Collagen supplements

[doobaz]

I've never bothered with collagen supplement before but I'm going to give them a go.

There are so many options out there my head is 🤯

Which do you take, and have you noticed a difference?

I think there is very little proper evidence these do much? I spoke to a dermatologist about this.

Collagen is a large protein (comes from muscle, connect tissue and skin). Our stomach acid and digestive enzymes digest it and break it down into amino acids.

Our body then reforms the amino acids into our own collagen..and puts it where repair is needed.

You can't force your body to put collagen in your face (for example ) if it decides your left elbow needs it more.

Seems a bit of a waste of money and some are hugely expensive?!

I've focused on hydration and actives (retinoids, vitamin c, sunscreen) and some flexibility work

Collagen threads are always flooded with comments saying it’s a waste of money, they don’t work, just eat more protein/drink more water. But for many people, a supplement is beneficial. Just as ideally you would have a perfectly balanced diet but in reality many benefit from a multivitamin.

I have found a collagen supplement really beneficial. My skin looks and feels better, my hair is thicker and shinier, my nails stronger, I am no longer in pain getting out of bed.

I use Sea Garden marine collagen powder. I chose it based on:
I wanted a powder rather than capsules because capsules usually have a digestible plasticity coating that I don’t like, whereas powder is just powder - stir it into any drink.
I wanted 100% marine collagen rather than bovine or mixed because I’m pescatarian.
It is hydrolysed which I had read was good because it means it’s easier for the body to absorb.

If you aren’t sure, find one you like the sound of and buy the smallest size to try it. In my experience, you’ll need to take it for a few weeks to notice any difference, but once that difference does kick in it’s great.

I've been trying Healthspan marine collagen. I am not shedding as much hair and my eyelashes are longer. I thought I would try it for a year before deciding whether it's worth buying permanently, as head hair takes ages to respond to such changes.

Absolute waste of money and tastes awful .
started RF last year and never went back to supplements and powders

Nutrition Geeks. I don't take it myself but I have been considering it recently. From my research this one seems to be the most affordable whilst also being well formulated.

Yes I was told several times that the stuff people drink has no chance of reaching the skin before it gets digested, I’m not being negative on purpose as I’d love it to work and I’d be buying some.

The current consensus is that it is modestly effective in specific areas, provided you use the right form.

Reviews of multiple clinical trials have shown that oral collagen can provide statistically significant improvements in three key areas:
Elasticity, Hydration, Fine Lines.

A common myth was that your stomach acid just destroys collagen. However if you take Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides, they are small enough to enter your bloodstream.

Once absorbed, these peptides act as a "signal" to your fibroblasts (the cells that make collagen).

Essentially, they trick your body into thinking its own collagen is breaking down, which triggers a "repair" response to build more.

So it's not a miracle product but it does do something.