Is it Safe to Take Collagen During Pregnancy
Many pregnant moms to be are wondering, can I safely take collagen while pregnant? Many people are taking collagen supplements in the form of pills and protein powders these days for a multitude of health and beauty benefits. But are collagen supplements safe or possibly even beneficial for your baby if you take them while pregnant?
In this article, we will discuss collagen and collagen supplements as well as collagen benefits for pregnant mothers to be. We will also cover collagen safety during pregnancy. By the end of this article you should have a better understanding of collagen and if it is safe or unsafe to take collagen while pregnant.
**This post contains affiliate links to items I am confident will benefit your immensely. Please read disclosure here.**
The first thing many people need to know about collagen is what it even is.
Collagen is a protein that makes up the tissue in your bones, ligaments, tendons, and skin. In addition to collagen’s role in maintaining structural integrity within the human body, it also acts as a chemical signal which promotes collagen production by cells. This collagen signaling is how collagen benefits skin health and beauty just to name one of its most well known benefits.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your entire body.
The collagen production process starts with collagen building blocks called amino acids. Your body synthesizes collagen amino acids from lysine which comes from collagen rich foods like collagen supplements, collagen powders, bone broth, and slow cooked meats .
Have you heard of amino acids? They are the building blocks of protein. I promote a lot of high quality protein powders on my two blogs and in my prenatal nutrition program because they are a phenomenal way to get a ton of nutrition in an easy and tasty way and something you will always want to be searching for within your plant based protein powders is a full amino acid profile.
RELATED: The Best Protein Powders for Pregnancy
How can collagen benefit your baby while pregnant?
- Collagen proteins are building blocks of every aspect of your growing baby’s body. Enough collagen nutrition is vital for collagen synthesis by the collagen producing cells in your baby’s bones.
- Collagen helps protect your baby from infections during pregnancy. Collagen deficiency increases infection risk.
- Collagen aids in proper growth of your baby’s brain.
- Collagen is one of many amino acids that are critical to development and health of a baby’s developing central nervous system.
Did you know collagen protein is the most abundant protein in your body?
And that is true within your baby’s body too. Getting enough collagen during pregnancy is vital to proper fetal development.
Why is Proper Prenatal Nutrition so Important?
Did you know you have the power to dictate your baby’s health and genetic outcome based on your pregnancy lifestyle? Between proper prenatal exercise and nutrition you can influence you baby’s health throughout their entire lives!
We now know through the studies of epigenetics during pregnancy that what you eat during pregnancy has a direct effect on the way that your baby’s genes are expressed. Essentially meaning that you can “turn on” good genes and “turn off” bad genes by eating the right amount of the correct nutrients at the right times during your gestation.
But only one prenatal program breaks all that down for moms in an easy to understand and easy to implement way. It’s called The Perfect Pregnancy Plan.
If you want to know more of the best nutrients for growing a healthy baby and how to source them, check out the Perfect Pregnancy Plan for yourself and give your baby the best start in life.
How to Take Collagen While Pregnant
The collagen that is abundant within collagen supplements and collagen powders is the same collagen that your baby needs for proper growth and development.
It is always best to source as much of your prenatal nutrition as possible through your diet though.
#1 Bone Broth
Collagen can be found in super high concentrations in bone broth. You can pick some up at the store if you like, but it’s always best to make your own bone broth if you have the time.
If not, (and honestly I rarely do, mom life is busy!), here is a really great one you can pick up on Amazon by the 12 pack. Add a warm 8 oz glass with a dash of sea salt per day into your pregnancy diet plan or use it to cook with!
#2 Slow Cooked Meats
Tougher cuts of slow cooked meats like beef and pork also have very high amounts of collagen. Meals like pot roast made in the slow cooker are a great way to get the collagen that your growing baby needs.
You will find amazing recipes high in collagen within the huge recipe book that comes with The Perfect Pregnancy Plan. My favorite recipe loaded with collagen from that book is homemade pasta sauce in the slow cooker with pork roast. It is devine and loaded with collagen!
#3 Collagen Supplements
Your baby’s requirements for many nutrients is so high that it is a good idea to not only eat for nutrition, but to add in some high quality supplements to fill in any nutritional gaps as well.
RELATED: The Best Supplements to Take While Pregnant for Optimal Fetal Health
Collagen supplements like collagen protein powder are a great way to get collagen nutrition into your diet during pregnancy without compromising flavor, since collagen tastes neutral.
