The uterus contains 800% more collagen at the end of pregnancy.
During pregnancy, aside from growing another human, your body is growing a completely new organ (the placenta) and stretching in new ways. What supports this huge amount of growth and flexibility? Collagen.
“In fact, your uterus contains 800% more collagen at the end of your pregnancy compared to pre-pregnancy.” — Lily Nichols, Real Food for Pregnancy
Collagen is rich in protein and about ā…“ of collagen is made up of an amino acid called glycine. Our bodies are pretty decent at making glycine on their own, but during pregnancy, we need more than we can make. So getting enough glycine can be pretty crucial.
Glycine not only supports tissue growth and tissue healing, but it also supports detoxification and the clearance of another amino acid called methionine, which may be linked to complications during pregnancy via high levels of homocysteine.
So how can you get more collagen?
ā†¯Eating nose-to-tail and consuming foods like broths will provide plenty of collagen and gelatin-rich foods that contain glycine
ā†¯Talk to your healthcare provider about incorporating a collagen supplement
ā†¯Consume the co-factors that support collagen production, like Vitamin C and Copper
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Not medical advice.
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This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.
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References
Borkow, G. (2014). Using Copper to Improve the Well-Being of the Skin. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4556990/.
Fallon, Sally. (2001). Nourishing Traditions. Brandywine, MD. New Trends Publishing.
Fallon, S. Cowan, T.S. (2013, 2015). The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care. Washington, D.C.: NewTrends Publishing.
Haas, E. M. Levin, B. (2006). Staying Healthy with Nutrition. New York, NY: Ten Speed Press.
Harris, E.D. Rayton, J.K. Balthrop, J.E. DiSilvestro, R.A. Garcia-de-Quevedo, M. (1980). Copper and the synthesis of elastin and collagen. Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6110524/
Nichols, L. (2018). Real Food for Pregnancy. United States.
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