Want to boost your baby’s IQ during pregnancy, eat nine eggs daily

Pregnant women who eat up to nine eggs a day have babies with higher IQs, study suggests.

Eggs contain high amounts of choline, which boosts infants’ memories and abilities to process information.

However, nine is an unusually high number to eat in a day and they are linked to high cholesterol which can be deadly.

Recommendations advice 480mg of the nutrient a day in expectant mothers, however, the study suggests nearly double that amount is required for optimal results.

Yet, the researchers warn many pregnant women fail to even consume the recommended choline intake, which may be due to eggs’ reputation for causing raised cholesterol levels, as well as warnings against expectant mothers eating them if undercooked.

On average, one egg yolk contains around 115mg of choline. Other sources include red meat, fish, poultry, legumes and nuts.

Feeding babies eggs boosts their brain development and function, research suggested last month.

Just one egg a day for six months significantly increases youngsters’ levels of the nutrients choline and DHA, both of which are involved in brain health, a study found.

Previous research reveals feeding babies eggs improves their growth and prevents stunting.

Lead author Lora Iannotti from the Brown School at Washington University, said: ‘Like milk or seeds, eggs are designed to support the early growth and development of an organism and are, therefore, dense in nutrient content.

“Eggs provide essential fatty acids, proteins, choline, vitamins A and B12, selenium, and other critical nutrients at levels above or comparable to those found in other animal food products, but they are relatively more affordable.”

The NHS says that mothers-to-be do not need to go on a special diet, but stress it’s important to eat a variety of different foods every day to get the right balance of nutrients that she and her baby need.

It recommends eggs for pregnant women but warns you should avoid eating some raw or partially cooked eggs, as there is a risk of salmonella.

How the research was carried out 

The researchers from Cornell University analysed 26 pregnant women entering their third trimesters.

Half of the study’s participants ate 480mg of choline every day until their delivery, while the remainder consumed 930mg.

The participants’ babies were assessed for their information processing speed and memories at four, seven, 10 and 13 months old.

“This single nutrient has lifelong benefits”.

Results reveal babies have significantly faster reaction times if their mothers ate 930mg of choline a day during the final stage of their pregnancy.

Infants are also faster at processing information if their mothers consumed around twice the recommended choline intake every day of their third trimester.

A person’s IQ is partially determined by their memory.

Study author Marie Caudill said: ‘In animal models using rodents, there’s widespread agreement that supplementing the maternal diet with additional amounts of this single nutrient has lifelong benefits on offspring cognitive function.

“Our study provides some evidence that a similar result is found in humans.”

The findings were published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Source: NHS Choices