Brainy Babies
An American report has suggested that pregnant women who eat plenty of fish are more likely to have brainy babies.
“Women who eat fish regularly during pregnancy give their unborn children a dramatic intellectual advantage, scientists have discovered” said The Independent 23/03/2008
The study* looked at the dietary habits of Danish women, and recommended that pregnant woman should eat fish twice a week in order to improve the brain capacity of their future baby in terms of language and motor skills. It claimed oily fish is more effective because of the high level of omega 3.However, the most recommended are the sardines due to their low rate of mercury. It added that small fatty fish have relatively more fatty acids with less mercury, whereas dark meat fish, such as swordfish may offer more fatty acid but can contain more mercury. It is worth noting however that Fish4Ever canned fish is regularly tested for mercury and has very low levels in all its varieties.
*The brainy baby study, appeared in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by researchers from the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and the Maternal Nutrition Group from the the Department of Epidemiology at Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Scientists* and nutritionalists claim that eating fish which contain lots of tryptophan can be a good way to deal with feeling down or depressed. But many people are giving up eating fish because of all the worries about overfishing and stock levels. However there is a solution – buy your fish from a safe supplier. Sardines and Mackerel have particularly high levels of this useful natural acid and they are easily included in a diet by using tinned varieties. For example: Sardines on toast, Mackerel in marinades or peppered are easy to eat with boiled potatoes or on toast.
“At times of worry and stress perhaps we should be thinking about how our diets can help keep us on an even keel. Canned sardines and mackerel from our range of sustainable, ethically produced fish are an easy, convenient and delicious way to increase our intake of necessary nutrients.” Says Fish4Ever communications manager Tracy Wright.
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A diet high in the amino acid tryptophan, which encourages the production of Serotonin in our systems, can help with the winter blues. And Fish contains loads of tryptophan so eating canned fish regularly can keep you happy!!
Memory Aid
There is growing evidence to support a link between eating fish and good memory and brain function - recent reports even say that it may help those in the early stages of Alzheimers.
At the end of last year a study from Oregon Health and Science University supported previous findings that show a link between eating fish and improved memory in those suffering from Alzheimers.
Researchers at the university reported that they had performed a trial to find out if fish oil supplements could benefit patients with Alzheimer’s disease. They reported that participants who took both the fish oil and ALA supplements did better on memory tests and were able to maintain their cognitive ability after one year. The researchers also found those in the fish oil alone and combined fish oil/ALA groups had less decline in ability to perform daily activities than a placebo group.
Eczema can be avoided by eating fish!
Last year a report from Sweden claimed that feeding babies as little as one portion of fish a week before they are nine months old may cut their risk of developing eczema.
Introducing fish of any type into the diet curbed the risk of contracting the skin condition by 25 percent compared with children who never ate it, Bernt Alm, a pediatrician at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and colleagues reported in the British Medical Journal in September.
Mix our tuna, sardines or mackerel with potato and they are a useful and easy way to make a fish addition to your child's diet. You can also be sure that the fish is top quality, tested regularly and only canned in organic land ingredients.
