Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that the human body uses for a variety of purposes, and that have anti-inflammatory properties. During pregnancy, omega-3 fatty acids -- specifically DHA, which is short for docosahexaenoic acid -- assist with brain development in your growing baby. Fish oil is one potential mechanism for increasing the DHA in your diet.
DHA Importance
Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, in their book "You: Having A Baby," explain that while omega-3 fatty acids are important to health in general, DHA in particular assists in development of the fetal brain. They suggest that if you're pregnant, you should strive to get plenty of DHA in your diet. You can accomplish this by eating natural sources of DHA, such as salmon, or you can use a supplement, such as fish oil.
Fish Oil
Fish oil capsules contain a mixture of fatty acids found in fish, including many omega-3 fatty acids and DHA. Unfortunately, certain fish rich in DHA are also high in mercury, warn Drs. Roizen and Oz, meaning that fish oil capsules can also be high in mercury contamination if they come from contaminated fish sources. Generally, fish oil capsules from anchovies and sardines are lower in mercury than those from larger fish.
Side Effects
As long as fish oil capsules come from uncontaminated sources, they aren't likely to cause serious side effects, explain Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel in their book "What To Expect When You're Expecting." Some women, however, notice that after taking fish oil, they have a tendency to burp more frequently, and that the gas tastes very unpleasant and fishy. To avoid this, you can put your fish oil capsules in the refrigerator or freezer -- the cold will help to reduce the flavor.
Alternatives
If you're interested in getting a source of DHA and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, but don't want to risk mercury contamination from fish oil, you can use supplement pills made from algal sources, explain Drs. Roizen and Oz. Certain species of algae also contain high levels of DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids -- the algae are where the fish get the DHA to begin with -- and because algae are so small, they aren't contaminated with mercury.
Expert Insight
If you're considering taking supplements during pregnancy -- whether fish oil capsules, other vitamins and minerals, or anything else -- it's best to check with your obstetrician, explains Dr. Miriam Stoppard in her book "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth." Many dietary supplements that are perfectly safe for non-pregnant women can harm developing fetuses, and some fish oil capsules may contain added ingredients or contaminants that can harm your baby.
References
- "You: Having A Baby"; Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.; 2009
- "What to Expect When You're Expecting"; Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel; 2008
- "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth"; Miriam Stoppard, M.D.; 2008
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