Pregnant? Eat fish for your baby's intelligence

A balanced intake of lipids by pregnant women is necessary for the normal brain formation of the unborn child, says the study.

A recent study has found an explanation for the correlation between eating fish during pregnancy, and the health of the baby's brain. Dietary lipid contains fatty acids such as omega-6 and omega-3, which are essential nutrients for many animals and humans. The research group, led by Professor Noriko Osumi, found that a balanced intake of lipids by pregnant women is necessary for the normal brain formation of the unborn child. In an animal study, the researchers noticed that when female mice were fed an omega-6-rich/omega-3-poor diet, their off-springs were born with a smaller brain and showed abnormal emotional behavior in adulthood. (Read: 6 reasons to start eating fatty fish today)

This is significant because people in many countries these days have similarly poor dietary patterns and tend to consume more seed oils that are rich in omega-6 fatty acids and less fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The new study took this premise further and focused on the effects of dietary lipids on the brain formation. This study has been published in Stem Cells. (Read: Fish compound can fight against heart disease)

Sourec: ANI