Fat in general has a bad reputation, and many women trying for a baby tend to avoid it as a matter of course, although it is the saturated fats, found in animal meat, dairy and processed food that are harmful, and which contribute to weight gain and reduced fertility. Omega 3 fatty acids (found in oily fish and flaxseed oils) and omega-6 fatty acids (evening primrose and starflower oils) on the other hand, play a crucial role in fertility and the development of a healthy baby. Scientists have looked at their role in pregnancy and found they are absolutely vital for the healthy brain, eyes and nervous system development of a growing baby

Fatty acids are the basic building blocks of all fats and oils. Some of these can be made by the body, while others cannot. The ones the body cannot make, and must therefore be obtained through the diet, are known as Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). They are known as Essential Fatty Acids because without them we die and if you don’t eat enough essential fatty acids reproductive hormone production and your fertility will almost certainly be compromised. Symptoms of deficiency include dry skin, dry hair, depression, poor concentration, weight gain, loss of libido and menstrual irregularity. It takes three months to build up your body’s stores, so if you’re trying for a baby make sure you eat some every day. Good sources include nuts, seeds, flaxseed oil, and oily fish. To avoid the consumption of toxins, always choose and use cold pressed preferably organic, unrefined nut or seed oil or extra virgin olive oil.

 

You should also eat oily fish (such as mackerel or sardines) and take a fatty acid supplement (the one I use in the clinic is Omega 3 Plus, see the Resources Page).

 

Oily fish

 

One of the healthiest sources of fatty acids is oily fish. Oily fish are not only important for your fertility and those of your partner but the benefit carries on into the pregnancy.  We know that women who eat fish at least three times a week have children who are more intelligent and better behaved. A study in the Lancet found that women who ate at least 12 oz (350g) of fish a week while pregnant had children who were more advanced in tests measuring motor, communication and social skills and had better verbal IQ scores.  The children of mothers who had eaten little or no fish in pregnancy were 35% more likely to have poor communication skills by the time they were toddlers and the risk of bad behaviour and low verbal IQ at the age of eight was almost 50% higher. 

 

What about all the concerns regarding mercury?  Mercury is classed as a heavy toxic metal, which is also contained in amalgam tooth fillings, and mercury at high levels has been known to cause brain damage to unborn babies. It does seem rather confusing that research is saying eat oily fish as it is not only good for your health and fertility but also the health and intellectual development of your baby.  And yet the Food Standards Agency is saying to pregnant women, be careful don’t eat more than two portions of oily fish a week!  

 

One study decided to have a look at what the levels of mercury in the babies were whose mothers ate fish once a day. The researchers checked the mercury levels in the umbilical cord of the babies and found that even with eating fish once a day, the mercury levels were generally low and confirmed that the babies were more intelligent. 

 

To keep mercury exposure to the minimum, you should avoid shark, marlin and swordfish when trying to conceive or when pregnant.  These fish live a long time so the mercury can be concentrated in these fish more so than other oily fish such as salmon, herring, trout and sardines etc.  Canned fish should be avoided too as researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in the US tested over 1,000 women.  Those who ate the most canned fish tended to have more mercury in their bodies.

 

Essential fatty acid supplements

 

I would still suggest that you definitely eat oily fish once or twice a week but also add in fish oil supplements as Omega 3 fatty acids are important for healthy brain and eye development as the baby grows in the womb and also for a healthy birth weight.  From fatty acids you produce beneficial prostaglandins which have hormone-like functions. They are believed to prevent low birth weight and decrease the likelihood of a premature birth. Fish oil has also been shown to help prevent blood from clotting inappropriately so fish oil can be beneficial to women who have recurrent miscarriages if the diagnosis has been linked to a clotting problem.

 

If you’re trying for a baby you and your partner should both take an essential fatty acid supplement every day.  For men, fatty acid supplementation is just as important because semen is rich in prostaglandins which are produced from these fats. Research has also shown that men who have problems with abnormal sperm tend to have lower than normal levels of beneficial prostaglandins and there are strong indications that increasing fish oil intake greatly improves the effectiveness of sperm and, therefore, it greatly improves a man’s odds of reproducing.

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To avoid ingesting harmful toxins and chemicals from the bones, skin and connective tissue of animals that may have been pumped full of chemicals and possibly growth hormones buy the capsules as fish oil gelatine, not animal gelatine capsules. But whatever fish oil supplement you choose, avoid cod liver oil capsules. In the sea fish can often absorb toxins and chemicals. Oil taken from the liver, the organ of detoxification, is therefore is likely to have higher quantities of these toxins than oil taken from the body of the fish. Recently, a number of companies had to take theirs off the shelves as contained very high levels of toxins called dioxins.  Also cod liver oil will contain high levels of vitamin A which are not advisable during pregnancy. 

 

Both you and your partner should take a supplement containing at least 600–700mg of EPA a day. The omega 3 supplement should also contain good amounts of DHA (at least 500mg a day), essential for the baby’s eye and central nervous system development once you get pregnant. (The one I use in the clinic is called Omega 3 Plus see the Resources Page). 

Note: don’t be misled by labels on supplements that say ‘fish oil 1000mg’ or ‘omega 3 1000mg’ – you need to read the breakdown of EPA and DHA to know what you are getting.  Also make sure that the fish oil you buy is in fish gelatine capsules and not bovine (cattle) gelatine. Or take linseed (flax) oil 1000mg. You can get vegetarian sources of EPA and DHA from algae but the levels of EPA and DHA are quite low.

 

Finally, don’t forget that fatty acid supplements aren’t just important for boosting fertility they are also important during pregnancy.  As mentioned above, are essential to the proper development of the foetus and in particular the development of the foetal brain and retina. The foetus will draw its supply of fatty acids from its mother and so the mother’s supply will decrease if she does not replenish it by eating foods high in omega 3 fatty acids as well as taking fish oil supplements. If you want to give your child the best chance at life then be sure to increase your intake of essential fatty acids for optimal development of your baby’s brain and vision.

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 1st, 2008 at 2:30 am and is filed under Fertility, Pregnancy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.