A new study from Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry suggests that Omega-3 fatty acids could help protect unborn babies from the harmful effects of cannabis exposure during pregnancy.
The findings offer new hope for preventing low birth weight and heart problems in children whose mothers used cannabis while pregnant.
Previous research has shown that THC—the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis—can lead to lower birth weights and heart issues in newborn animals when the mother is exposed during pregnancy.
These problems include reduced stroke volume (how much blood the heart pumps per beat), cardiac output (blood pumped per minute), and ejection fraction (efficiency of the heart’s pumping).
In this new study, published in Scientific Reports, researchers Dan Hardy and Kendrick Lee tested whether an Omega-3-rich diet could prevent these issues.
Using rat models, they found that a diet including DHA and EPA (the two key components of Omega-3) given during pregnancy and for three weeks after birth helped prevent low birth weight and protected the heart health of the offspring.
“More importantly,” Hardy said, “the Omega-3 diet stopped the early decline in heart function we usually see in animals exposed to THC.”
The researchers also discovered that Omega-3 helped reduce collagen build-up in the heart, which is linked to stiffness and heart disease later in life.
Omega-3 is already known to be beneficial during pregnancy. It supports fetal development, reduces the risk of gestational diabetes, and is easily available in the form of supplements or from foods like fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts.
“These results are promising,” said Kendrick Lee, who completed this research during his Ph.D. “They show it might be possible to protect children who were exposed to cannabis before birth from long-term health problems.”
The researchers stress that the best way to protect a baby is for pregnant people to avoid cannabis altogether. But for those who have used cannabis during pregnancy, an Omega-3 supplement could help reduce the risks to their baby’s health.
The team hopes this research will lead to further studies in humans and eventually guide health recommendations for safer pregnancies.
If you care about health, please read studies that vitamin D can help reduce inflammation, and vitamin K could lower your heart disease risk by a third.
For more health information, please see recent studies about new way to halt excessive inflammation, and results showing foods that could cause inflammation.
