Benefits of omega 3 for mother and baby

Consuming omega 3 daily during pregnancy by choosing foods such as salmon, tuna or sardines, which are rich in this nutrient, or even taking omega 3 capsules can make your baby smarter, with better school performance in the future.

This is because brain tissue needs omega 3 to develop fully and reach maximum capacity. But the benefits are not just for the baby, because this consumption also protects the expectant mother, improving her well-being.

Thus, the main benefits of consuming omega 3 during pregnancy are:

Make the baby smarter: because this fatty acid is a fundamental element in the formation of the child's brain and nervous system; Decrease the risk of asthma in the baby: being especially indicated for women who have this type of allergy in the family; Decrease the risk of postpartum depression: because mothers transfer large amounts of these essential fatty acids to the baby that are not produced by the body and need to be ingested in the diet. And low levels of them can increase the tendency to depression or brain malfunction.

Check out these benefits in the following video:

To achieve all these benefits it is recommended to consume foods rich in omega 3 every day, but another possibility is to take the omega 3 capsules that can be indicated by the doctor or nutritionist. But as the baby's brain continues to develop after birth, this care is also important during breastfeeding.

When to take omega 3 supplement in pregnancy

It is recommended to take an omega 3 food supplement when recommended by a doctor or nutritionist, but all pregnant women can benefit. Some examples of omega 3 capsules that can be indicated are Ogestan and Proepa Gesta because they contain exactly the dose that the pregnant woman needs.

This supplement should be taken according to the guidance of the professional who indicated its use, but it usually consists of taking 1 or 2 capsules of omega 3 throughout pregnancy, and also during breastfeeding.

The maximum amount of omega 3 that can be consumed per day is 3 g per day because above that it can be harmful to health. That is why it is important to take into account the amount you get with food and supplementation.

Where to find omega 3 and how to consume

Good sources of omegas 3 are cold-water fish oils, Krill and flaxseed oils or evening primrose oil. Therefore, from the first trimester of pregnancy and throughout the breastfeeding phase, the mother's diet should have at least 300 mg of DHA in her daily diet, which corresponds to 2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil per day or 200 grams of cold water fish. See more examples of foods rich in omega 3 here.

For babies who are not breastfed and just bottle-fed, it may be a good alternative to use milk formulas with EPA, DHA and ALA which are types of omegas 3.

Watch the following video and check out the fish that are rich in omega 3:

Diet rich in omega 3

Here is an example of a 3-day menu that the pregnant woman can follow to ensure she is able to ingest the amount necessary to decrease the risk of postpartum depression, increase intelligence and decrease the risk of allergies in the baby:

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Breakfast	1 glass of orange juice 1 crepioca with chia seeds and minas cheese 1 orange	1 yogurt with flaxseed 1 tapioca with cheese and grated poo 1/2 mashed avocado	1 carrot juice 30 g of nuts 1 wholemeal bread like sesame and butter 1 banana
Morning snack	1 pear 2 cream cracker cookies	Cabbage Juice with Lemon	1 tangerine 2 cornstarch cookies
Lunch or Dinner	Cooked fusilli with 1 piece of shredded salmon and olives lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad 1 sleeve	2 pancakes filled with a can of tuna with tomato sauce, onion and pepper Green salad 5 strawberries	2 Roasted sardines 2 tablespoons of rice 1 bean scoop Cabbage A Mineira 2 slices of pineapple
Afternoon snack	1 bowl of oatmeal with 2 nuts	1 glass of banana smoothie + 2 tablespoons of oats	1 yogurt 1 wholemeal bread with cheese
Supper	1 handful of whole grains	2 tablespoons of dried fruit	3 whole cookies