DHA, an ally from pre-conception to breastfeeding

Omega 3 DHA is an ally for all women who want to fulfill their desire for motherhood, and it continues to be an ally after that desire has become a reality. Here are what its benefits are (and how to get them) from pre-conception to breastfeeding.  

Eat milk, yogurt, and cheese if you want to conceive a girl, seafood, tuna, and salmon if you want to conceive a boy-these are just some of the suggestions you may have stumbled upon while looking for advice on the best diet for you wanting to become a mom.

It is difficult to say whether these are effective indications: at present, definitive evidence does not exist. What there is no doubt about is that nutrition also plays a role in promoting fertility, and that informed food choices can aid conception, promote a good pregnancy, and support lactation.

In particular, a very important nutrient for the woman working on her motherhood project is DHA, one of the Omega 3 series of fats in which fish is rich. Let's find out what its benefits are from pre-conception to lactation and how to take it at these stages of your life.

DHA before conception: the benefits

Before conception, adequate DHA intake helps create the ideal environment to accommodate the embryo by improving blood flow to the uterus.

Much of the available data comes from experiences in the field of medically assisted procreation (MAP), in which aspirin use increases the frequency of pregnancies (raising it from 28 percent to 45 percent) and doubles that of embryo implantation. Just like aspirin, Omega 3 also reduces levels of thromboxanes, molecules that promote blood vessel occlusion. High doses of Omega 3 (4 grams per day), taken in combination with this drug, have been associated precisely with increased blood flow in the uterus.

But it does not end there, because experience in the field of medically assisted procreation also indicates that Omega 3 can improve egg cell quality and promote good embryo development.

In general, in women who rely on PMA:

• Higher blood levels of Omega 3 are associated with increased likelihood of achieving pregnancy and that it will result in the birth of a live (or alive) baby boy (or girl);
• taking Omega 3 supplements are associated with increasing the likelihood that the PMA pathway will result in the birth of a baby boy (or girl).

Finally, high levels of inflammation are the enemy of female fertility; due to their anti-inflammatory properties, Omega 3s can therefore contribute to the success of the plan to become a mother.

Witness, in this case, the case of women whose fertility problems are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome. In fact, this condition may increase the risk of miscarriages related to an imbalance in the levels of inflammatory molecules in turn associated with a deficiency of Omega 3 fats.

The general hypothesis is that Omega 3 modulates the levels of inflammatory molecules (the prostaglandins), enhancing their relationship with thromboxanes in the uterus and influencing the functioning of cells in the ovarian follicles that support oocyte maturation.

In addition, Omega 3 appears to regulate, the activity of receptors involved in controlling inflammation in ovarian follicles and, in cases of polycystic ovary syndrome, testosterone levels.

The benefits of DHA during pregnancy

After conception, DHA promotes both fetal development and maternal health throughout pregnancy.

From the point of view of the fetus, the benefits mainly affect the brain and vision. In fact, DHA is a key component of nerve cell membranes (also found in the eye), the structure and functioning of which it regulates. This is why having adequate amounts of it available is essential from conception and even more so from the third trimester of gestation, when brain development becomes even more intense, which is precisely why the need for DHA increases significantly. In fact, during pregnancy there is a real concentration of DHA in the blood and other tissues of the fetus-a phenomenon known as "biomagnification."

From the perspective of the mother-to-be, on the other hand, adequate Omega 3 intake appears to help reduce the risk of highly unwanted complications, particularly preeclampsia, and preterm delivery. Even in these cases, the beneficial effects would depend on the anti-inflammatory nature of Omega 3 and improved blood flow to the placenta.  

In addition, Omega 3 intake has been associated with improved birth weight, while low consumption of fish (a source of these fats) during early pregnancy correlates with increased risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight.

Finally, gestational diabetes appears to reduce the passage of Omega 3 through the placenta and DHA levels in the umbilical cord blood; therefore, in the presence of this complication, early supplementation with this valuable fat is essential.

DHA in lactation

Babies continue to need DHA after birth, and levels of this Omega 3 in breast milk are associated with improved cognitive function, better language development, and greater psychosocial well-being. Not only that, taking it in supplement form promotes optimized brain development and vision in infants born at term.

In premature infants, on the other hand, low levels of DHA adversely affect brain functioning, while in those with low birth weight, adequate intake promotes the development of memory and other cognitive functions.

In general, DHA taken by the mother during breastfeeding helps promote the baby's (or child's) brain and vision development just as it does during pregnancy. But again, the benefits are not only for the baby: in fact, the mother's health also seems to benefit.

In particular, clues have been gathered of the possible benefits of DHA against postpartum depression; the association is entirely plausible in light of the importance of this fat for the proper functioning of the brain at all stages of life.

How much DHA before, during and after pregnancy?

Indicating how much DHA to take before, during and after pregnancy are first of all the LARNs (Reference Intake Levels of Nutrients and Energy) of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (Sinu):

• pre-conception, all women should secure 250 mg of DHA + EPA (the other Omega 3 in fish) daily, but in more complex situations (such as those where conception is difficult) higher doses may be needed. In these cases, discussion with your gynecologist and a nutritionist experienced in fertility is essential;
• during pregnancy and breastfeeding, an additional 100-200 mg of DHA per day is needed in addition to the 250 mg of DHA + EPA that should be taken, as a baseline, during adulthood; again, only an expert can advise on whether further increases in intake are needed.

Meeting these requirements is critical to prevent maternal DHA stores from even halving-a situation that can take up to 6 months to resolve. Unfortunately, doing so through diet is not easy: the main source of DHA is oily fish, which can accumulate particularly dangerous substances during pregnancy, such as mercury.

Dietary supplements are a valuable aid in securing adequate doses of DHA without running the risk of taking these substances-as long as two precautions are followed:

• Choose high-quality products that ensure that there is no contamination and that the amount stated on the label matches the amount actually present in the supplement;
• take DHA such and such, then from marine-derived oils (not only from fish, but also from microalgae, also suitable for vegan moms).

You can find out which are the best supplements to meet your Omega 3 needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding by visiting the Omegor Shop!

Bibliographic references:

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Melo V et al. Omega-3 supplementation in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - a review of clinical trials and cohort. Endocr Regul. 2022 Feb 18;56(1):66-79. doi: 10.2478/enr-2022-0008 

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