Tag Archives: Pregnant

The role of healthy raw omega oils is paramount if you're pregnant.  Essential fatty acids provide intellectual development for babies, not only after birth, but while still in the womb.  Women need to eat healthy raw oils.

Chronic health conditions, such as asthma, allergies, chronic ear, nose and throat infections, Candida autism, and ADHD, are on the rise with incident rates more than double from 10 years ago.  Today one in four children suffer from chronic childhood health problems.  Recent research has shown that Autism is linked to the environment of the womb.  What is happening in the womb that transcends age, ethnicity, and weight? Many health professionals believe the basis for these conditions are nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy, particularly a lack of Omega oils. Research has shown that most pregnant women are deficient in these fatty acids essential for normal fetal growth and development.

Omega oils are polyunsaturated fatty acids considered essential because we must obtain them from our diet.  They play a vital role in the health of the membrane of every cell in our body and the fat helps protect us from a number of key health threats.  The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments.  Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer's disease.

Recently it has been discovered that the Omega-3 fats are necessary for the complete development of the human brain during pregnancy and the first two years of life.  The Omega-3 fat is so essential to a child's development that if a mother and infant are deficient in it, the child's nervous system and immune system may never fully develop, and it can cause a lifetime of unexplained emotional, learning, and immune system disorders.

Omega-3 fats also help balance the negative impact of yet another essential type of fatty acid known as omega-6s.  Found in foods such as eggs, poultry, cereals, vegetable oils, and baked goods, omega-6s are also considered essential.  They support skin health, lower cholesterol, and help make our blood "sticky" so it is able to clot.  But when omega-6s aren't balanced with sufficient amounts of omega-3s, problems can ensue.  We must strive for a ratio of 1:1 to 4:1 (Omega 6: Omega 3). Typical American diets are 12:1.

Compounding the problem is America’s fat-phobia and obsession with low fat diets. For the past three generations (since the advent of refined oils), the vast majority of the population in North America is Omega-3 deficient and this nutritional deficiency may help explain the rise of childhood allergies, colic and skin problems.  The part of the brain that Omega-3 affects is the learning ability, anxiety/depression, and auditory and visual perception. The Omega-3 fats also aid in balancing the autoimmune system.

How much Omega-3 oil should pregnant women eat?

The National Institute of Health recommends 2-4% of total daily calories.  Most of us know that wild salmon and scallops are excellent sources of omega-3s.  But how can vegetarians obtain this essential fatty acid?  One of nature’s richest sources of essential fatty acids is found in raw nuts and seeds. Hail Merry® granola is loaded with Omega 3 raw flax seeds & raw walnuts and is also properly balanced with Omega 6 raw sunflower seeds to keep your womb engine humming.  See more suggestions below.

Top Vegan Food Sources of Omega-3 Oils:

Chia Seeds  2 tablespoons=4.9 grams

Flax Seeds 2 tablespoons= 3.5 grams

Walnuts 1/4 cup= 2.3 grams

Soybeans 1 cup= 1 gram

Winter Squash 1 cup= 0.3 grams

Raw Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 ounce= .2 grams

Coconut oil contains lauric acid, a powerful anti-microbial fatty acid that protects the immune system of the fetus and newborn. Pregnant and nursing mothers should eat coconut oil to increase the quality of the womb environment and breast milk.

There has been a lot of research lately discussing how the environment of the womb can affect the long term health of the baby with respect to autism, allergies, asthma, food sensitivities and other chronic conditions. In past blogs we have talked about the health benefits of coconut oil but not specifically its protective properties for pregnant and nursing mothers.

A healthy diet contains mixtures of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The unique composition of human breast milk contains about 45 to 50 % saturated fat, about 35% unsaturated and 15-20%polyunsaturated.  Lauric acid and capric acid comprise about 20% of total saturated fatty acids found in breast milk. Lauric and capric acid have potent antiviral, antibacterial, and parasiticidal (kills parasites) properties that support the immune system. These fatty acids offer the nursing infant protection from illnesses, viruses such as herpes and HIV, protozoa such as giardia lamblia, and bacteria such as chlamydia and heliocobater.

Coconut oil is high in saturated fat (but not cholesterol since it is from a plant) containing about 50% lauric acid. Other components of coconut oil include capric acid, caprylic acid, tocopherols and tocotrienols. (Vitamin E lipids that act as potent anti-oxidants that can help maintain healthy cell structure and function). A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that lactating mothers who eat coconut oil and other coconut products, have significantly increased levels of lauric acid and capric acid in their breast milk, creating milk rich in health promoting nutrients. Coconut oil is easy for an infant's immature digestive system to absorb and utilize. It also provides energy in the form of medium chain fatty acids to help the baby grow and develop properly.

According to the research, when a lactating woman adds foods rich in lauric acid to her diet, the amount of lauric acid available in her breast milk increases substantially to levels three times the original level and nearly double the amount of capric acid. A single meal of coconut oil can significantly affect the breast milk fatty acid compositions for 1 to 3 days with the maximum increase occurring during the first 10 hours. This data supports the hypothesis that diet directly affects the quality of human milk and possibly the womb environment.

Pregnant females store fat to assure successful lactation. Any lauric acid and capric acid in the diet becomes part of the adipose stores. The milk fat of a lactating mother is made up of these stores as well as her current diet. Therefore it is so important for pregnant and nursing women to eat a healthy diet- one based on whole foods: vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, lean protein and raw coconut oil!