Mothers who regularly ate a functional food containing an Omega 3 fatty acid during pregnancy gave birth to infants with better problem-solving abilities as measured at nine months of age, according to a new UConn study to be published in the June issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study is the first to report on problem-solving abilities during the first year of life tied to prenatal dietary intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an Omega 3 fatty acid found in particularly high concentrations in specific regions of the brain, including the cerebral cortex, synapses, and retinal rod photoreceptors.
A functional food is any foodstuff that is enhanced by additives and marketed as beneficial to health.
DHA consumption is especially important during pregnancy.
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