14 DAY TRIAL // Expecting women who want to improve their health, and that of the fetuses they carry, could benefit from eating two servings of salmon weekly. The fish is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and its positive effects hold even if it's slightly contaminated.
The study was carried out at the University of Granada, in Spain. It determined that consuming salmon boosts antioxidant defenses in both mother and child, due primarily to the high selenium and retinol contents in these fish.
These beneficial effects are compounded by the facts that salmon does not influence the body's vascular homeostasis, its inflammatory response, or change its oxidative stress levels. The fish also contains high levels of vitamin A and vitamin E, AlphaGalileo reports.
Given that pregnancy places an increased oxidative stress on the mothers' bodies, eating two servings of salmon per week could prove an effective, natural way of reducing these effects.