Collagen for Pregnancy
Disclaimer: This content has been produced purely for informational and educational purposes only and is never intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical guidelines including diagnosis, advice, and treatment.
A pregnant woman needs to take special care of herself as the health of the baby relies heavily on the health status of the woman. She needs to eat healthy foods and take her vitamins to fulfill her nutritional requirements and ensure the proper growth and development of the baby.
For that purpose, your doctor may prescribe you different dietary supplements, among which collagen is one of the popular ones. It helps pregnant women stay fit and healthy and allow them to take proper care of the baby.
Follow the article below to learn more about collagen and its benefits for pregnant ladies.
COLLAGEN
Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, serving as the primary structural component of skin, bones, cartilage, ligaments, etc. It has 28 different types, out of which the most important ones are collagen type 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Below is a brief description of some of the types of collagen crucial for your body:
- Collagen type 1 – Most of the collagen in your body is present in the form of collagen type 1. It consists of densely packed fibers that make up your skin, bones, teeth, fibrous cartilage, and tendons.
- Collagen type 2 – It is composed of loosely packed fibers in contrast to collagen type 1 and is found in elastic cartilage that provides cushioning to your joints.
- Collagen type 3 – It is the type of collagen that lays the structural foundation of your muscles, organs, and arteries.
- Collagen type 4 – This type of collagen is primarily found in the layers of your skin.
Your body can synthesize collagen on its own, but to avail its maximum benefits, you should also try to eat foods rich in collagen. Eggs, meat, seafood, and bone broth are some of the popular sources of collagen; however, you can get your daily dose of collagen from dietary supplements as well.
HOW DOES COLLAGEN BENEFIT PREGNANT WOMEN?
Although pregnancy is a physiological process, it can take a toll on a woman's physical and mental health. To ensure that a woman stays physically healthy throughout the entire course of pregnancy, doctors often recommend dietary supplements like folic acid, vitamins, and collagen.
Collagen being the most abundant protein in the body helps pregnant women to ease joint pain, minimize hair fall, avoid stretch marks and fight morning sickness.
Below is a detailed description of different benefits of collagen supplementation for pregnant ladies:
COMBATS MORNING SICKNESS
Morning sickness is a very common condition that usually occurs in early pregnancy and may cause nausea and vomiting. One of the key reasons that may cause pregnant women to experience morning sickness is nutritional deficiency.
If the nutritional requirement is not met, a pregnant lady may develop severe pregnancy sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Excessive vomiting in this condition may result in dehydration and further exacerbates malnourishment.
To avoid all these complications, women must take a proper diet to fulfill their nutritional requirements, and collagen supplementation can come in handy in such conditions as it a great source of minerals and vitamins needed by pregnant women.
RELIEVES JOINT PAIN
When a woman is pregnant, her body releases a hormone known as relaxin. This hormone relaxes your ligaments so that at the time of labor, it is easy to expand your uterus and pelvis.
Although this particular effect of relaxin hormone is beneficial for pregnant women during labor, it can destabilize their joints due to its action on ligaments associated with joints. As a result, a woman may experience joint pain during her pregnancy.
Taking collagen supplementation during pregnancy help stabilize your joints and keep the cartilage and tendons together. This will relieve joint pain and reduce inflammation to ensure smooth and pain-free movements at all joints.
MAY PREVENT STRETCH MARKS
During pregnancy, your belly grows and stretches the skin over it. Lack of collagen further deteriorates the elasticity of the skin and may lead to stretch marks.
Collagen is well known for its ability to slow down the signs of aging, including wrinkles; in the same way, it prevents stretch marks in pregnant women by improving the elasticity of the skin.
KEEPS HAIR STRONG AND HEALTHY
The hormonal shift in pregnancy may affect your hair negatively. It causes your hair to become dry and may even lead to hair loss. To keep your hair strong and beautiful even during pregnancy you may need to put in some extra efforts.
Well, collagen supplementation is here to save the day again. Collagen contains the amino acid proline, a major component of the keratin protein found in your hair. Consuming collagen helps to form keratin which in turn keeps your hair strong and healthy.
TO CONCLUDE
Pregnancy is a big change in a woman’s life; it alters her body physically and may also challenge her emotionally. To cope with such physical changes, a woman must adopt a healthy lifestyle and eat nutritious foods. This will not only help her stay fit and healthy but also ensure proper growth and development of the baby.
Although it is well-established that a pregnant lady has increased nutritional demand, it is not always convenient to fulfill that through diet. Morning sickness, decreased appetite, and altered bowel habits may affect her diet during pregnancy.
In such times, dietary supplements are the way to fulfill your nutritional requirements. One of the popular dietary supplements that may help pregnant women is collagen. It is a protein found in your body that forms the structural framework of bones, cartilage, skin, and other body parts.
During pregnancy, collagen supplementation may help you fight morning sickness, relieve joint pain, reduce hair loss, and prevent stretch marks. It is also beneficial for the baby growing inside a woman's belly.
It is recommended that you speak with your healthcare provider before starting collagen supplementation, especially if you are taking medications for any underlying health conditions.
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REFERENCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4944529/