Pregnancy can be one of the most amazing times in a woman’s life; but it can also be one of the scariest and one of the saddest.
To paint a picture, the latest annual stats in the U.S. from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tell us this:
- Number of births: 3,667,758
- Birth rate: 11.0 per 1,000 population
- Fertility rate: 56.0 births per 1,000 women ages 15-44
- Percent born low birthweight: 8.60%
What these stats don’t convey is the number of stillborn babies, miscarriages, pregnancies cut short and babies born with birth defects. To put it mildly, pregnancy is a complicated time in a woman’s life.
In this week’s blog, we want to review some nutritional strategies specifically related to vitamins and minerals and even more specifically on omega-3 EPA and DHA to help you and your baby-to-be through your pregnancy.
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Nutrients Matter During Pregnancy
The truth is that nutrients matter all the time—but are extra important during pregnancy as you’re eating for two and you’re responsible for the health of not only yourself but also your baby (or babies) to be.
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Eating (and supplementing with) nutrients are one of the best things you can do to protect and promote the growth, development and overall health of the fetus to give your baby one of the best shots at having a healthy life. Plus, the right nutrients will also help be good for your health.
Keep in mind that every list is going to be a little different and especially during pregnancy you should be in consultation with your healthcare practitioner, most likely your OB/GYN and/or midwife, to create your personal list of vitamins, minerals and other supplements, as needed.
Let’s go through the must-have nutrients for pregnant women. And then we’ll turn our focus to omega-3 fatty acids.
Pregnant Women Need the Right Nutrients
One piece of good news is this: many of the nutrients pregnant women need will be included in your pre-natal vitamin, one of the keys to nutritional fitness during pregnancy. The American Pregnancy Association advises that most prenatal vitamins provide calcium, vitamins A, B, C, D and E in the amounts you need for a healthy pregnancy outcome—with vitamin D being the exception.
The APA says that the majority of prenatal vitamins contain between 400 IU (10 mcg) and 1,000 IU (25 mcg), but that some women need more, even up to 4,000 IU during pregnancy. Vitamin D is necessary for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. In fact, research is increasingly demonstrating a link between low levels of vitamin D and issues such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth and C-section delivery. The APA suggests you test your vitamin D levels and discuss with your doctor to determine the right dose for you.
Here are the (other) must-have nutrients:
- Folic Acid—Research shows that taking 400 micrograms (mcg) daily for at least a month prior to pregnancy and through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy may help prevent neural tube birth defects (i.e., spina bifida). The March of Dimes advises upping your intake of folic acid to 600 mcg daily during pregnancy for the fetus’ growth and development.
- Choline—Higher intake of maternal choline has been associated with a reduced risk of neural tube birth defects as well as improved cognition and lower levels of circulating cortisol, which could help the baby throughout their life. Getting enough choline may also reduce the risk of some complications during pregnancy.
- Iron—This mineral helps red blood cells carry oxygen to your fetus.
- Iodine—This mineral aids your body in manufacturing thyroid hormones (in mother and fetus) that regulate the growth of the brain and nervous system in the fetus.
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- Protein—This macronutrient is a much-needed energy source for mom and the fetus, supporting pregnancy changes in your brain, muscles and blood. Some research has shown that low protein levels while pregnant may result in a higher risk of developmental delay for the child.
- Fiber—Getting fiber during your pregnancy helps lower the risk of diabetes and preeclampsia. As an added bonus, fiber (along with plenty of water) keeps your bowels moving which helps you avoid constipation.
- Omega-3 fatty acids—These polyunsaturated fats, especially eicosapentaenoic
(EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish and fish oil, are essential during pregnancy, as they are critical to the development of the fetal brain and retina. Further, some research has found that omega-3s may reduce the risk of preterm or early preterm birth and may be associated with preventing perinatal depression.
Read here and here for more info about recommended nutrients during pregnancy.
The Important Role of Omega-3s in Pregnancy
The three main omega-3 fatty acids are EPA, DHA and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and not all are considered equal.
The richest source of omega-3 fatty acids comes from the tissues of fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, anchovies, mackerel, black cod, bluefin tuna, sardines and striped bass. Fish oil supplements are the most popular supplements for getting omega-3s, unless you are vegan or vegetarian. In that case, algal source omega-3s are just as good.
DHA is the omega-3 you hear about most often when it comes to benefits during pregnancy. That’s because that’s where the most research associated with pregnancy—and the most positive results—has been conducted.
