Eating omega-3-rich seafood may be a mood-lifter for women who are feeling depressed during pregnancy.
Eating omega-3-rich seafood may be a mood-lifter for women who are feeling depressed during pregnancy.
Depression during pregnancy is harmful for both mother and child. And, depression appears to be virtually absent in countries where people eat a lot of fish.
Researchers studied 9,960 pregnant British women to find out the association between low seafood intake during pregnancy and increased prevalence of depressive symptoms. At 32 weeks of pregnancy, the women completed a questionnaire that included questions about mood and the amount of seafood they ate weekly during 1991 and 1992.
Increased risk of depressive symptoms was found associated with low omega-3 fatty acid intake from seafood. Compared with pregnant women who ate 3 or more servings of seafood per week - the equivalent of more than 1.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids - those who ate no seafood were about 50 percent more likely to report symptoms of depression at 32 weeks of pregnancy.
The researchers concluded that eating seafood during pregnancy may have beneficial effects on the mental well-being of expectant mothers.
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