We all know that eating too much red meat isn't exactly good for us. But too much fish can be bad too?
A new study out this week finds that women who eat too much fish while they're pregnant increase the chances that their children will become obese. That's right: One of the healthiest things we're urged to eat may actually end up making some of us fatter.
That's according to a sweeping study that followed more than 26,000 pregnant women and their children in 11 countries. The kids of women who ate fish more than three times per week while pregnant were more likely to be overweight or obese as they grew up.
One potential cause: environmental pollutants in fish that have been linked to chemical disruptions in our bodies leading to increased fat storage.
Childhood obesity has slowed somewhat in recent years but remains at crisis levels in the U.S. and around the globe. Overweight or obese children, in turn, are more likely to grow up to become overweight adults.
Here’s the good news: Top health officials recommend that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding eat two to three servings of fish per week. That recommendation is in line with the findings of this latest study.
So if you’re pregnant and love fish, don’t worry because you can still eat it. Just don’t go overboard.
Turns out, there can be too much of a good thing, even when it comes to healthy foods.
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