An Overview of Glycine and Pregnancy

Glycine is an amino acid found in protein-rich foods and also used in dietary supplements. As with most supplements, it is not known if glycine is safe for use in pregnancy. As a result, you should not take glycine during pregnancy without your healthcare provider's approval and supervision.

 

Is Glycine Safe for Pregnant Women?

It is not known whether glycine is safe for pregnant women. There are no reliable studies that show that glycine is safe (or unsafe), as glycine supplementation has not been adequately studied in any pregnant women. It might seem logical that glycine supplements would be perfectly safe for pregnant women, because glycine is just an amino acid that is found in many foods (and produced naturally by the human body). However, just because a normal dietary intake of glycine through food is safe, it cannot be assumed that using glycine supplements medicinally is equally as safe. Perhaps, the higher levels of glycine in the supplements could cause problems or, perhaps, the glycine in supplements is slightly different from the glycine found in foods. It is also possible that your glycine supplements may contain contaminants or other ingredients that are not safe for use in pregnancy. Until more information is available, it is probably wise to wait until after pregnancy to take glycine supplements.

 

Glycine and Pregnancy: Final Thoughts

If you are pregnant, it is always a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider before taking any medication or supplement. You and your healthcare provider can consider the possible risks and benefits of using glycine in your particular situation, as well as any other treatment alternatives.