Lack Of Fish In Diet Increases Anxiety During Pregnancy, Study Says

While it's common for women to feel stressed during pregnancy, women who lack fish in their diet during pregnancy are more likely to experience anxiety, according to Health Canal.

By looking at the fish consumption of more than 9,500 pregnant women, a study found that eating fish during pregnancy could help reduce stress levels. Women in the study who never ate fish while pregnant had a 53 percent greater chance of having high levels of anxiety at 32 weeks into the pregnancy compared to women who ate fish. In addition to diet, 14 factors were considered as potentially affecting anxiety during pregnancy including drinking, smoking, and family issues.

High levels of anxiety are harmful for a mother's long-term health and can result in a baby's premature birth or low birth weight.

The results of the study suggest that eating two meals of white fish and one meal of oily fish each week during pregnancy is a sufficient amount of fish to consume.