Omega 3 tablets

[PBobs]

Hi All. I was just wondering if anyone was taking Omega 3 tablets during pregnancy - currently first trimester? I've got a tub of them but since I don't live in the UK I'm looking to see what advice is there. In the US it seems adding EPA and DHA supplements is suggested during pregnancy. Please note this is fish derived omega 3 - not cod liver. It's also tested for all the nasties so safe in that aspect. I'm already taking folic acid on doc's recommendation. Not really wanting to take other supplements unless essential as I have a good diet but oily fish is a bit tricky for me. Thanks!

Hello. I take these Pregnacare Plus vitamins which also come with a daily omega capsule. UK GP is happy with that. Seems helpful but not essential (unlike folate and Vitamin D, which I gather are essential).

www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/vitabiotics-pregnacare-plus-tablets-60082621?skuid=082621&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3uzUk9fJ3gIVEIuyCh1BHAUjEAQYBCABEgLaEPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I’m taking Vital dha which can be taken throughout pregnancy

Together vitamins do a plant, I think it is seaweed derived omega capsule which is what I took

Although the only supplements actually recommended were folic acid and vitamin d

Thanks everyone. I live in a country that's sunny all the time so vit D not needed here but I think I'll go ahead with the omega 3 and obviously my folic acid. Thanks!

World Health Organisation recently commissioned a set of reviews to look at possible benefits of omega-3 supplements. Even in pregnancy, It's very hard to find any benefits, tbh.

Thanks @MedSchoolRat. Do you have a link? I found some half baked NHS info and some NIH stuff but nothing worth reading. I'm a chemist/scientist by training so would rather have some evidence for my decisions. Thanks

There is this Reuter's report from 2013. The recent WHO-funded research might be trying to update that, but is overdue for publishing.

Some sister reviews (from same WHO commissioning call) on CVD in adults taking n-3, n-6 & general PUFA are out (the CVD reviews found it hard to find any benefits, but scant evidence of harms, either, which is good).

Future omega-3 will be heavily harvested from krill, to avoid heavy metal contamination. Seems like that could impact ocean eco-systems badly, so harmful in a different way.

Our brains do need SOME omega-3 in the diets. People with terrible diets could benefit from supplements when other people don't. More is often not better. tbf, long term cohort studies (based on diet not supplements) are still finding benefits from higher n-3 diets, I am led to believe, but that finding could correlate with lots of other aspects of diet & lifestyle quality that don't get easily captured with food diaries. The cohort data are about diet, not supplements.

This is really interesting, thank you! What's the best way to go about checking whether my Pregnacare supplement with omega capsules is both not high in metals and sustainable?

I think last Q is asking about regulation & safety testing which I don't know about. Sustainability? Pffftt... Isn't vegtn diet best for all of us wrt sustainability? The only part I do think I know about is that the supposed benefits have been exaggerated, at least wrt taking capsules.

PCB contamination is a concern, and the dose of what you get in supplements is maybe unreliable, too. Like 11 yrs ago I took n3s when I was pg too, but I wouldn't bother now.

I'm taking plant-derived omega capsules throughout my pregnancy because I'm vegetarian, but if I ate fish then I wouldn't bother