Diet Advice for New Moms: Fish Rich In DHA Is Beneficial For The Baby's Brain Development
Postpartum diet is always a key concern for new families. While most families understand that traditional postpartum meals, featuring ingredients like sesame oil chicken, kidneys, and pig hearts, can nourish the mother's body, few understand the underlying nutritional principles and how to choose the right ingredients to maximize their benefits. The core of postpartum meals lies in precisely replenishing key nutrients, with protein being particularly crucial. Fish is a superior choice, offering both nutritional benefits and safety.
The core of postpartum meals: Supplement 65 grams of protein daily to support postpartum recovery and breast milk quality
The primary nutrient fortified in postpartum meals is protein. The recommended daily intake for postpartum mothers is 65 grams (equivalent to approximately four servings of fish, meat, eggs, and beans). The traditional daily consumption of sesame oil chicken, kidneys, pig heart, and liver during confinement is essentially a protein supplement. Why is protein intake particularly important after childbirth? This is closely related to the mother's recovery needs and breast milk supply.
From a body repair perspective, whether delivering vaginally or by cesarean section, mothers face wound healing challenges. As the "tissue repairer" of the human body, protein plays a crucial role in building and repairing cells and tissues. Adequate intake can accelerate wound healing and help the body return to its pre-pregnancy state as quickly as possible.
From the perspective of breast milk supply, protein is known as the "architect of the body." It's not only the building block of cells and tissues, but also a crucial raw material for the synthesis of hormones, enzymes, and immunoglobulins. Insufficient protein intake during the postpartum period can directly lead to reduced milk production. Even if milk is produced, the protein content will decrease, affecting breast milk quality and making it difficult to meet the nutritional needs of the newborn's growth and development. Therefore, postpartum mothers should increase their daily protein intake by 15 grams, with more than half of this intake coming from high-bio-value proteins such as fish, pork, chicken, and beef. Fish offers the most comprehensive benefits.
Why is fish the first choice? It is better for repairing than chicken and can alsoBaby DHA supplement
Many people wonder: Why is fish now recommended over chicken, when traditional postpartum meals primarily focused on sesame oil chicken? In fact, the past custom of eating chicken after childbirth was largely influenced by food availability. In the early years, fish was difficult to obtain regularly in many areas, and farmers commonly raised chickens, making chicken the most readily available source of protein. With the current abundance of food, the advantages of fish are becoming increasingly apparent: the protein in fish is more easily absorbed and utilized by the body, promoting faster tissue repair and significantly helping postpartum wound healing.
More importantly, fishRich in DHA, which is very important for the brain development of newborn babies. The baby's brain development is not fixed after birth, but requires continuous DHA SupplyResearch data shows that Japanese mothers, due to their high intake of fish in their daily diets, have breast milk containing up to 22% DHA, ranking first globally. A 2015 collaborative study by Kaohsiung Medical University and the National Health Research Institute also confirmed that maternal fish consumption significantly increases DHA levels in breast milk and umbilical cord blood. Furthermore, a meta-analysis published by Dr. Starling in the 2015 journal Nutrients, integrating 279 studies and over 4 cases, found that increasing fish intake during pregnancy and after birth can effectively promote the child's neurological development, motor skills, and intellectual development, demonstrating the long-term benefits of fish for both mother and child.
Fish risk avoidance guide: Choose the right species, avoid high-risk areas, and spread heavy metal risks.
When it comes to eating fish after childbirth, many families worry about heavy metal contamination (such as mercury and lead). A study published in the February 2006 issue of Chemosphere by Professor Han Bo-tsu of the Department of Public Health at Taipei Medical University found that breast milk does contain mercury. The average mercury level in breast milk of urban mothers (2.02 μg/L) was nearly identical to the mercury level in the blood of fishermen (2.02 μg/L). Further estimates revealed that breast milk accounts for over 96% of mercury exposure in infants. This study reminds mothers to adopt a safe approach when eating fish and not to consume it blindly.
Specifically, pregnant women should prioritize fish that have passed heavy metal testing and avoid large fish at the top of the food chain, such as sharks and tuna. These fish, due to their long lifespans and high feeding levels, tend to accumulate more heavy metals in their bodies. Conversely, smaller fish, such as mackerel, horse mackerel, and saury, have relatively lower heavy metal levels and are therefore safer. Furthermore, heavy metals tend to accumulate in the oily parts of fish, so when consuming untested fish, avoid eating the head, skin, and visceral fat. Furthermore, pregnant women are advised to maintain a diverse fish diet, rotating between different species. This "diversified intake" reduces the risks associated with a single species and ensures a balanced diet and safety.
