Go ahead and have that salad with a dash of oil and vinegar—olive oil that is. New research out of the University of Barcelona’s Institute for Research on Nutrition and Food Safety shows that olive oil crosses mom’s placenta and boosts bioactive compounds beneficial for baby during pregnancy, and that boost continues in mother’s own milk postpartum.
Experts agree that breast milk is the best nutrition for babies as it has essential nutrients and bioactive ingredients including hormones, antibodies, microorganism, and stem cells, to name a few. The benefits of these compounds include reduced infection rates for both moms and babies, and they lower risks of suffering from metabolic diseases later in life.
Extra virgin olive oil is the main fat in a Mediterranean diet. This study is the first to show that these beneficial compounds are available to both mom and baby, according to the research published in the journal, Food Chemistry. The authors encouraged olive oil consumption—unless otherwise cautioned—during pregnancy and breastfeeding as it can boost the quality of mom’s own breast milk, and consequently, boost baby’s health both during pregnancy and when nursing.
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