What is the best electrolyte powder for pregnancy?

drink wholesome is the best electrolyte powder for pregnancy.

Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN

Do you need extra electrolytes during pregnancy? 

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Electrolytes are minerals carrying positive or negative charges that play a crucial role in maintaining fluid balance throughout the body. They are depleted when you sweat or urinate, and need to be replenished.

Staying hydrated is essential during pregnancy. Research shows that chronic maternal dehydration can impact birth outcomes, including birth weight.

In order to stay hydrated, you have to drink water AND maintain an electrolyte balance. Electrolytes are responsible for directing water to the areas of the body where it is needed most.

According to the American Medical Research Institute, pregnant women should drink at least 2700 milliliters of water per day, which is 300 milliliters more than what is recommended for women who are not pregnant. It follows that pregnant women also need more electrolytes.

Most pregnant women should be able to get enough electrolytes from eating a balanced diet, but some women, like those experiencing morning sickness, may need to supplement their electrolyte intake. This is where electrolyte powder can help. Drinking electrolytes while pregnant (adding a scoop of electrolyte powder to your diet) can help you maintain an electrolyte balance and stay hydrated. 

Can I drink electrolytes while pregnant?

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Although most electrolyte powders are considered safe for breastfeeding, many contain ingredients that you should think twice about putting into your body. These include fake sweeteners, fake flavors, and food additives (anti-caking agents, preservatives, etc.).

Fake sweeteners, fake flavors, and food additives can disrupt your gut microbiome — the collection of microorganisms living in your gut. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome during pregnancy is associated with gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and restricted fetal growth.

What is the best electrolyte powder for pregnancy?

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The best electrolyte powder for pregnancy is made with a short list of simple ingredients. The fewer the ingredients, and the more the ingredients look like real food, the less likely your electrolyte powder will be to disrupt your gut microbiome. Remember, your gut was designed to handle unprocessed or minimally processed real foods, not artificial or refined ingredients. Keep reading to learn more.

Why drink wholesome? 

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drink wholesome is made with real foods.

We make the best pregnancy-safe electrolyte powder because we use real food ingredients. Virtually all other electrolyte powders are made with ingredients that look NOTHING like food. 

our ingredients: 

blueberries, coconut water, maple sugar, sea salt

the alternative:

SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SILICATE, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CARAMEL COLOR, RED 40

Because fake flavors, fake sweeteners, and food additives do not look like real food, they are hard to digest – especially for someone with pre-existing gut issues. They consequently spend extra time in your gut, causing your colon to absorb extra water. This can lead to diarrhea. Partially digested ingredients also feed the bacteria living in your gut, which release gas as they eat. Extra gas can cause bloating, flatulence, stomach pain, and slow colonic transit – the time it takes food to move through the colon – which can lead to constipation. 

Gastrointestinal (GI) side effects are only the tip of the iceberg. Over time, regularly eating fake flavors, fake sweeteners, and food additives can disrupt regulatory pathways in the intestines, putting you at risk for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other systemic inflammatory disorders. Added ingredients, particularly artificial sweeteners, can also disturb the gut microbiome.

A dysbiotic gut microbiome has been identified as a key driver of inflammation in the body. It has also been linked to the development of numerous chronic diseases, which makes sense because in addition to helping you digest food, your gut microbiome acts as a defensive barrier against harmful pathogens, educates your immune system, and influences many physiological processes. In summary, the fake flavors, fake sweeteners, and food additives used in most electrolyte powders can cause painful side effects and long-term gut health problems. This is the last thing you want if you are pregnant.

Unlike the vast majority of electrolyte powders, our pregnancy hydration drink does not contain any artificial or heavily-processed ingredients. We use exclusively simple, natural ingredients like real fruit, coconut water, maple sugar, and sea salt. Ingredients like these are easy to digest, and good for your gut. In case you were wondering, the coconut water and sea salt contribute electrolytes, and the fruit and maple sugar help deliver the electrolytes to the tissues that need them the most. This is natural hydration at its best.

★★★★★

simple

“I’m 6 months pregnant and loving this! I was drinking coconut water, but stopped when I realized how much sugar it has. I use their vegan protein powders too. It’s nice knowing exactly what you’re putting into your body.” – Allison

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