Is it safe to take collagen supplements during pregnancy?
Melbourne-based company The Collagen Co set the record straight. If you did a brief search, youd already know that high-mercury seafood, cigarettes, and alcohol are off-limits during pregnancy. While you should always check with your doctor when starting a new supplement, collagen supplements are generally considered safe during pregnancy. They can be beneficial, even. To find out why (and how, precisely), continue reading. Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this. Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It is one of the primary building blocks of your bones, skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Now, if collagen plays this crucial role in your body, then it'll also play the same role in your little one. So, there it is The underlying reason why collagen supplements are considered safe for consumption during pregnancy. Your body (not to mention, your babys body) is already made of it and naturally produces it from the foods you eat. Benefits of taking collagen supplements during pregnancy  #1 Boosts your protein intake  Because protein is a vital building block your body uses to create skin, muscle, hair and bones, you must increase your intake to ensure your baby's normal growth and the maintenance of your body's tissues. Roughly 70 to 100 grams, depending on your total body weight. As you can imagine, stomaching this much meat and dairyespecially when dealing with pregnancy-related nauseais a challenge. This is where collagen supplements come in. Collagen powder is a great (and easy) way of supplementing your diet, so you hit the recommended daily intake of protein. #2 Supports skin elasticity  You'll typically start to notice stretch marks (that can be red, purple, or silver in appearance) when you're somewhere around 13 to 21 weeks pregnant. These are tiny tears in the supporting layers of tissue under your skin. Although getting stretch marks with pregnancy is pretty much inevitable, you can minimise them to a certain degree by keeping the skin around your belly soft and supple. Well, the secret lies in collagen supplements. Collagen is responsible for the elasticity of your skin. And the more elastic your skin is, the better your skin can cope with the rapid stretching of your belly during pregnancy. Meaning that youd want to boost your bodys supply of collagen. A recent study showed that women who took a supplement containing 2.5 to 5 grams of collagen for 8 weeks experienced a significant increase in skin elasticity and less skin dryness compared to those who did not take the supplement. Now, you know what to do! #3 Strengthens joints and ligaments  Because your little one needs nutrients and energy, you have to eat a little more to provide for his/her needs. And that often translates into weight gainanywhere between 11.5 to 16 kg. That's quite a bit of additional load to carry daily! This, in turn, can add pressure on your bones, ligaments, and other parts of your musculoskeletal systempossibly leading to inflammation and premature wear-and-tear damage to cartilage, resulting in pain. To better cope with the inevitable increase in weight, you want to keep your joints as healthy as possible. As for how, well, youve probably already guessed it by now. Collagen supplements. Researchers believe that collagen peptides can help increase collagen synthesis in the connective tissues and/or modulate the inflammatory response, which keeps your joints in tip-top condition. A recent study found that participants who took 2 grams of collagen daily for 70 days experienced a significant reduction in joint pain than those who did not. Not all collagen supplements are made equal. The Collagen Co. premium blend is clinically formulated with 15 grams per serve of the highest-quality collagen with a low molecular weight of 2kDA. This allows for rapid absorption and stimulates the body to produce more natural collagen for quicker, visible results. In addition to packing an impressive 15 grams of bioactive collagen per serve to support you on your exciting pregnancy journey, their Premium Collagen Peptides also contains Vitamin C which is essential for natural collagen production, Biotin to boost the energy uptake in skin and hair cells and the newly added Hyaluronic Acid which keeps skin hydrated and plump. The Collagen Co is a Melbourne-based company whose premium blends contain a generous 15 grams of collagen per serve.