What is the best fish oil for pregnant women?

High quality fish oil is extremely important for pregnant (and breastfeeding) moms to take on a regular basis to help improve their baby’s brain development and overall health. It is also beneficial for the mother to take for her own health.

How to choose the best fish oil

Different fish oil products vary tremendously in quality, so here we’re going to help you navigate through the wide variety of fish oil products on the market to help you make the best choice for a pregnant or breastfeeding woman.

It will also be helpful to have a look at our general guide to choosing the best fish oil supplement because this same information still applies, it’s just even more paramount now because you want to make sure your baby is as healthy as possible.

The main reason pregnant and nursing women need to take fish oil is because they need the high levels of DHA in their diet to pass onto their baby. DHA is a specific omega 3 fatty acid found in fish oil. High DHA intake by mothers, especially in the third trimester and during breastfeeding, has been shown to improve brain development in their babies. The anti-inflammatory properties of DHA are also very important. FISH OIL STUDY

You want to find a fish oil with a high amount of DHA, but you also want to make sure it has an extremely low (virtually zero) amount of mercury and other heavy metal toxins. We all need to make sure we get as little mercury as possible in our diets. Pregnant and breastfeeding moms need to be even more careful because newborns are even more sensitive to any mercury than even adults (and adults are already incredibly sensitive to mercury).

You also want to make sure that your fish oil is in the natural “triglyceride form”. Most concentrated fish oil is in the synthetic “ethyl ester form”, even though the manufacturers won’t mention that on the label. “Concentrated” fish oil is good in the sense that it allows for much higher DHA levels than would be found in raw fish oil, but just pay attention to the “triglyceride” form. The triglyceride form of fish oil has been shown to absorb better in the body than the ethyl ester form. The higher absorption means that both you and your baby will be getting higher levels of DHA.

Our fish oil is a great choice because it is non-GMO and from anchovies found in the cold ocean waters near Iceland. Anchovies are extremely low in mercury and other heavy metal toxins. We have even had the oil go through additional processing to remove any remaining mercury and other unwanted heavy metals. Our fish oil is concentrated to contain high levels of DHA. It also in the natural triglyceride form, which has been shown to absorb better than the ethyl ester form. It has a touch of natural lemon oil added to it to help reduce any potential aftertaste or “fish burps”. It is also very affordable.