Pregnancy Nutrients: Essential Fats

Fats: The good and the bad

We’re often told to limit our intake of fatty foods – advice that can lead us to believe that all fats are bad for our health. While it’s true that some fats carry health risks, fat is an important source of energy and helps the body absorb certain nutrients. It also provides essential fatty acids that your body can’t make, but which are vital for your baby’s development throughout pregnancy.

There are three types of fats: saturated fats, trans fats and unsaturated fats.

• Saturated fats – found in fatty meat, full-fat dairy foods and many snack foods such as biscuits, cakes and sweets; these can cause a build-up of cholesterol over time. Keeping your intake of saturated fats low can reduce your risk of heart disease and excess weight gain.
• Trans fats – present in low levels in meat and dairy products, these are also found in hydrogenated vegetable oil, and can raise cholesterol levels.
• Unsaturated fats – this name covers the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that are essential for your baby’s growth. These include certain long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, some of which play an important role in the development of the brain, eyes and nervous system.

The different types of unsaturated fats

Unsaturated fats are an important part of a well-balanced pregnancy diet, providing all the benefits of fats and less of the risks. With a high energy content, you should eat them in moderation to keep your weight gain on the right track.

As well as being a good source of energy, unsaturated fats act as a healthy carrier for the fat-soluble vitamins that are needed for your baby’s development, particularly:

• Vitamin D – regulates calcium and phosphate, which help to keep bones and teeth healthy
• Vitamin E – helps give cells their structure by supporting cell membranes
• Vitamin K – aids blood clotting and also contributes to bone health

There are two groups of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, nut oils and nut butters. Polyunsaturated fats are found in sunflower oil, some margarines and mayonnaise. Omega 3s are a particularly beneficial type of long chain polyunsaturated fats (LCPs), which play an important role in your baby’s brain, visual and nervous system development.

Essential fats for a healthy brain

Fat is your developing baby’s main source of energy, fuelling the intense and incredible development that happens from conception to birth. It also contributes to the make-up of your baby’s brain, which is around 60% fat.

While they’re still in your womb, they’re relying on you to provide the fat they need, so getting the balance right is essential. As well as providing energy, studies show that an adequate intake of healthy fats during pregnancy is linked to a lower risk of childhood obesity and normal cognitive development in their early years.

How much fat do I need during pregnancy?

Ideally, no more than 33% of your daily calorie intake should come from fats. Many people eat within this limit but there is a tendency to consume too many saturated fats and not enough of the healthier types

The HSE recommends that women should not consume more than 20g of saturated fat a day..

To tip the balance towards unsaturated fats, eat more of the following foods or other similar options:

• Avocados
• Sunflower seeds
• Olive oil
• Pine nuts
• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Sardines

Note: although the oily fish on this list are an excellent source of Omega 3s, you should limit your intake to 2 portions per week during pregnancy, due to the potentially high levels of mercury they can contain.