thus, not eating foods containing omega 3 fatty acids during pregnancy can lead to increased rates of postpartum depression, increased chances of having babies with low birth weight, and increased chances of preterm labor or caesarian birth.
It has also been shown that high consumption of this essential fatty acid during pregnancy produces offspring with advanced attention spans and greater visual acuity. The development of these offspring exposed to high amounts of essential fatty acids were also two months ahead as compared to offspring that were not exposed to high amounts of these fatty acids. Babies exposed to high amounts of essential fatty acids also have less chance of development or behavioral problems later on or they have less incidence of breast or prostate cancer. Thus if you are looking for a healthy pregnancy and you want your baby to be healthy, you need to consume food containing omega 3 fatty acids regularly.
Tags: 3 fatty acids, alpha linoleic acid, brain cells, docosahexanoic acid, essential fatty acids, essential foods, having babies, leafy green vegetables, low birth weight, omega 3 fatty acids