Although EPA has less pregnancy-specific research than DHA—perhaps that’s because scientists have been busy studying and identifying other areas (and there are many) where EPA is essential to your health—we want to share an important perspective about EPA and pregnancy. That perspective is all about synergy.
Like peanut butter and jelly, EPA and DHA go together. Research shows that so much of the health benefits from these two omega-3 fatty acids resides in the combination of what we would refer to as the dynamic duo. (Keep reading.)
ALA is a plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids, mainly found in walnuts, flax seed, canola and their oils. Your body converts ALA into EPA and DHA, but that conversion is not efficient, and therefore not your best source for getting EPA and DHA.
VIDEO: How Much Omega-3 Should Pregnant Women Take?
How Does DHA Contribute to a Healthy Pregnancy?
The APA says that DHA supports the brain, eyes and central nervous system, making it especially important for pregnant and lactating women. DHA is needed throughout your pregnancy and is especially important during the end of the third trimester when growth and development are greatest and when there is a significant accretion of DHA in fetal brain tissue.
Here’s an interesting fact about DHA. It crosses the brain barrier from the pregnant woman to the fetus, which is one reason why DHA is such a key nutrient for the baby-to-be.
In addition to impacting brain structure and function, DHA is also valued for its assistance with inflammation control, lipid metabolism and working cell membranes.
In fact, we’ve blogged about this before. Some research, like this study, points to the key role for DHA in neonatal neurodevelopment and outcomes.
And low levels of DHA in the pregnant mom-to-be during pregnancy may not only lead to low levels of DHA for the fetus, but also be associated with problems in psychomotor development, reading skills, visual acuity, problem-solving, and attention, as well as birth weight and risk of pre-term birth.
To top it off, low levels of DHA also impact the mom during the perinatal period, potentially leading to postpartum depression and other issues.
How Does EPA Contribute to a Healthy Pregnancy?
When talking about a pregnancy, the first thing to consider about EPA is how it contributes to the health of the pregnant woman—especially if she’s eating at least two servings a week of fatty fish or taking omega-3 EPA (and DHA) fish oil supplements consistently. Because during pregnancy, you want to go into it in good health.
Many health experts don’t isolate EPA from DHA for pregnant women, preferring instead to keep the duo together. For example, the Mayo Clinic, among others such as the American Heart Association, advises that omega-3 fatty acids may: keep the heart healthy by slightly lowering blood pressure; lowering levels of blood fats called triglycerides; and lowering the risk of irregular heartbeats. During pregnancy you want your heart to be strong and your cardiovascular system to be healthy.
The APA says that omega-3 fish oil (EPA and DHA) supports the heart, immune system and inflammatory response. The organization further advises that omega-3s are also used after birth by the mom to produce breast milk.
Takeaways for Moms-to-be and Moms
Here are four takeaways about Omega-3 EPA and DHA for moms-to-be and moms before, during and after pregnancy.
- Don’t wait till you’re pregnant to focus on being healthy. It’s important to start your pregnancy at a healthy weight, if possible, and maintain a healthy weight throughout your pregnancy and after the baby is born.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are considered to be life-long nutrients, important at every stage of your life, including before, during and after pregnancy. The amount you need will vary and regular testing will help you understand if you’re in the target zone.
- If you can get the amount of omega-3 EPA and DHA from foods—especially fatty fish and other seafood, by all means please do. Unfortunately, most Americans are falling short on getting EPA and DHA in their diets. Fish oil supplements are a reasonable addition but do your research and purchase from a manufacturer and retail source that you trust makes, markets and sells high quality fish oil supplements.
- Remember the only real way to know if your body is getting the right amount of omega-3 EPA and DHA that it needs is to know your numbers. This means regularly testing to see where you fall on the Omega-3 Index and to make sure you stay in the right range. At OmegaQuant, we offer five different at-home, convenient and easy to use omega-3 tests with results you can discuss and share with your doctor: Omega-3 Index Basic Test; Omega-3 Index Plus Test; Omega-3 Index Complete Test; Prenatal DHA Test for Mom & Baby; Mother’s Milk DHA Test.
Bottom line:
Yes, pregnancies can be unpredictable. There are many things about pregnancies that you can’t control. However, good nutrition habits are among the things that can go a long way toward making your pregnancy more manageable, and hopefully resulting in a healthy baby who will enjoy a long, healthy life.
