Taking a fish oil supplement during pregnancy is linked to an increase in a child’s lean and bone mass by the age of six. Studies in animals have shown supplementing the diet with fish oil during pregnancy affects the development of fat cells. However, although trials in humans have shown pregnant women with a higher intake of fish oil supplements give birth to higher birth-weight infants, the impact on children later in life has been unclear. The scans confirmed the higher weight was not the result of a higher fat percentage but reflected a proportional increase in lean mass and bone mass, suggesting the fish oil supplement stimulated growth. At six, the scans showed children whose mothers had taken fish oil supplements while pregnant had 395g higher total mass, 280.7g higher lean mass, 10.3g higher bone mineral content and 116.3g higher fat mass compared with children of mothers who took the olive oil.

Source: The Irish Times September 05, 2018 05:37 UTC