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A Fishy Solution To Beat Pregnancy Depression
San Fransisco, May 21: Pregnant women might be able to lower their risk of becoming depressed before or after giving birth by eating fish, a study suggests.
San Fransisco, May 21: Pregnant women might be able to lower their risk of becoming depressed before or after giving birth by eating fish, a study suggests.
That is because they will get a nutrient called Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in seafood and are also available in fish oil supplements, researchers say.
Oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and herring are especially rich in Omega-3. These particular fish are not on the federal list of fish pregnant women should avoid because of high levels of mercury.
In an analysis of 11,721 British women, researchers found that the more omega-3 fatty acids a woman consumed in seafood during the third trimester, the less likely she was to show signs of major depression at that time and up to eight months after the birth.
In fact, the rate of depression in the women with the highest intakes was only about half that of women with the lowest intakes, said one of the researchers, psychiatrist Dr. Joseph R. Hibbeln. Eating fish two or three times a week was typical of the highest-intake group, Hibbeln said.
The federal government says that because of mercury contamination, pregnant women should limit themselves to an average of 12 ounces (340 grams) a week of a variety of fish, an amount Hibbeln said corresponds to about two servings. He also said that federal data show very little mercury in salmon, catfish, scallops and tilapia, and that fish-oil supplements are supposed to be free of mercury.
Bureau Report
That is because they will get a nutrient called Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in seafood and are also available in fish oil supplements, researchers say.
Oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and herring are especially rich in Omega-3. These particular fish are not on the federal list of fish pregnant women should avoid because of high levels of mercury.
In an analysis of 11,721 British women, researchers found that the more omega-3 fatty acids a woman consumed in seafood during the third trimester, the less likely she was to show signs of major depression at that time and up to eight months after the birth.
In fact, the rate of depression in the women with the highest intakes was only about half that of women with the lowest intakes, said one of the researchers, psychiatrist Dr. Joseph R. Hibbeln. Eating fish two or three times a week was typical of the highest-intake group, Hibbeln said.
The federal government says that because of mercury contamination, pregnant women should limit themselves to an average of 12 ounces (340 grams) a week of a variety of fish, an amount Hibbeln said corresponds to about two servings. He also said that federal data show very little mercury in salmon, catfish, scallops and tilapia, and that fish-oil supplements are supposed to be free of mercury.
Bureau Report