There have been several studies over the past few years that suggest taking fish oil during pregnancy is a must. Any acupuncture or nutrition patient I see that is pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant I always suggest that they get a good fish oil supplement. Now another study was just released that began in 1990 with 533 pregnant women at week 30 who were assigned to 3 groups. Read the rest of this entry

A recent review study showed that acupuncture in conjuction with in-vitro fertilization improved the chances of a rates of pregnancy and live births.   (This really shouldn’t come as a surprise since there have been many studies showing that acupuncture helps couples conceive.)   This study was a review of 7 trials and over 1300 women undergoing IVF, so it wasn’t just a small pilot study, it did have some significance. Read the rest of this entry

Omega 3 fatty acids have been in the news quite a bit over the past few years so I’m sure most people know that an adequate amount are necessary during pregnancy. However I’m always surprised when I suggest to women that are trying to get pregnant or are newly pregnant that they need to eat good sources of Omega-3 such as flax (best to use ground seeds rather than oil), walnuts, or brazil nuts. One of the best sources of Omega-3 are the fish oils which are very beneficial during pregnancy. Read the rest of this entry

Keeping abreast with current research there was a recent study showing that organic meat and dairy foods led to higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). It is known that grass-fed animals have higher levels of this important fatty acid than do conventional meats of animals stuck in a farm lot. Read the rest of this entry

A recent study looked at other potential markers of neural tube defects (NTD) besides folic acid. Of course by now we hope that any woman who may possibly conceive should be taking Folic Acid supplementation. It has been a well accepted fact that low levels of folate increases the risk of NTDs. And if a woman doesn’t begin taking folate until after she discovers she is pregnant it is already too late. Read the rest of this entry

According to an article published in the Journal of Nutrition black and white pregnant women and neonates residing in the northern US are at high risk of vitamin D insufficiency, even when mothers are compliant with prenatal vitamins. Read the rest of this entry

A recent study concluded that “…consumption of apples and fish during pregnancy may have a protective effect against the development of childhood asthma and allergic disease.” Now I wouldn’t eat them together, Read the rest of this entry

In yet another study showing the importance of healthy gut bacteria it is shown that probiotics during pregnancy and early in life reduce the incidence of IgE associated eczema. (think of IgE as the sort lived, quick onset reaction from foods, molds, animals etc.) This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 188 families with a history of allergic disease. Lactobacillus reuteri was given orally Read the rest of this entry

In yet another study showing the importance of the vitamin of the year, Vitamin D, lower maternal intake is linked to an increase in wheezing among 5 year olds. The study was done here in New England (in Boston at the Brigham and Beth Israel) where the prevalence of asthma is the highest in the nation. Read the rest of this entry

Our American diet is devoid of traditionally fermented foods. Even the saurekraut we purchase in the supermarket has been destroyed of its beneficial bacteria because of pasteurization. Many of us get a bit of friendly bacteria from yogurt and kefir, however even these has been pasteurized causing destruction of beneficial enzymes. After the pasteurization the the cultures we are familiar with are added to create a fermented product.
Numerous studies have shown that we can benefit from taking probiotic supplements. Recently they’ve shown to reduce sinus infections which is interesting from an Oriental Medicine perspective since the large intestine where the majority of friendly bacteria live is directly connected to the lungs and nose. However another study showed that infants with colic can benefit from bacteria. Well of course if there is an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut it would make anyone want to cry!
Read research abstract on probiotics and colicky babies

The product I like to use for infants is HLC Neonate or Entrin Children’s . (Both of these are available at discount through Emerson Ecologics if you setup a patient account with me.)

These probiotics are especially important for mothers that are not exclusively breastfeeding!