Postpartum depression affects about one in 10 young mothers. Not to be confused with the traditional baby blues which disappears in a few days, the postpartum depression often happens in the weeks following childbirth and can last for many months if not taken care of by the doctor. However, Canadian researchers have just discovered that this form of depression which affects young mothers could more easily be avoided by filling up with Omega-3.
A study that has just been published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry and conducted by Gabriel Shapiro of the University of Montreal and the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, suggests that we could easily screen future mothers at risk of postpartum depression, by monitoring their diet and adjusting their daily intake of omega-3.
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Some studies have already shown that a diet particularly rich in omega-3 makes it possible to fight depression and avoid cardiovascular illnesses . “But the scientific literature also also that there could be a correlation between pregnancy, omega 3 and the chemical reactions that allow serotonin, a mood regulating molecule, to be transmitted to our brain,” explains Gabriel Shapiro. “However, the level of Omega-3 falls naturally during pregnancy because the reserves which the mother-to-be has are transferred to the baby. And these reserves continue to be at their lowest during the 6 weeks following childbirth ”. Pregnant women could therefore benefit from increasing their omega 3 intake during their pregnancy, in particular by consuming at least 150 g of fatty fish per week.
Why not test our sardine recipes to fill up with omega-3?