Selenium Reduces Risk of Post-Partum Depression (c) theepochtimes.com
Post-partum depression (PPD) affects about 10 percent of women after having a baby.
From a nutritional perspective, among the things that have been shown to help protect against PPD are omega-3 fats, found plentifully in fatty fish, including salmon, trout, mackerel, and herring. Research carried out by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research in March 2009.
Recent research published on June 8 in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine suggests another nutritional agent that has potential to help prevent PPD is the mineral selenium.
In the study, 166 women in their first pregnancies were supplemented with either selenium (100 micrograms per day) or placebo from sometime in the first third of the pregnancy until the time of birth. Symptoms of depression were assessed over an eight-week period following birth.
In women who supplemented with selenium, levels of this nutrient were found to rise (compared to women taking placebo, where they didn’t). Compared to women taking placebo, ratings of depression (as determined by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) were also significantly lower in the women taking the selenium supplement.
The authors of the study concluded, “These findings suggest that supplementation with selenium during pregnancy might be an effective approach for the prevention of postpartum depression.”
It should be mentioned that selenium is only one of a range of nutrients that may, if supplemented during pregnancy, have benefits for the mother and her baby.