Carefully chosen collagen supplements or collagen supplement powders can be a great way to ensure collagen intake during pregnancy. However, even collagen supplements are not one size fits all because collagen absorption differs from person to person.
The Best Collagen Supplements for Pregnancy
Collagen supplements like collagen protein powder come in many different forms. Not all collagen supplements are created equally though.
Did you know there is significant variability between collagen types for absorption?
Some collagen types can be very poorly absorbed by your body, while others are easily and efficiently absorbed. So what collagen source should you choose for pregnancy collagen supplementation?
The collagen protein that is best sourced for pregnancy collagen supplementation comes from collagen protein powder.
You could also choose to source collagen through collagen supplements like collagen capsules, but collagen powders are generally better absorbed by your body.
Another reason why collagen protein powder works better than other collagen types during pregnancy is that it contains hydrolyzed collagen which is collagen that has been broken down into peptides.
Protein supplements like collagen protein powder are also very advantageous for pregnancy collagen supplementation because they do not require stomach acid to be absorbed properly by your body. Collagen needs to go through some digestion first before it can be fully absorbed, but collagen powders are already broken down into small collagen peptides which can be absorbed much more easily. (Source)
1. Collagen Peptides Powder
As previously mentioned collagen is best and most naturally sourced from animal products. Slow cooked meats and bone broths. So most collagen proteins will be animal based as well. (If you want a vegan option skip ahead to #2 on this list.)
This collagen peptides powder is hydrolyzed for better absorption and mixes well with both hot or cold drinks! It contains 11g of collagen and 10g of protein per serving! Making this a phenomenal supplement to work into your pregnancy diet plan.
This powder is tasteless and very well absorbed, really love these collagen peptides for pregnancy!
2. Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder
This is a clean bioavailable bovine sourced collagen powder that is one of Amazon’s best sellers! It’s great because it is readily absorbed and utilized by your body and your baby’s growing body as well.
Mix into your smoothies easily because it has no flavor. Got to be one of the best things about collagen protein powder for pregnancy. Stomaching some of the essential nutrients for proper prenatal development can be tough sometimes. Flavorless (especially if you are dealing with nausea during pregnancy) is awesome.
This is one of my top choices because in addition to being a super clean collagen powder it also contains 20g of protein per scoop! Quite a lot! Try these collagen peptides for yourself now.
3. Plant Fusion Complete Plant Collagen Builder
This is an amazing choice for a collagen powder to drink during your pregnancy because it is completely clean and well absorbed. It really is a triple punch in that Plant Complete Collagen Builder doesn’t just fuel your body with high quality, clean, collagen powder that is readily absorbed.
But it contains ingredients that help you to build more collagen within your body! Additionally this complete collagen builder contains oxyphyte plus hyaluronic acid which help prevent collagen breakdown in your body to protect the collagen you are creating.
This collagen powder contains none of the bad stuff: no artificial colors or sweeteners, lactose free, gluten free, vegan, and more! Give Plant Fusion’s Complete Collagen a try now!
3. Majka’s Replenishing Powder
This collagen powder is marketed for postpartum recovery, but is one of my favorites so I needed to include it on this list. This amazing protein powder has enough nutrition in it to replace your prenatal vitamin if your doctor ok’s it. It also has more than collagen in one single scoop, tons of nutrition, a digestive enzyme blend, greens, and adaptogens.
I love when you can get so much nutrition into one scoop instead of taking so many additional supplements. One point worth noting though is that this collagen powder does contain ashwaghanda, which there are opposing views as to whether or not it should be consumed during pregnancy.
In India and in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years to support the energy of a pregnant woman and her fetus. This is in small doses.
There have been scientific studies done on the effects of very high doses of ashwaghanda in pregnant animals causing miscarriage. Once again this is very high levels. For this reason some doctors will advise you to stay away from it altogether though others believe the opposite.
So do your own further research here on if you would want to use this during pregnancy or wait until the postpartum period. This collagen powder has a blend of multiple beneficial ingredients that add up to one gram together in which ashwaghanda is an ingredient. Check out Majka’s Replenishing Collagen Powder now.
Wrapping Up Can You Take Collagen While Pregnant?
Can collagen supplements really benefit your baby?
You bet! While collagen can be found in many foods, collagen supplements are a great way to get collagen into your diet. Collagen protein powder is one of the most efficient collagen nutritional supplements available. It is derived from collagen protein, which has already been broken down into collagen peptides. Using collagen supplements during pregnancy is a great way to ensure your baby’s collagen needs are met.
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