Omega-3 Fish Oil: The Foundation of a Healthy Pregnancy

What is DHA?

Known as DHA for short, docosahexaenoic acid is an essential nutrient for the child-bearing years. It is a naturally occurring omega-3 fatty acid found in cold-water fish such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, and others. Because the body cannot produce omega-3s, women must consume them through diet or supplementation.

DHA is the predominant structural fatty acid in the brain and retina. It makes sense that both a developing foetus and a newborn infant have particularly high requirements for DHA, and depend on mum for their intake, via the placenta during pregnancy, and through breastmilk after birth. Scientific research continues to show us just how important DHA is for pre and postnatal development.

• Maternal DHA supplementation resulted in improved eye-hand coordination at 2.5 years of age, and improved attention skills at 5 years
• Infants whose mothers had higher blood DHA levels showed better sleep patterns
• Children of women who took cod liver oil during pregnancy and while nursing had higher IQs at age 4 than children whose mothers received a placebo
• When mothers took cod liver oil during pregnancy, their offspring had a lower risk of diabetes

Is Something Fishy with Fish?

Pregnant women often, and understandably, ask if it is safe to consume fish. However, the benefits of eating fish are increasingly viewed as outweighing their risks. Supplementation with a premium purified fish oil product is an ideal solution for ensuring adequate levels of DHA and further eliminating the risk of toxins. International recommendations suggest a minimum daily intake of 300 mg of DHA when pregnant and nursing.

Boat-to-Bottle Management Ensures Fresh Fish Oil

Nordic Naturals is the only company in the world who manage every step of the manufacturing process, from boat to bottle. This allows them to produce omega-3 fish oils that are exceptionally fresh.

In order to avoid exposure to oxygen, Nordic Naturals uses nitrogen during every step of manufacturing. The importance of this cannot be overstated. Only by using nitrogen can fish oil be protected from oxidative rancidity. Nordic Naturals oxygen-free manufacturing process allows them to deliver leading freshness levels. This may explain why so many people who did not previously benefit from fish oil report extraordinary results when using Nordic Naturals products.

Omega-3 and Infant Development

Watch the short clip below to hear Stuart Tomc, CNHP, explain why Omega-3 is so important for pregnancy and infant development below.