FISH OIL vs PREGNANCY

Fish Oil and Pregnancy,Why Bother?.
Some years ago It was discovered that Omega 3 fats are ESSENTIAL for the complete development of the brain

in pregnancy and infancy. The brain is formed mainly of fats, different fats. About 60% of the brain is fat. DHA, one of the components of Omega 3, is the main fat in the brain.
If the pregnant mother is deficient in Omega 3 the developing child nervous and immune systems will never fully mature, with all the terrible consequences for his/her future life.
The relevance of omega 3 becomes more significant during the last 3 months of pregnancy where the nervous systems develops more rapidly. If the body finds Trans Fats or too much omega 6, instead of the much needed omega 3, the brain cell connections formed are different, faulty.

Omega 3 Deficiency.
It has been statistically found that approximately 90% of the population in western hemisphere has a deficiency in Omega 3 fats. We eat too much omega 6 as vegetable oils and all kinds of grains and sugars, and too little omega 3. Not only we eat too much omega 6 but the traditional sources of omega 3, like the free range cattle and fish, are now grain fed making them omega 6 rich.
Our bodies are overwhelmed with omega 6 making us prone to many degenerative diseases: heart disease, high triglycerides, arthritis, general inflammation, depression, mood swings, and a host of other disorders. For more on this go from Pregnancy and Fish oil to Omega 3 Deficiency.

Fish vs Fish oil in Pregnancy
Nearly all women would benefit from the combination: Fish Oil and Pregnancy, before, during and after delivery. Some women are already eating good amounts of fish, so they have enough DHA(Omega 3) in their bodies. This could be dangerous to the developing child since most fishes have Mercury.
Mercury is a chemical element that even in small quantities could affect the neurological development, causing birth defects. Even the conservative FDA(Foods and Drugs Administration) warns that women should avoid fish during pregnancy.
The famous Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) warned in a recent study that fish is the major source of Mercury contamination in Americans. Nearly all fish are contaminated with mercury as a result of over half of the U.S. electrical production coming from burning coal that deposits in the oceans and accumulates in fish. More info in my page Fish vs Fish oil supplements.

Pregnancy and Antidepressants.
Sure, Pregnancy and fish oil go very well together but that is not the case with antidepressants and pregnancy. Women who take antidepressants during pregnancy have more risk of having a baby with birth defects.
New England Journal of Medicine that showed that antidepressants used in pregnancy could cause a severe rebound effect in the babies. Clearly drugs are rarely the best choice for pregnant women who are depressed.

Fish Oil and Pregnancy, the Benefits.
Here you have of how pregnancy and fish oil together produce the following advantages:
Avoidance of premature babies(fully developed child).
Allergy Prevention. Researchers have found that taking omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil supplements during pregnancy might help prevent allergies in babies borne to women with a history of hay fever or asthma.
Maximize the intelligence of the baby. Studies suggest the use of omega 3 oils is an absolute must. It is also clear that omega 3 fat supplementation, and restriction of omega 6 fats, will profoundly improve the brain function of the child.
Prevent diabetes later in life.
Prevent depression before and after childbirth. See my page Omega 3 for depression.
I didn’t want to end this paragraph without mentioning some easy suggestions on how to reduce the risk of giving birth prematurely by: Taking you Omega 3, Exercising, Avoiding exposure to pesticides, Treating severe gum disease, Making sure you eat enough high-quality calories(reduce the omega 6), Gaining a proper amount of weight, Avoiding exposure to phthalates.
So, if you are pregnant, thinking about becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding I highly recommend that you start taking fish oil or cod liver oil today.Again, pregnancy and fish oil.

Fish Oil and Breast Feeding
An estimated 60% of all 2 months and 80% of all 4 months old babies in the US of A are bottle fed. Most of the powdered baby formulas contain no Omega-3 fatty acids. All baby formulas are made with commercially processed oils which contain high levels of poisonous trans fatty acids and other harmful compounds.
As long as the mother eats properly there is no substitute to mother’s milk. It provides her infant with a perfect blend of essential fatty acids and their long-chained derivatives, assuring the fast-growing brain and body tissues a rich supply. Mother's milk also supplies important antibodies NOT present in cow's milk or in artificial formula.
These are some of the qualities of breast milk:
Breast milk may have five times more arachidonic acid and two and a half times more EPA (Omega 3 fats) than formula.
Breast milk may have 30 times more DHA (Omega 3) than formula.
Compared with mother's milk, formulas are low in selenium and biotin.
The breast milk of, for example American mothers, show what they eat. High trans fatty acids and low Omega-3 content. American mothers produce milk that often has only one-fifth to one-tenth of the Omega-3 content of the milk that well-nourished, nut-eating mothers provide their infants. Concentrations of DHA in breast milk have decreased by 50 percent in Canada and Australia over the past 15 years, according to studies.

Infancy and Fish Oil.
If you combine pregnancy and fish oil you have excellent results. Now, let´s see what happens with infancy and fish Oil.
There are two periods of our lives where omega 3 is absolutely essential: during fetal development and after birth, until the development in the brain and retina is completed. This is important to remember.
If there is not enough Omega 3 fish oil available during these periods of life the body ends up with profound functional changes such as reduced vision, abnormal electro-retinograms and disorders of cognition. They have lower intelligence quotients.