The Explainer fact-checkers have come across a claim circulating on Twitter, suggesting that pregnant women who consume Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil during pregnancy can give birth to exceptionally brilliant children. The claim, posted by Twitter user @DUXQ, states that “If you want to give birth to very brilliant kids, let your wife drink Original Seven Sea Cod Liver Oil during pregnancy. It sharpens the brain. You can also give the oil to the baby after birth. Children of fishermen or children whose mothers sell dried fish (natural fish) are always brilliant.”
However, checking through several scientific journals and consulting health platforms, the Explainer found no direct link between cod liver oil consumption during pregnancy and brilliance in children. While experts in nutrition hold the view that cod liver oil is indeed an essential nutrient for pregnant women as it supports the formation of the fetal nervous system, brain, eyes, and heart, such expert views do not make any claim to suggest that cod liver oil has a proven effect on enhancing intelligence in babies.
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Moreover, The Explainer’s fact-checkers findings indicate that consuming excessive amounts of cod liver oil is unsafe for pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding. It is recommended that they avoid cod liver oil supplements providing more than approximately 3000mcg of vitamin A and 100mcg of vitamin D. Additionally, a post by HealthLine, a reputable American health information provider, states that while cod liver oil can have benefits such as preventing rickets, reducing diabetes risk, preventing infections, and protecting eyesight in children, it is noted that that there is no established correlation between its consumption and the intelligence exhibited by children.
Further investigation by the Explainer also revealed that no scientific studies have proven the claim’s validity. Therefore, it can be concluded that the claim suggesting that cod liver oil, when taken during pregnancy, can make children exceptionally brilliant is unproven and misleading.
