Fish provides a large amount of protein, some vitamins and a low fat content, so most fish are a good option for a healthy diet. But in the case of women pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children, fish is a limited food, because pollution in our oceans, rivers and streams, has caused some fish to have excessively high levels of mercury, something especially harmful to the fetus or the baby.
These limitations have brought other consequences, and it is that some pregnant women have dispensed with this healthy food, preventing the fetus from receiving much-needed nutrients, such as n-3 polyunsaturated fats that, together with other fish nutrients, are very important. And it is not surprising, because mercury can damage our baby's nervous system. The severity of the risk depends on the amount of mercury to which it is exposed, but the risk is greater in fetuses and children.
But it is important to know that a study conducted at the Harvard Medical School, ensures that to increase the baby's cognitive abilities, the mother must eat fish throughout the pregnancy.
The study assessed the cognitive ability of babies when they were six months old, these data were compared with the amount of mercury that moms had in their hair and the amount of fish they consumed during pregnancy.
The results showed that the babies that obtained the best score had mothers with the lowest levels of mercury and were the ones that had consumed the most fish during pregnancy. And they gave the explanation that the benefit is provided by certain types of fish, which have the lowest levels of mercury and a high amount of nutrients that are beneficial.
It is important to know what type of fish we eat, the most recommended for their low level of mercury, are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon and sardines.
