Protein Powder during Pregnancy – What you need to Consider A pregnant woman needs protein every day. If you do not eat meat or are vegan, then it is essential to get pregnancy protein powder because it is a good source of protein. Nevertheless, due to certain additives in some of these powders such as preservatives and artificial sugars, it poses a huge health safety for both the mother and unborn baby. The protein needed for pregnant women increases during the second and third trimester, which is when the baby is growing rapidly. During this period, the specific amount of protein required for the woman depends on her weight. However, a basic rule to follow in consuming the right amount of protein is by multiplying the body weight (in kilograms) by 1.2. For instance, if the weight of the woman were 70kg during the early pregnancy stage, her daily protein intake would be 84grams.
Are Pregnancy Protein Powder Supplement safe during Pregnancy Today, athletes to boost the intake of protein daily for building muscles use protein powders. Moreover, people use protein powder who are on a diet and want to reduce their carbohydrate intake. These powders may not be suitable for pregnant women because they have artificial sweeteners like saccharin, which is harmful to the fetus. Some powders aimed at bodybuilders have herbs such as chamomile, licorice root, ginger, anise, and other performance enhancement, which may influence fetal hormones. It is imperative to ask your doctor for a suitable protein powder during pregnancy especially if you need a supplement. Because most protein powders are made from casein, whey, and soy, women who are hypersensitive to dairy products can switch to using other protein powder that is safe during pregnancy.
What Protein Powder is safe for Pregnant Ladies? Some protein shakes have excessive calories needed for your daily intake. In most cases, many protein powders contain up to 300 calories. Pregnant women should look for protein powders with low-calorie content. Nevertheless, take caution and avoid protein powders with artificial
sweeteners like saccharin. You can make your own nuts, milk, avocados, peanut butter, and other protein boosters.
Things to Consider before buying a Protein Powder If you must buy a protein powder because of insufficient protein in your regular diet, you must consider the following things.
Excess Vitamins and Caffeine: Most protein powders, which are labeled vegan or dietfriendly, have added caffeine and vitamins. It is essential you avoid such products. It is pointless to excess vitamins because you may be taking a prenatal multivitamin supplement.
Artificial Sweeteners: Some protein powders have artificial sugars in them, so you should be conscious about that. These may not be suitable for pregnant women because they often cross the placenta and get access to the baby.
Ingredients and Label warnings: Most of these protein powders come with warning ingredients especially when they are not suitable for breastfeeding and pregnant women. A lot of them contain beta alanine, caffeine, taurine, and creatine. These labels enable you to select the safe powders but not all do come with labels.
Author’s Bio Lucky Tam in this article educates pregnant women on pregnancy protein powder supplement. He further highlights important things to consider when using pregnancy protein powder.