Are you pregnant or planning to become pregnant? If so, omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy are an important topic. After 3.5 years of extensive research, the Health Council of the Netherlands has issued clear guidancefor pregnant women on essential nutrients such as folic acid, fish oils, vitamin D, calcium, iodine, and iron. Regarding omega-3 during pregnancy, the recommendation is: fish twice a week or a fish oil supplement daily.
Omega-3 and Pregnancy: Why Is It So Important?
Omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy are about more than just eating healthy. The Netherlands Nutrition Center has translated the advice into practical guidelines: if you don’t want to or can’t eat fish, take a daily supplement. There is a clear recommended dosage for pregnant women: at least 250 to 450 mg of DHA per day.
This can be fish oil containing DHA and EPA, just as these fatty acids are found in fish. It can also be algae oil containing DHA or DHA and EPA. The extra EPA in a supplement is actually a bonus, because EPA is also converted into DHA.
Fish and omega-3 when you are pregnant
When you’re pregnant, you need the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA found in fish (oil). The mother’s intake of DHA contributes to the normal development of the fetus’s eyes and brain, as well as that of breastfed infants.* And in addition to helping your baby, DHA also helps maintain normal brain function in you (which comes in handy against that well-known “pregnancy brain”)!
Did you also know that 60% of the brain is made up of fat and as much as 1/6 of that is DHA? That explains why omega-3 is so important for pregnant women. The development of the nervous system begins early in pregnancy, so it’s a good idea to maintain adequate omega-3 levels even before you become pregnant.
Fish oil during pregnancy
Are you pregnant and considering taking omega-3 fish oil? Fish oil is a good dietary supplement during pregnancy. Unfortunately, farmed salmon from the supermarket contains less omega-3 these days than it used to. You may also find the taste or smell of fish off-putting. In that case, fish oil is an excellent alternative for pregnant women as a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.
The Benefits of Liquid Fish Oil
The advantage of liquid fish oil (from a bottle) during pregnancy is that just one teaspoon of fish oil contains as many omega fatty acids as more than half a herring! Because it’s made from fresh fish from Norway, the fish oil has a pleasant, mild flavor, so you can even add it to yogurt, smoothies, or shakes. This makes it ideal if you have trouble tolerating fish oil during your pregnancy.
Depending on the brand, the purity of fish oil is also ideal for pregnant women. Arctic Blue For example, MSC fish oil is at least 75 times cleaner* than tuna and 20 times cleaner than herring or fried fish, which are already considered fairly clean (*measured based on the average amount of the heavy metal mercury found in these fish).
Which omega-3 should you choose during pregnancy?
Which omega-3 supplement is best to choose during pregnancy? And is it still safe, given the pollution in the oceans? Research shows that the benefits of omega-3 far outweigh any potential risks. The health benefits of fish with minimal contamination—such as sardines, cod, or mackerel—far outweigh the minimal levels of contamination.
Arctic Blue offers a variety of omega-3 products for use during pregnancy. All Arctic Blue products are suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, except for the anise-flavored salmon oil (due to the anise). Because of its convenient dosage and added vitamin D, many people choose our fish oil with vitamin D. Would you prefer capsules without vitamin D? Then our fish oil capsules are a popular choice.
Are you a vegetarian or vegan? If so, there are plant-based algae oil products that contain the same omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and often EPA as well) as fatty fish. The algae are cultivated and are free of environmental contaminants. Our algae oil DHA and EPA has the highest concentration and is a popular choice among pregnant women. Do you prefer capsules? Then the algae oil DHA and EPA capsules are a convenient alternative.
When should you take omega-3 during your pregnancy?
Are you wondering when is the best time to start taking omega-3 during pregnancy? It’s a good idea to boost your omega-3 levels even before you try to get pregnant. Your baby’s brain grows the most during the last 3 months of pregnancy and the first few months after birth. During this time, the unborn baby draws omega-3 from your body.
You’ll continue to need omega-3 even after pregnancy. While you’re breastfeeding, your baby gets omega-3 DHA through your breast milk. So it’s important to continue getting enough omega-3 after pregnancy.
Omega-3 Dosage During Pregnancy
How much omega-3 is recommended during pregnancy? The recommended daily intake when you’re pregnant is 250–400 mg of DHA per day. But the omega-3 dosage during pregnancy is also tailored to each individual. As omega-3 specialists, we believe that the dosage should depend on your current omega-3 status—that is, the amount of omega-3 in your body. When can you definitely benefit from omega-3?
- You eat little or no fatty fish (herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines).
- You eat vegetarian or vegan.
Actually, if you want to get pregnant, you should start by ensuring you have adequate omega-3 levels. These can be measured very easily these days with aself-test. An ideal result is an omega-3 level between 8 and 11. This represents the percentage of omega-3 fatty acids in all cell membranes. Of this, the DHA level should be at least 5.
In practice, we see that most people fall far short of this amount. That’s why you actually need to start with a sort of “catch-up” dose. As you can imagine, this will need to be higher than the recommended 250–400 mg of DHA per day. That’s why we generally recommend liquid products, since they make it easier to take a high dose.
Frequently Asked Questions About Omega-3 and Pregnancy
You might see the following statement on the packaging: “Consult a healthcare professional if you are pregnant.” Does that mean you can still use the product? This does indeed seem confusing. Omega-3 is actually good for pregnant women, but in the Netherlands, it is required by law to include this statement on every dietary supplement. The government wants vulnerable groups to think carefully when making decisions about their health.
When it comes to omega-3 supplements during pregnancy, this is actually strange, because they are, in fact, a welcome addition to our Western diet, which is low in omega-3s. So you can safely take omega-3 fish oil if you’re trying to get pregnant or are already pregnant! The same goes for omega-3 capsules during pregnancy.
Buying Omega-3 Supplements for Pregnancy
At Arctic Blue , you can buy omega-3 products for pregnancy by the bottle or through a convenient subscription. This is ideal if you keep forgetting to order more fish oil because of “pregnancy brain”! You can choose between liquid fish oil and omega-3 capsules, both of which are suitable for omega-3 intake during pregnancy.
Do you have any questions about omega-3 during pregnancy? Or would you like to know which product is best suited to your situation? Feel free to contact us. As omega-3 specialists, we’re happy to help!
*Health claims approved by the EFSA. The beneficial effect is obtained with an additional daily intake of 200 mg of DHA on top of the recommended daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids for adults (250 mg of DHA and EPA).
