Eating fish during pregnancy increases children's IQs
IQ and intelligence: consuming fish in pregnancy helps brain development
Eating fish during pregnancy can increase IQ in children. This is according to data presented during the 11th European Nutrition Conference in Madrid, Spain, by Eva Lattka, a researcher at the Helmholtz Zentrum in Munich, Germany, a German research center for environmental health. Lattka explained that the data collected suggest a correlation between the intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, and the observed effects on children's mental abilities. The researcher pointed out that theincrease in IQ is also associated with other factors, and that the DHA contained in fish cannot be considered solely responsible for the observed effect.
Omega-3 and the brain
The study presented in Madrid is part of a larger project funded by the European Commission aimed at unraveling the role played by diet in determining children's mental abilities. Lattka and colleagues focused on the effect of a diet rich in fish, a food that contains high levels of Omega-3s, on brain development during gestation. These fatty acids are important components of the membranes of neurons as well as essential for proper development of the nervous system. In fact, several studies have shown that dietary Omega-3s are necessary for the multiplication and functioning of nerve cells. They also help maintain an adequate level of neurotransmitters, molecules responsible for nerve impulse transmission. Other research has associated Omega-3s with a beneficial effect on children suffering from behavioral disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHAD) and dyslexia.
The link between gestation, fish and intelligence
The study presented at the conference sought to investigate the effect of high fish consumption during gestation and the IQ of school-age children. The authors of the research analyzed data on 2750 pregnant women, collected through questionnaires, medical reports, analysis of biological samples and measurements. The health status of these women's children was monitored from before birth. From age 8, the researchers focused on assessingverbal intelligence. Children whose mothers consumed higher levels of fish during pregnancy performed better on tests assessing verbal intelligence, motor skills and prosocial behaviors, such as helping someone. Since fish is a major source of Omega-3, and DHA accumulates in the brain during fetal development, the authors hypothesized that these results depended precisely on the intake of this fatty acid. The data collected seemed to indicate an association between maternal DHA levels during pregnancy and the child's IQ. Closer analysis, however, showed that this correlation also depends on other factors:
- age of the mother
- alcohol consumption and smoking during gestation
- family factors
- gender.
Benefits of fish for children: not just DHA
Lattka concluded that the benefits of fish are not only associated with the presence of DHA, but that this food may contain other nutrients that influence children's IQ.
Source
