To ask which collagen you have taken that has improved joint health.

[Murphs1]

I am looking for recommendations for collagen that has improved joint pain and mobility. Obviously if you’ve had added benefits such as skin/digestive benefits then I’d be glad to hear those too 😁

Mine is £23 a jar and lasts about 6 weeks, so if I am a fool, I am quite a frugal one :)

I bought this one from Wellgard from Amazon, bovine collagen, very impressed -
amzn.eu/d/4DhKZsN
Bought for vanity really, but have noticed a huge improvement in my joints. Much less "clicky" and achey. I have tried the very similar composition nutrition geeks collagen too, but think (despite their advertising) it DOES have a stronger taste.
I was a skeptic, but thought I'd give it a go, and can tell when I've stopped having it. At less than £20 a tub that lasts weeks, its worth it.
Also agree that the amino acids are used where they are needed in your body, however, i cant argue with my personal results, its worked for me.

So, as a genuine question (open to being told I am an idiot) … taking into account that the collagen is broken down in the gut, surely that means your body then has everything it needs from the broken down components to re-build what it needs?

I get that a high protein whole foods diet with loads of greens and all the omega 3 etc that we need is ideal, but if someone doesn’t have that, surely taking a collagen supplement is going to give them the building blocks they might otherwise be missing.

Or is that all guff and really any protein would do - just go and eat a block of processed cheese instead?

I have been using Elavate collagen for a few months. Apparently it has both types of collagen - marine and bovine.

My nails have never been as long and strong but more importantly for me, I can sleep on my side now without my hips being in agony , my knees are less painful and my plantar fasciitis has settled.

So it may be a fad but I have genuinely had noticeable physical improvements 🤷🏼‍♀️ I think I can do a money off code if anyone wants to try it and googling can also get lower price offers.

Any protein will do. All proteins are digested into their constituent amino acids. When the amino acids are absorbed, they are rebuilt into the proteins the body needs - whether that's for example keratin for skin, collagen for joints, haemoglobin for blood cells, is all up for your body to decide. Extra collagen in your diet is not going achieve anything. Excess protein in general is just going to cause weight gain and strain your kidneys.

Would you share what capsules please? My knees are wrecked.

Cod Liver Oil supplements have worked wonders with my painful, creaky knees, the pain has completely gone now (I've been taking it for around 2 years and noticed a real difference after about 2 months) and my mobility is so much better. Might be worth a try OP.

HRT was the answer to my joint pain which started in my 50s.
Also have one tablespoon of Dr Sarah Brewer’s olive oil every day.

@quittingsugar2026

Hellania UC-II Collagen Type 2 40mg 60 capsules for about 19 quid - Amazon.

I took them every day for a few weeks and now just take every other day.

If you buy, hope they work for you.

My knees actually feel normal and they haven’t felt like that for the last 5 years. I don’t take HRT for context.

GPs don’t say that. Vitamin D is officially recommend for people in the UK during the winter (by govt and NHS) because it isn’t possible for your body to make enough of it, and after having a blood test I was recommend to have iron supplements by my GP.

Arlanymor
Indeed, although the placebo effect is surprisingly powerful.

My doctor said he followed the glucosamine research for years and had sadly come to the conclusion it didn’t help, it just gave a placebo effect. I said ‘I wouldn’t mind a placebo if it felt it helped’ and he didn’t find it funny. The thing is a leading specialist that he had said could help anyone had prescribed me glucosamine- he said your average pharmacy one did nothing but prescription glucosamine could. I felt like it helped but the specialist wouldn’t allow me on it long term as I have heart issues and apparently there’s links to issues

It might well be a fad but bovine collagen from ancient and brave has done wonders for my long-standing menopausal joint stiffness, so I daren’t stop. And there is some academic evidence e.g. orthopedicreviews.openmedicalpublishing.org/article/129086-the-effects-of-type-i-collagen-hydrolysate-supplementation-on-bones-muscles-and-joints-a-systematic-review

Thank you

Glucosamine defo seems to be a placebo but there are some studies showing significantly reduced joint stiffness after using collagen for some time, with the biggest improvement being in those with significant degeneration.

This 💯

Likewise

I have a balanced healthy diet but had menopausal joint pain.
Nutrition geeks Glow up has taken the pain/ stiffness( like I’d been kicked in the bum/ done big hill climbing ) every day, away.

Had also been on Omega 3’s for years so for some of us collagen does help.
However, my menopausal symptoms are significant ( max dose HRT), can’t tolerate caffeine, bread,some cheese, alcohol so it may be why I need the collagen

Exactly my experience.
Bovine for me and i saw a difference in one week , i have had no menopausal symptoms other than joint pain and i certainly know about it !
Stupidly i have lapsed and i'm in pain so delivery due this week and i won't be stopping them again.

I take ancient and brave. I'm fully aware that studies say collagen doesn't do anything. However for me it definitely has. I took photos of my hair monthly and it's got thicker. Not lions mane thick but it's also noticeably stopped falling out in the shower.
I was taking it primarily for hair and then I noticed my hands stopped hurting (arthritis pain in winter). So I don't think it's placebo as I wasn't taking it for that iyswim?

There are plenty of studies describing benefits (see my link to a systematic review)z What is less clear is whether other proteins would be as beneficial. I realistically wouldn’t have been able to increase my protein to those levels without it ( and there is a study showing more benefits than for whey powder).

Sorry only just saw this. It is a powerful effect - mind over matter really. Bit odd that you were prescribed something by a leading specialist that you couldn't take longer term - they don't sound very leading to me and should you have even been prescribed it in the first place due to your heart issues? I'm not being glib, I have LBB and am always sceptical about things that might interfere with my condition. Honestly ingested collagen thing is the biggest swizz out there - see also CBD gummies. If people say they feel better on this stuff I am not going to argue with them, even though the science shows no noticeable impact.

Nutrition geeks collagen has worked for me - took only 2 weeks to notice a difference and has gone on from there.

It's supposedly bollocks, but I started taking it because physio recommend it (just a random one from amazon, not a big name brand). Bollocks it may be, but on at least three occasions I've forgotten to take it for a few days and only realised when my hip pain started up again. And it's never started again when I take it regularly. So I'm going to continue taking it!

Yep. It may well be possible to say there's a dearth of high quality evidence; this doesnt mean 'its bollocks', which as a claim is just as extreme as all the claims made in favour.

I've been taking a mix of bovine and marine, which also has HLA added, for three months. My joints are improved. I had been hobbling about with meno related/exacerbated pain. I now don't. Still a bit stiff but much improved.

Yes, hair and nails also improved, maybe skin a bit, too. So there's some more anecdata!

The marketing is very annoying, on that I agree.

Thanks everyone that’s really helpful. I tried correxiko but it didn’t really do anything joint wise but did help my nails grow. I’ve started the ancient and brave true collagen so I’m glad to see others have found it useful for joints, as have the noble one but this upset my stomach, tso will see how I go on the true collagen. Posters that mentioned the bovine powder - can you advise which you brought please? Thanks.