The science world goes back forth quite a lot, mostly because individual scientists come up with their own theories which happen to conflict with those of others. While a while back eating fish three times or more a week while pregnant was linked to a higher intelligence for the child, a new study shows that fish during pregnancy is linked to childhood obesity.
The study
Fish has been known for a long while to be good for your health. And multiple studies proved that there are multiple reasons for which you should have a diet rich in fish. First of all, the white meat is far better for you than red meat.
Second of all, the omega fatty acids are nutrients that you need and your body can’t make on its own. Third of all, multiple studies showed the benefits of eating fish while pregnant, which include a higher intelligence for the child and a reduced risk of developing autism.
According to the study led by Dr. Leda Chatzi of the University of Crete, Greece, the infants of mothers that ate fish three or more times a week had a grew faster in the first two years, and they were far more likely to be overweight or obese by the time they were 4 or 6 years old.
The study was a meta-analysis, looking at the data from 26,184 pregnant women in the US and in Europe, and following the progression of their children until they were 6 years old. The effects were more obvious in girls than in boys, the children developing to have a high BMI.
Possible explanations
The original study came with two possible explanations for the strange finding – either the fatty omega-3 acids affected the babies’ stem cells to differentiate into fat cells, or the pollutants present in the fish disrupted the fetus’ hormones that were related to metabolism and triggered the storage of more fats.
Despite the fact that the study differentiated between sea food and fish, the researchers couldn’t really find out any more about the fish, like its species, the way it was cooked, or its provenience. This might also have had a role in the finding.
With so much information unknown, the study isn’t really that helpful. First of all, it was a meta-analysis, meaning it was based on data already collected. Second of all, being an observational study, it only provided a link between fish intake and the higher BMI, without actually accounting for any potential disruptive factors.
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