Are Green Powders safe during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, a woman’s macro and micronutrient intake needs to be increased significantly (1). Although it’s necessary to increase both types of nutrient, the intake of micronutrients need to increase the most, and this is what green powders focus on.

Therefore, it’s natural to look into greens powders. However, even though green powders are a great solution for people that need a more nutrient-rich diet, a lot of green powers are not suitable for pregnant women.

Supplements and Pregnancy

There is a selection of brands that do cater predominantly to pregnant women, and they produce suitable multivitamins that have been tested and are proven to be safe to use during pregnancy. Some pregnancy brands even produce specially formulated and tested green powders. However, the majority of every day herbal supplements like green powders aren’t recommended during pregnancy.

Within this article, we are going to take a look at why most green powders aren’t suitable to consume when pregnant, and what the possible alternatives could be, to ensure nutrient intake is increased during pregnancy.

Why are most supplements not recommended during pregnancy?

– Greens Powders aren’t tested on pregnant mothers

The majority of green powders sold are not tested on pregnant mothers, therefore the brand can’t say that their product is suitable for someone that is pregnant.

Obviously, it can be really difficult to find anyone pregnant that wants to trial a product that could potentially not be good for them or their baby, so you will never or rarely see that things have been tested on those that are with child. The bottom line is that unless it’s scientifically proven to benefit the woman and baby, it’s not worth risking using anything new or unknown.

– The issue of passing ingredients to the unborn child

A pregnant mother must consume the right foods and nutrients when pregnant because whatever is consumed by the mother will affect the baby’s growth and development. Further down the line, it could also affect the baby’s health, even after it has been born.

Although all of the ingredients within green powders are nutrient-rich, energy-boosting and beneficial to the function of the brain, there are a lot of ingredients that many people will never have heard of before, never mind consumed. Even when someone that isn’t pregnant starts to take green powders, they might have some side effects. This is why we always recommend easing into taking green powders and stopping or halving the dosage if you start to see adverse effects.

Although taking green powders is extremely beneficial in the long run, if you’re pregnant body reacts badly and shows adverse effects on some of the ingredients, then you could harm your baby. It’s best not to introduce new, strong ingredients to your body while you’re pregnant as it’s not worth the risk it could cause.

– Many green powder brands put a warning on their products advising against consumption if pregnant so that they legally avoid issues

On the majority of green powders that you look at, it will give a warning saying something like, “Not to be consumed by under 16-year olds and pregnant women.” Due to most powders not being tested on pregnant women, they can’t be sure that there are no risks involved if someone pregnant started to consume their product.

Therefore, they put a warning on the powder advising against consumption if you are pregnant. They don’t want to face legal troubles, and if they didn’t state this warning on their products, someone that’s pregnant that used the powder could sue them.

Alternative Options

Although the majority of green powders are not suitable for pregnant women, many good-quality pregnancy brands produce supplements filled with everything that a pregnant woman needs to increase their micronutrient intake. These can be in the form of a daily multivitamin, but some brands produce specially formulated and tested green powders, suitable for pregnant women.

The vitamins and minerals pregnant women need to focus on having a larger intake of are (2):

• Folate (folic acid in supplement form) – This helps to prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida
• Iodine – This is essential to help develop the brain and the nervous system
• Iron – This prevents anemia in the mother and low birth weight in the baby
• Vitamin B12 – This supports the development of the nervous system
• Vitamin D – This supports the development of the skeleton
• Vitamin C – This helps improve the absorption of iron into the baby from the mother’s diet

The two best green powders we have found for pregnant mothers are:

Synergy Natural’s Spirulina Powder (3) – the brand say that this powder is safe for both pregnant mothers and breastfeeding mothers. Although there is a lot of discussion surrounding Spirulina being safe during pregnancy, it is. The common misunderstanding is that Spirulina contains too much Vitamin A, which isn’t advised to increase intake during pregnancy. With this brand, Synergy, they use Pro-Vitamin A, (Beta-carotene) that is a precursor and allows the body to convert what it needs into Vitamin A.

Morlife Green Kidz Powder (4) – Although this powder blend is aimed towards children, it’s the perfect powder for women that are both pregnant and breastfeeding. It contains 22 superfoods including greens, fruits & vegetables and all the vitamins and minerals needed.

However, any good quality pregnancy brand will produce a multivitamin containing all the minerals and vitamins needed. So, it’s a personal choice as to whether you prefer to take one of the pregnancy-safe powders or a multivitamin.

Is SuperGreen TONIK suitable for pregnant women?

When it comes to SuperGreen TONIK we ALWAYS advise speaking to your doctor or health professional before taking it. Only if your medical doctor gives you the okay and confirms you can take our supplement then you can take.

The reasons other than those stated above is that we have adaptogenic herbs that may not be suitable for pregnant mothers, especially within the first trimester, because they work to balance hormones.

During pregnancy, hormones are necessary to be a little out of balance and nothing should counteract the natural processes happening.

In addition to this, there isn’t sufficient research on herbs and their effects on pregnant women.

We always recommend speaking to your doctor before deciding to take any supplements, but this is especially crucial if you are pregnant. Your doctor will be able to advise what is best for you and your baby.

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