One of the most frequent questions moms to be and nursing moms are now asking health professionals is: is omega-3 okay to use while breastfeeding?
Numerous studies are now revealing that omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for the developing fetus. In addition, young children who are given supplementation or diet containing healthy amounts of crucial omega 3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) generally score higher on: learning, memory, and cognitive function.
Some are even stating that if used in the early years of life, it can even increase a baby or child's IQ as they grow into an adult.
But is there an omega-3 danger?
Well, first keep in mind, nothing in this article is medical advice. It is the author's opinion only. You will have to arrive at your own opinion.
In short, we believe the answer to the question is omega-3 okay to use while breastfeeding is going to come down to a personal choice you make. We have made our own.
First, understand that omega-3 is a blood thinner. That is good for some people (like those who have "thick" blood that needs to flow through arteries better. Blood thinners do exactly what the name implies: they thin the blood, which can make it pass through arterties more easily).
However, the potential omega-3 danger is if you are already on blood thinners, omega-3 oils used in addition to those may thin the blood too much. However, this is not a concern for most people. But we thought we should mention it anyway.
Now, regarding omega-3 and breastfeeding....unfortunately, if you speak with many people in the mainstream medical community they will just parrot the party line. Which is: just take your prenatal vitamins and eat a healthy diet.
However, if you speak with alternative health practitioners, many of them will point out how crucial omega 3 fatty acids are for a pregnant or nursing mother.
The evidence as far as we're concerned falls on the side of the health professionals who understand the importance of omega 3 fatty acids.
I distinctly remember talking to the nurse when my own wife was pregnant with twins, telling the nurse that my wife was using purified fish oil supplements (the best source of omega 3 fatty acids because all contaminants have been removed). The nurse said she probably should not take them.
No reason was given. It was just blind ignorance about the vital role of omega-3 for the developing child on the part of the nurse.
We ignored her advice and today almost 5 years later we have three alert, curious, and healthy children. My wife also used omega 3 fish oil supplements daily when she was nursing.
The fact of the matter is breast milk is naturally high in omega 3 fatty acids, especially DHA, which is nature's way of saying it is an extremely important nutrient for the developing baby.
Which is why infant formulas are now starting to add DHA and EPA to their formulations. However, if a mother doesn't get enough omega 3 fatty acids in her diet, her breast milk will also contain less of it.
In addition, it's a fact that 60% of the human brain is comprised of fats and half of that fat is DHA omega 3 fats.
So, the personal answer for us to the question is omega-3 okay to use while breastfeeding, was an obvious yes.
We looked at the evidence and made our own decision. We felt that if my wife wasn't supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids while pregnant and nursing we were shortchanging our children from reaching their true potential later in life.
You should review the evidence and make your own choice.
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