Fishing For Safety

by: AndreaDow
Total views: 453
Word Count: 577

February 7th, 2008

As I wind down my pregnancy, one of the things I am looking forward to post-pregnancy is being able to eat more fish again. Since the smell of most fish, especially salmon, was gagging during most of my pregnancy, Omega-3 supplements became much more appealing. When my olfactory station was not on overdrive, I tried being very vigilant about consuming fish that are considered part of the low-mercury category. Let's get the facts about why we need Omega-3 fatty acids and the best sources of Omega-3's.

Why are Omega-3's fatty acids important? For pregnant women, these essential nutrients (the two most important of the fatty acids being EPA and DHA) help the baby's growth, nervous system development, and brain and eye development. According to Monique Ryan, M.S., R.D. (www.moniqueryan.com), Omega-3's are most important during the 3rd trimester and for about 18 months after birth. This powerful nutrient may even affect length of gestation and onset of labor. For everyone else, Omega-3's are crucial for heart disease prevention. Researchers are currently trying to confirm a link between both Omega-3's and cancer prevention and Omega 3's and eye disease.

How much do I need and where do I get this nutrient? The current recommendation for pregnant women is 300-500mg of DHA and 200-300 mg of DHA for breastfeeding women. Use caution getting any more than the recommended levels if you are pregnant. Some prenatal vitamins now have the recommended 300 mg of DHA, but be sure to read labels very carefully! For the rest of us, the recommendation is to eat Salmon twice a week (6 oz servings) which would supply about 500-1,000mg a day of DHA plus EPA. Ryan reports that most of us get too much Omega-6 in our diet (refined cereals, vegetable oils, grain-fed beef) and not enough Omega-3's. Natural sources of Omega-3's include salmon, walnuts, flaxseed (be sure to grind the seeds prior to consumption), wheat germ, canola oil, tofu, grass-fed beef and leafy greens.

Why is Mercury found in fish and shellfish dangerous? For women of childbearing ages wanting to get pregnant (and breastfeeding women), the mercury build-up in the body can cause damage to an unborn baby's neurological system. Mercury can be toxic for anyone at certain levels, so we should all be careful chosing fish. Too much mercury build up in the bloodstream can take YEARS to drop to normal. For your safety, avoid fish with the highest mercury levels, (shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish) and limit your conusmption to 12 ounces weekly of low mercury level fish and shellfish.

Fish with Lowest levels of Mercury:
Wild Atlantic Salmon
Whitefish
Sockeye Salmon, canned
Altantic Mackerel
Salmon, Coho
Sardines, canned
Pollock
Sole
Shrimp
Ocean Perch
Tuna, canned, light
Pacific Cod
Haddock
Tilapia
Farmed Catfish
Atlantic Cod

Want more information from the Environmental Protection Agency on mercury levels in fish?
www.epa.gov/ost/fish

A word to the wise on some Omega-3 "fortified" food products you may see at the grocery store. Marketers know how to catch your attention by claiming their product will make you smarter and healthier. Unfortunately, several of the food products like cereals and soymilk that have the added Omega-3's are in ALA form vs DHA and EPA form. Unfortunately, the ALA form is a much less useful for our bodies. Several other products like eggs, peanut butter and pastas are now being offered with Omega-3's, too. The bottom line is the best source of Omega-3's comes from seafood. Fortified foods can offer benefits as long as the source of Omega-3's is in EPA or DHA form.

Rating: 3.00