A new study published in PLOS ONE journal supports that pregnant women who do not eat fish are more likely to have elevated stress levels which may cause premature birth or birth of an underweight baby.

Researchers from Bristol University in the UK and the University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil discovered that there is a relationship between stress during pregnancy and nutrition of pregnant women, particularly regarding fish.

More than 9,500 women were sampled during the research, categorized into five different patterns: traditional diet, diet based on processed foods, and a diet with lots of sweet, as well as a vegetarian diet.

Through studying data, scientists found out that women who did not eat any fish were 53% more likely to have high levels of stress during the 32nd week of gestation, compared with those that ate fish regularly. Although it is not proven, it is probably due to fatty omega-3 acids that fish offers.