Collagen?

[loveawineloveacrisp]

I have adverts for this popping up on my FB feed left right and centre. 56 and could do with a boost. Is it really the wonder product that the adverts claim it is or a fad? Does anyone take it and has seen a difference? Which brand?

There are loads of threads on this OP if you use search.

Very mixed feedback on other threads. Would still like a brand recommendation.

I've used ancient & brave bovine collagen for about 2 years. I'm 47.

Picked because it was the first one I had one across at the time, and it's in a nice bottle with a pretty black & gold label sitting on my open shelf.
I put a spoonful into my morning coffee - it doesn't smell or taste at all.

The only thing I can definitely attest to, is that my nails are definitely stronger.

I've changed skincare and haircare routines alongside collagen so who knows what's making a difference and what's snake oil?
I cant stop any of it in case my hair falls out overnight & I wake up 10 years older.

I also use ancient & brave bovine collagen and won’t stop as my nails grow strong & well, my hair is thick & shiny and my skin is improving. Great product I think

I use nutrition geeks. My hair is growing crazy fast and has gone shiny, and my nails are strong and growing faster too. The skin on the back of my hands looks smoother and less dry.

I know this is style and beauty, but I also take type 2 collagen (Holland and Barrett) as well as the powder from nutrition geeks, and my joints are much less painful and stiff (I have arthritis).

I was very very sceptical - hence choosing cheap brands as I genuinely thought it would be a waste of money - but am now convinced.

Ive tried elevate but feel a bit tricked now reading other people’s reports

I’m actually taking it for bone health and gut health after buckets of research, also has glycine in which can help sleep (don’t think it’s been studied for that though, I just noted it.)

Taking Will powders bovine. (Type 1 and 3 I think)

type 2 has actual slight evidence to help joints

Ive been grinding flax seeds and eating two tbsp a day in my porridge for over a year; I do think that’s helped shiny hair. Supposed to help skin too. Collagen is recent for me. I’m not arsed about the wrinkles, the other things were more appealing

I use Elavate and my hair, skin and nails are definitely improved. Also I don’t have back pain when I wake up any more!

Ooh this is a well timed thread for me! My skin, hair and nails have become awful over the past year, and I’ve also started getting a lot of sponsored ads on social media for collagen so I’ve been really trying to decide whether to give it a try. I’m swayed!

I take elavate and have done daily since June but I have no idea whether it's doing anything since I also take other things and it bugs me to an irrational level that they can't spell elevate.

That's the one I keep getting ads for but it's really expensive.

I use other Nutrition Geeks supplements so I do trust that brand over others.

There is zero evidence collagen works as a way of targeting improvement. What works is the fact you’re taking in protein which is good for skin, nails etc. But you cannot direct protein at a certain part of your body just because it’s called collagen, no matter how much you will it!

Taking Nutrition Geeks. Can’t see any difference after one month, but will use for 3 months before I give up.

@TheNeighboursComplain can you link to the H&B one please, I suffer a lot with joint pain.

I've tried the Nutrition Geeks one but I kept getting toe joint pains that felt like I would imagine gout would feel like. Usually start after 4 days so I would stop, the pain would go away, I would restart and 4 days later so did the gout pain. I kept retrying in case it was something else causing it but no it was the Geeks product, very weird.

You'd get the same effect eating more protein. And it wouldn't cost as much.

This is the H&B type 2 collagen: https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/holland-barrett-collagen-ucii-t2-40mg-30-capsules-6100006578

The powder collagen is usually type 1 & 3, and doesn't contain type 2 (or rather, I've not found one that does).

Yes, I'll caveat what I've said above with that I also cook with bone broth in a lot of my meals, and I eat plenty of protein, and have done for years. However, I didn't see a notable difference in joint pain or skin/hair/nails until I added in collagen supplements.

I agree with the PP who says there's no evidence it does anything (I researched it, hence my initial skepticism), but I'm happy that I've personally seen and felt changes in the 10 months that I've been taking the Nutrition Geeks and H&B collagens. And they are cheap-enough brands that I can afford it and am happy to continue paying for it ... some brands are eye-wateringly expensive and I wouldn't pay it. My collagen experience, however - like all collagen stories - is purely anecdotal.

Willpowders is the best one for me but it isnt cheap

@TheNeighboursComplain how much do you take of the Nutrition Geeks one? Mine arrived today and it says 2 tablespoons which feels a bit much to dissolve into a cup of coffee.

Thank you!

What's the difference between the two types of collagen and how long did you take them for before you saw an improvement- especially in the aches and pains?

Ancient & Brave here - makes my nails really strong.

i put lots of qs into chat gtp about that and it was v helpful

I notice a difference to hair and nails when vit d is good and if I take b vits and zinc

together health has a good b vit and a different specific beauty one. Either can be taken along side their multi vit as that is a low multi. I don’t think it has zinc (which some other things like iron block absorption of) so I take separately. I’m hypothyroid so zinc can be helpful there, especially for hair.