The Science Bit
Geek out with us
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
If you're anything like us, you want to know why something works before you buy it.
That's why on this page we've shared not only some of the science behind the ingredients in Replenish, but also some of the scientific research papers that we've read so that you can be as informed as possible as you learn to deal with your Pregnancy Sickness.
Pregnancy electrolytes
WHAT ARE ELECTROLYTES?
Electrolytes are minerals that have an electrical charge in water.
One of their main jobs is to regulate the movement of water in and out of the body's cells.
Sodium and potassium are particularly key in this role.
Water goes with sodium into the cells and is balanced by Potassium moving out to create a happy equilibrium.
WHAT IS METHYLFOLATE?
BIO ACTIVE FOLIC ACID
Not everyone can metabolise Folic Acid efficiently.
Folic Acid is a man made version of the B9 vitamin that our body actually uses.
It must be converted by the body into it's useable form (and not everyone's body does this well due to genetic variations).
Replenish contains 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, (or methylfolate to it's friends!) which is what your body uses, so you know your body is getting what it needs!
Read our full blog post here.
INTERESTING STUFF
THE LATEST RESEARCH ON PREGNANCY SICKNESS
In 2023 Cambridge University scientists published their latest findings on the causes of severe Pregnancy Sickness (Hyperemesis Gravidarum). This is the first study of its kind to pin point the causes of NVP, leading the way to the development of potential new treatments:
Why seven in ten women experience pregnancy sickness - Cambridge University
If you want to delve deeper into their research, the full article was published in Nature:
GDF15 linked to maternal risk of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, M. Fejzo et al, Nature
THE LATEST GUIDELINES ON PREGNANCY SICKNESS
In 2024 the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists issued new guidelines to health professionals on the management of Pregnancy Sickness.
One of the key changes was that measuring for the presence of ketones in urine should not be used as a diagnosis tool for severe pregnancy sickness, and the PUQE or HELP tools should be used instead:
NHS INFORMATION
A sensible, clear, overview of vitamins & minerals:
They're still calling it Morning Sickness, but we'll overlook it, on this occasion, for their clear explanation and handy tips of what you can do to help yourself.
Another sensible, straight forward guide from the NHS, on the subject of Hyperemesis Gravidarum:
ARTICLES THAT INSPIRED REPLENISH
This is the Guardian article that inspired Laura to start looking at how endurance athletes cope when their bodies are under stress:
If you really want to geek out like us, this is the original paper that is referred to in the Guardian Article, which looks at the metabolic rate of endurance athletes and pregnant women:
