A study by the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (Iispv) has revealed that a diet rich in omega-3 foods during pregnancy, such as walnuts and blue fish, benefits the neuropsychological development of children and adolescents.
The work, published in ‘The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’, focuses on the influence of maternal diet during pregnancy, a period when a large part of the child’s brain develops, and also emphasizes adolescence, when several brain regions continue to develop, as reported by Iispv in a statement on this Tuesday.
The study, led by the Clinical and Epidemiological Neuroscience Research Group (NeuroÈpia) of Iispv, involves the participation of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), promoted by the «la Caixa» Foundation, and the California Walnut Commission of the United States, and is also part of the Inma project.
The researchers studied 1,737 mother-child pairs from four Spanish regions: Asturias, Guipúzcoa, Sabadell (Barcelona), and Valencia.
The mothers’ diet was analyzed using a food frequency questionnaire, while the neuropsychological function of the children was studied using standardized tests that measured reaction time and variability, working memory, and fluid intelligence.
POSITIVE IMPACT
The study’s conclusions indicate that these healthy fats have shown a «positive» impact on the brain development of children and adolescents.
The study’s lead researcher, Ariadna Pinar-Martí, has pointed out that a high consumption of walnuts and blue fish is associated with improved attention, working memory, and fluid intelligence.
She added that the omega-3 fatty acids present in these foods contribute «partially» to this relationship with neuropsychological development, especially in terms of attention.
Nevertheless, the researchers leading the project caution that one should be «prudent» when consuming blue fish and not exceed the limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Spanish Agency for Food Safety (AESAN).
