- A new report has found that eating fish is healthier than taking fish oil supplements while pregnant
- The researchers said that eating fish will lessen your child’s chances of having asthma
- They also concluded that the cost of eating enough fish is comparable to the cost of taking fish oil supplements
Eating fish while pregnant might help your children avoid pediatric asthma, a new study has found.
The report published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice concluded that taking fish oil might do less for your children than eating eight to 12 ounces of fish a week while pregnant.
The researchers compared the effects of the two, which cost about the same, and said that most women are not consuming enough fish while pregnant.
The study’s authors said that doctors need to take this into consideration when making evidence-based recommendations for prenatal care for pregnant women.
A new report has found that eating fish while pregnant might be healthier than taking fish oil supplements (file photo)
The study mentions that the Food and Drug Administration’s recommendation for how much fish pregnant women should consume is the same as the Environmental Protection Agency’s.
It read: ‘Both organizations joined force to recommend that eight to 12 ounces of low-mercury fish per week be consumed during pregnancy, equal to two to three fish servings per week.’
The researchers said that the mercury levels a woman consumes by eating that much fish while pregnant are not harmful.
In fact, the study’s authors highlighted research that proved the benefits of eating fish while expecting.
‘An earlier study demonstrates that the progeny of pregnant women with no fish ingestion are at higher risk to develop asthma and asthma-related admissions and prescriptions when compared with pregnant women consuming fish as in a sandwich or hot meal at least two to three times a week,’ the analysis said.
The researchers also asserted that eating fish while pregnant is healthier than taking fish oil supplements. ‘It is reasonable to hypothesize that enough fish consumption could provide the same benefit as fish oil.’
Additionally, the study said that the cost of eating the recommended amount of fish is comparable to that of taking fish oil supplements.
According to the report, the monthly cost of eating enough fish is $24 to $36 dollars, and the cost of fish oil supplements each month is $21 to $24.
The study’s authors said that the benefits of taking fish oil while pregnant are not clear because the research to back them up is vague.
‘It is premature to recommend high-dose…fish oil supplementation during the third trimester to prevent pediatric asthma,’ the study concluded.