Health

  • Fish is a low-fat, high quality protein
  • Fish is filled with omega-3 fatty acids - The two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Our bodies don't produce omega-3 fatty acids so we must get them through the food we eat. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in every kind of fish, but are especially high in fatty fish.
    • Omega-3’s help maintain a healthy heart by lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of sudden death, heart attack, abnormal heart rhythms, and strokes
    • Omega-3’s aid healthy brain function, and infant development of vision and nerves during pregnancy
    • Omega-3’s may decrease the risk of depression, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and diabetes
    • Omega-3’s may prevent inflammation and reduce the risk of arthritis
  • Fish is rich in calcium and phosphorus and a great source of minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, potassium, D, and B2 (riboflavin).
  • Fish is packed with protein, vitamins, and nutrients that can lower blood pressure and help reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke
  • Fish contains nutrients that are crucial during the development of the brain and eyes in both fetuses and newborns through the placenta and through breastfeeding.

 

Your Guide to Healthy Seafood Choices - Consumer Reports

 

Recommendations for Pregnant Women and Newborns

Fish is Nutritious and Important

Eating fish benefits you and your baby's health. Fish is a good low-fat protein that is filled with vitamins and minerals such as riboflavin, omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, calcium, and iron. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that keep our heart and brain healthy. Pregnant women need to build up these important nutrients in their bodies so they can pass them on to their developing child.

Limit and Avoid Certain Types of Fish

If you are pregnant, might become pregnant, nursing, or have children, you and your children are more sensitive to contaminants that may be in certain fish. In the womb and through the six years after birth, children undergo extraordinary cell growth. Toxic chemicals can disrupt a child's developing brain and immune system. For example, too much mercury can affect how a child learns, moves, and behaves. In adults, mercury can affect the nervous and cardiovascular system. PCBs can affect the blood, liver, and immune system. It can take years for high levels of PCBs, or months for high levels of mercury, to lower in a woman's body. A mother with high levels of chemical contaminants in her body can pass them on to her unborn or nursing child. It's important to eat fish for the health benefits but make smart choices to minimize your risk from exposure to contaminants.