There is More to Omega-3 than Heart Health
During the month of February, we’ve mostly discussed cardiovascular health for Heart Disease Awareness Month and thus we’ve touched on the benefits of incorporating Omega-3 in ones diet to promote cardiovascular health. However, more and more we are finding that consuming Omega-3 can benefit more than just the heart. Omega-3 has been known to also help with joint health, inflammation, mental, and prenatal health.
An article on Nutraingredients that talked about a study conducted on pregnant women who were given prenatal supplementation with the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. Although many studies have already found that consuming DHA during pregnancy can help with visual and neurological development in infants, this study found that DHA also has great benefits on the overall health of the pregnancy. Specifically, the study which was led by Professor Susan Carlson from the University of Kansas, found that mothers given 600 milligrams of DHA throughout the pregnancy had babies who were less likely to be low birth weight and/or born before 34 weeks of gestation.1 Delivering a healthy baby at full term has many benefits not only for the child but also the entire family, which can mean less delivery complications and shorter hospital stays.
What’s really great about this specific study is that it will follow the infants whose mothers were taking the prenatal DHA supplementation through their early childhood in order to truly determine the overall benefits of DHA on a child’s neurological development and general health. The mothers and infants who were given the DHA supplementation will continue to be assessed at regular intervals until the children are 6yrs old. Since previous studies have already determined that omega-3 helps with a newborns cognitive and intellectual development, this study could truly demonstrate the benefits of omega-3 on a child’s intelligence over the long run.
This study goes to show that it’s never too early to start thinking about the health of your children. Also, that continued consumption of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids is vital to our health. To start getting your dose of essential fatty acids, such as Omega-3, try Ultimate Multi-EFA, a new, smaller and easy to swallow capsule ideal for children.
Remember it’s never too early to start a journey to optimal health!
