Omega 3 Fatty Acids Key to Women's Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression usually occurs to 15-20% of women who gives birth due to the depletion of omega 3 fatty acids. But studies have shown that this can be prevented through the increase consumption of an essential fatty acid called DHA or docosahexaenoic acid, which is usually found in fish.



Women with low dietary intake of DHA usually have higher risks of getting depressed after giving birth. And this is more common in the US since studies have shown that American women have lower consumption of DHA levels than anywhere else in the world.



Pregnant women need more essential fatty acids because the placenta pumps DHA from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy and this result to the depletion of the mother's supply of these essential fatty acids which leads to the susceptibility of the mother to getting depressed. The same is also true with lactating or nursing mothers as DHA flows out from the mother through breastfeeding, thereby reducing the amount of DHA in the mother's body.



Essential omega 3 fatty acids like DHA can greatly affect mental health.



This is because DHA is the main component of the brain. And this is an essential component to brain health and development. Studies have also proven that omega 3 fatty acids can effectively cure or prevent postpartum depression in pregnant and nursing women.



And the best thing about omega 3 fatty acids, other than curing or preventing depression, is that it also contains a number of health benefits to the mother like preventing heart disease. And this also benefits the baby since this is also an important component in the babies' brain and eye development.



So how can women increase their intake of omega 3 fatty acids? There are different ways that they can do this. One, they could increase their intake of fish but the problem is that there are now occurrence of lead contamination in fish. Thus, too much fish might actually cause more health problems instead of making you healthier.



Some women also turn to fish oils to increase their omega 3 fatty acids intake. But there are now a number of manufacturers out there who are cheating people out of their good money with fish oil products that does not contain good quality fish oil.



Finding good quality fish oil nowadays can be difficult. But don't worry as xtendlife, recognizing the health needs of pregnant and nursing women, has developed a product that will help women with their omega 3 fatty acid needs. Xtendlife offers products that contain natural and good quality ingredients and women are sure that they are safe and free from postpartum depression.