Taking Omega-3 in pregnancy increases fetal brain weight by 37%
Omega-3 supplements: consistent intake in gestation increases baby's brain weight
Intake of flaxseed during gestation influences the incorporation of Omega 3 fatty acids into the brain of the fetus and contributes to better brain development. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niterói, Brazil, through a study conducted in rats. The results of the research were published in Nutrición Hospitalaria, the official journal of the Sociedad Española de Nutrición Enteral y Parenteral.
Maternal nutrition and fetal development
Nutrition received within the womb may influence the risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in both the brain and retina, are important for the development of the nervous system. By contributing to the formation of membranes surrounding neurons, these fats participate in the growth and development of vision, the psychomotor system, and certain nerve functions associated with behavior. Among the Omega-3s,docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an abundant component of the membranes that surround neurons. Its incorporation into these sheaths occurs during the formation of the nervous system in the fetus, to which it reaches through the placenta.
Flaxseed as a source of DHA during gestation
Brazilian researchers wanted to test the effect on brain development of taking flaxseed, the main plant source of Omega-3, during gestation. To do so, they determined brain weight as well as Omega-3 incorporation in the brains of rats delivered by mothers fed flaxseed or not. The 18 mothers involved in the experiment were divided into 3 groups:
- The former was provided with a diet containing flaxseed and casein;
- The second was given only casein.
- the third was fed casein, fiber and soybean oil.
The researchers assessed the body and brain weights of rats immediately after their birth. No significant difference in body weight emerged in the different infants . In contrast, the brain mass of rats born to mothers fed flaxseed was 39 percent and 25 percent higher than that of offspring whose mothers had received only casein or casein with fiber and soybean oil. At the same time, the relative brain weights of rats that had received flaxseed during intrauterine development were 37% higher than those animals that had received casein alone, and 31% higher than those that had received casein, fiber and soybean oil. In contrast, no difference was found among the brains of the other rats. Analysis of the presence of Omega-3s in the brains of the infants showed that the intake of flaxseed increased their total level by 62% compared to the diet with casein and by 52% compared to the diet with casein, fiber, and soybean oil. In contrast, the increase in the amounts of DHA alone was 38 percent compared with casein intake and 32 percent compared with casein, fiber, and soybean oil intake.
Significant results
Based on the data collected, the research authors concluded thatbrain weight gain is associated with the mother's intake of flaxseed during gestation. By influencing the composition of nerve tissue, the Omega-3s contained in these seeds ensure good brain development.
Source
1. Lenzi Almeida KC, Teles Boaventura G, Guzmán Silva MA, "Influence of omega-3 fatty acids from the flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) on the brain development of newborn rats," Nutr Hosp. 2011 Oct;26(5):991-6
