In a study led by Harvard Dr. Emily Oken, researchers concluded that three-year-olds whose mothers ate more fish while pregnant with them score better on several tests of cognitive function than their peers whose mothers avoided seafood. Fish consumption of 
2 servings/week was not associated with a benefit.
Conversely, the study also found that the amount of mercury in a woman’s body rose with the amount of fish she had consumed. Children that were exposed to these higher levels of mercury performed worse on the same cognitive tests.
WHAT?
Sounds like a bit a classic catch-22.
Eat fish and your kids will grow up to be a super genius.
OR
Eat fish, expose your child to mercury, and he/she will grow up to be something less than a super genius.
So what are we supposed to do with this scientific breakthrough?
Based on their findings, the researchers say that it’s possible that eating Omega 3 fish could produce greater brain benefits for babies if mothers-to-be consumed seafood with lower mercury levels.
So I should avoid the fish with high mercury content.
This sounds like a job for Captain Obvious.
Okay, enough sarcasm.
The bottom line
- Eat fish that is high in Omega 3 fatty acids but low in Mercury content.
Image courtesy of the Maine Dept. of Environmental Health
- Supplement with fish oils that have been labeled Pharmaceutical Grade or Molecularly Distilled. Keep in mind that it is a little like the wild west out there with fish oil supplements. You may need to do a little research and even ask a few questions.
- The University of Guelph run International Fish Oil Standards tests fish oil supplements for their purity. Their website is here.
- I personally use the Ascenta brand Nutra-Sea fish oil. You can enter the batch number of your purchased product in their website to see the specific third part purity report, or you can see a sample report here.
.
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In a study led by Harvard Dr. Emily Oken, researchers concluded that three-year-olds whose mothers ate more fish while pregnant with them score better on several tests of cognitive function than their peers whose mothers avoided seafood. Fish consumption of
2 servings/week was not associated with a benefit.
Conversely, the study also found that the amount of mercury in a woman’s body rose with the amount of fish she had consumed. Children that were exposed to these higher levels of mercury performed worse on the same cognitive tests.
WHAT?
Sounds like a bit a classic catch-22.
Eat fish and your kids will grow up to be a super genius.
OR
Eat fish, expose your child to mercury, and he/she will grow up to be something less than a super genius.
So what are we supposed to do with this scientific breakthrough?
Based on their findings, the researchers say that it’s possible that eating Omega 3 fish could produce greater brain benefits for babies if mothers-to-be consumed seafood with lower mercury levels.
So I should avoid the fish with high mercury content.
This sounds like a job for Captain Obvious.
Okay, enough sarcasm.
The bottom line
Image courtesy of the Maine Dept. of Environmental Health
.
If you like what you see here,click here for updatesor Share this Post with the rest of the world.
If you are interested in a better way to eat, click here or here or here.
Thanks.
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
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Filed under In the News, Research, diet/nutrition, health
Tags: baby, brain, diet, fitness, glycemic, health, mom, nutrition, nutriton, omega 3, pregnancy, pregnant