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Pregnant women’s fears about fish consumption while expecting might not have a solid base, according to a new research. A team of researchers says that women carrying a child can safely eat fish and fish products without being afraid that mercury might affect the health of the fetus.
The specialists monitored 1,500 pregnant ladies over a 30 years period. During the long term study it was discovered that the women that regularly consumed a lot of fish while pregnant- namely about 12 meals per week did not show any problems with their kids.
Study co-researcher Edwin van Wijngaarden, of University of Rochester Department of Public Health Sciences noted that the discoveries of the study suggest no general connection between pre-birth exposure to mercury through fish diets and neuro-formative problems.
Van Wijngaarden also remarked that it is also starting to be clear that the advantages of including fish in a diet may exceed any possible side effects of mercury.
In the mean time, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reconsidering its recommendation for pregnant women that advises that them to maintain their fish consumption to two times each week. The discoveries of the study were presented in detail online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
With overfishing and fish farms expanding along with the threat of mercury poisoning probably some look at fish counter and picture a caution sign on top of it. Other people emphasize that fish and seafood in general are a critical element of a sound eating regimen, providing important proteins and omega-3 unsaturated fats. FDA suggests general consumers an intake of up to 12 ounces of fish and shellfish per week, provided they are lower in mercury.
Mercury can be discharged into the air through industrial contamination and can amass in global waters. The FDA cautions that in the event that one routinely consumes fish that has high mercury levels, the substance can get into the circulatory system.
FDA adds that mercury is excluded from the organism in a natural way, but it might take several months to actually drop blood stream mercury levels altogether. Hence, women looking to bare a child ought to abstain from consuming high-in-mercury fish like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, and go instead for fish with lower mercury levels such as shrimp, tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish.
As per the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Super Green List,” the marine species that are low in mercury a source of omega-3 unsaturated fats are: Atlantic mackerel from Canada and the U.S., freshwater Coho salmon from the U.S., wild Pacific sardines and Alaskan wild salmon.
Image Source: Daily Mail
