Key takeaways:

  • Health Canada’s Natural and Non-Prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD) does not require us to have a warning statement on our Renew + Protect labels
  • The NNHPD requires a statement on our Marine Collagen + Co-Factors recommending individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding consult a healthcare practitioner prior to use
  • As is true with all supplements, we recommend you consult with your healthcare practitioner prior to taking our products, and there are lots of wonderful ingredients in them to support your skin health during and after pregnancy

This week, we want to touch on a customer question we get all the time – maybe even our most frequently asked question! Prior to getting into the details, we want to preface this blog post by saying that before you start taking any new dietary supplement or natural health product, we recommend consulting with a healthcare practitioner to make sure the product is right for you.

Renew + Protect has been evaluated for safety and efficacy by Health Canada’s Natural and Non-Prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD), for use in adults aged 19 years and older for health effects described on the product label. During the review process, the NNHPD did not request we include any warning statement (contraindication) on the label to describe any conditions or circumstances when the product should not be used, including the statement: Do not use if you are pregnant. Therefore, Renew + Protect does not have any known contraindications. From omega 3-fatty acids to Vitamin D, there are lots of wonderful ingredients in Renew + Protect to support your health and the health of your baby.

Marine Collagen + Co-Factors has also been assessed by Health Canada’s NNHPD for safety and efficacy, for use in adults aged 19 years and older for health effects described on the product label.  The NNHPD does require we include a statement recommending individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding consult a healthcare practitioner prior to use. This precautionary statement relates to the hydrolyzed collagen found in our formation.

The NNHPD creates ingredient and product monographs which outline specific safety and quality considerations for natural health product ingredients or combination of ingredients. The information contained within specific monographs serves as guides for industry for labelling of natural health products. An ingredient monograph has been issued for hydrolyzed collagen. (3), which includes the amino acid, lysine, naturally found in this ingredient. It is recommended that products containing more than 2.8 g of hydrolyzed collagen, such as our Marine Collagen + Co-Factors, include the statement, Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, on the product label. Therefore, we have included that statement on our product label, to comply with that NNHPD requirement and to inform our customers of that precaution.

The moral of the story is that our products contain a specific blend of efficacious natural ingredients, directed to be used in adult populations, and when used according to label directions, they do not have any known contraindications. But as is true with all supplements, we recommend you consult with your healthcare practitioner prior to taking them.

We would love to answer your questions in a future blog post. Have something you’re curious about? Connect with us.

References

  1. Morse NL. Benefits of docosahexaenoic acid, folic acid, vitamin D and iodine on foetal and infant brain development and function following maternal supplementation during pregnancy and lactation. Nutrients. 2012 Jul;4(7):799-840. doi: 10.3390/nu4070799. Epub 2012 Jul 24. Accessed online of December 18, 2018 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407995/
  2. Zielińska MA, Wesołowska A, Pawlus B, Hamułka J. Health Effects of Carotenoids during Pregnancy and Lactation. Nutrients. 2017 Aug; 9(8): 838. Accessed online of December 18, 2018 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579631
  3. Hydrolyzed Collagen Product Monograph. Natural and Non-Prescription Health Products Directorate, Health Canada. Accessed online on December 18, 2018 at http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=hydrolized.collagen&lang=eng
  4.  Lysine Product Monograph. Natural and Non-Prescription Health Products Directorate, Health Canada. Accessed online on December 18, 2018 at http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=lysine&lang=eng